Modern Mining April 2019

MINING News

SRK appointment SRK Exploration Services has appointed John Paul Hunt as its local manager, representing the Cardiff-based company in close collabo- ration with the SRK Consulting (SA) office in Johannesburg. Hunt has joined SRK Exploration Services from the Council for Geoscience as a Senior Exploration Geologist. He is an economic and exploration geologist with over 15 years’ experience in grassroots to brownfields target generation and exploration. He has worked extensively in sub-Saharan Africa and Scandinavia, primarily engaged with base/ precious metal magmatic sulphide depos- its, orogenic/placer gold, and mineralisation related to magmatic-hydrothermal systems. His career has involved planning and exe- cuting exploration programmes at all stages from target generation to evaluation. SRK Exploration Services is a discipline-led practice within the global SRK Group, which supports prospecting and mining companies from the idea stage through to the definition of mineral resources. 

a primary crusher/SAG/ball mill commi- nution circuit to achieve a grind size of P80 180 µm, a natural pH flotation circuit, rougher flotation with a regrind circuit to achieve a grind size of P80 90 µm and a cleaner flotation circuit. LoM metallurgical recoveries of 92,9 % copper and 88,0 % silver are envisaged, producing a concentrate with grades that peak at 34,7 % Cu and 601 g/t Ag, averag- ing 30,4 % Cu and 383 g/t Ag. Average annual production over the life of mine is expected to be approxi- mately 28 kt of copper and 1,1 Moz of silver. However, for the first seven full years of production (between 2021 and 2028), plant throughput, feed grades and recov- eries are expected to be higher than the LoM average and support copper produc- tion averaging over 30 kt. The current estimated direct and indi- rect capital cost for the establishment of the mine, the construction of the pro- cess plant and associated infrastructure is US$142 million (excluding mining pre-strip costs). 

required) and in-pit sumps for use within the mining operation Pre-strip activities are expected to com- mence during the first half of 2020 and ore from the first stage of the open pit is targeted to be processed during the first quarter of 2021. The bulk of waste move- ment is expected between 2020 and 2024, resulting in a higher strip ratio during these early years. Following this, the strip ratio will reduce to an average of 2 to 1 and mining costs should follow this general downward trend. The open pit is located less than 1 km from the process plant. Ore will be either directly fed into the primary crusher or directed to a ROM stockpile, providing surge capacity and the opportunity for ore blending. The T3 orebody is comprised of met- allurgically favourable chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite. Ore will be pro- cessed through a conventional process plant with an annual throughput of up to 3,2 Mt at a head grade of 1,0 % copper and 13,2 g/t silver. The flow sheet includes

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