Modern Mining June 2018

MINING News

Mustang Resources, an ASX-listed company, has announced that it is exporting a further 34 400 carats of medium and higher grade rubies to its sales office in Thailand. The rubies were recovered as part of its bulk sampling operations at its Montepuez project in Mozambique from January to May 2018. This parcel includes 10 238 carats recovered from the processing of 22 180 tonnes at 46 cpht from the recently discovered Block B at Montepuez. The whole parcel will be graded and is planned to be sold in Thailand as part of ongoing market development and test sales activities. Mustang also reports that it has appointed independent consultants Sound Mining Services (SMS), based in South Africa, to start geological and resource modelling based on the comprehensive exploration and bulk sampling to date. SMS will model and interpret the data with the aim of establishing a maiden JORC-compliant resource for Montepuez in the December quarter of 2018. Mustang has been increasing its exploration and pitting activities to provide additional data for the resource and geological modelling and to define further extensions of the various ruby-bearing gravels in its licence areas. The company has now scheduled significant capacity upgrades for its ruby processing plant. These will start in June 2018. The upgrades will double the plant’s processing capacity and are expected to sig- nificantly reduce processing costs (and therefore total costs) per carat through the installation of an additional rotary pan. Subject to a favourable maiden resource, exploration results and economic evaluation, Mustang aims to start commercial-scale mining operations at Montepuez in the first half of 2019.  Mustang advances Montepuez ruby project in Mozambique ASX-listed Lucapa Diamond Company and the Government of the Kingdom of Lesotho (GoL) have jointly reported the recent recovery of a 25-carat yellow gem diamond from the Mothae kimberlite mine in Lesotho, owned 70 % by Lucapa with GOL holding the balance. Interestingly, the gem-quality Special was recovered from the Neck Zone of the Mothae kimberlite, which is not part of the current plus one million carat JORC resource. The diamond was recovered within the first two days of trial pro- cessing through the bulk sampling plant after recent efficiency and security modifications. Following sign off of the modifications, Mothae will commence processing three 50 000-tonne bulk samples of kim- berlite material from the Neck, North and South East Zones, with the aim of adding to the JORC resource and the mine life. Other plus 5-carat diamond recoveries from the first two days of trial processing of material from the Neck Zone include a 6-carat diamond. Meanwhile, construction of the new 150 tonne per hour treatment plant with XRT large diamond recovery technology continues on schedule for commercial production in H2 2018.  Lucapa recovers yellow gem diamond at Mothae

June 2018  MODERN MINING  17