Modern Mining January 2019

MINING News

Balama achieves commercial production

achieved an average graphite recovery of 70 % in Q4 2018 versus an average graph- ite recovery of 53 % in Q3. “The declaration of commercial produc- tion represents a key milestone for Syrah, reflecting the significantly improved pro- duction consistency and strong recovery improvements,” comments Shaun Verner, Managing Director and CEO of Syrah. “This milestone has been reached through coordinated effort across the entire Syrah team, particularly through the dedication of the Balama operations team. We continue to implement further opera- tional improvements in ongoing ramp up, to bring recoveries in line with our medium and longer term targets.” Developed by Syrah at a cost of US$215 million, Balama is the first ‘greenfield’ graphite project in Mozambique to come into production. Syrah transitioned Balama to operations at the start of 2018 and com- menced selling natural flake graphite to a global customer base. The official inaugu- ration of the mine took place in April 2018, with Mozambique’s President Filipe Nyusi in attendance. Balama has a nameplate capacity of 350 000 tonnes per annum (t/a) at 95 % fixed carbon, with the reserves being suf- ficient for over 50 years of operation at full production. The average head grade is expected to be approximately 19 % Total Graphitic Carbon (TGC) during the first 10 years of operations as per the feasibility study. The mining is a standard truck-and- shovel operation while the ore is treated in a 2 Mt/a plant which provides for crush- ing (by means of a sizer rather than an impact crusher), grinding, flotation, filtra- tion, drying, screening and bagging. The concentrate is exported through the Port of Nacala, which is approximately 500 km from the mine site by road. „ said. “Our aim is to fast track a robust, viable near-term low-capex production opportu- nity. Work during early 2019 will be focused on development of this high-grade zone, in addition to the potential high-grade DSO contribution from the pipes.” The SPD project is located on the Eastern Limb of the Bushveld Complex. It is only 30 km from the currently dormant Mapochs mine, which has a processing plant and railway line. „

ASX- l i s t ed S y r a h R e s ou r c e s h a s declared commercial production at the Balama graphite operation in northern Mozambique. Following a review of monthly operat- ing metrics, the company has determined that the criteria to achieve commercial

production, as set out in the 2017 Annual Report, have been met with effect from 1 January 2019. Balama’s Q4 2018 natural graphite pro- duction amounted to 33 kt; full year 2018 natural graphite production of 104 kt is in line with updated guidance. The mine

The 2 Mt/a Balama processing plant (photo: Syrah).

Maiden resource confirms quality of SPD project Tando Resources, listed on the ASX, has announced a maiden JORC resource at its SPD vanadium project. The resource comprises 588 Mt at 0,78 % V 2 O 5 which of 0,9 % V 2 O

5 , within 100 m of surface).

Tando Managing Director Bill Oliver said the maiden JORC resource confirmed the quality of the SPD project as a potential tier 1 asset and provided an important spring board for the next phase of activities. “The delineation of high-grade, near-surface mineralisation provides an immediate focus for our metallurgical andmining studies,”he

is wholly classified in the inferred cat- egory. Significantly, the resource includes coherent high-grade, near surface zones of mineralisation which total 80 Mt at 1,07 % V 2 O 5 (defined above a cut-off grade

12 _ MODERN MINING _ January 2019