Modern Mining September 2019

extraction and electrowinning flowsheet.” He added that Giyani had also completed an extensive programme of metallurgical testing of stockpile material from K Hill and Otse and was also

Above: The K Hill deposit. The access roads and drill pads from the 2018 resource estimation programme are visible. Left: High-grade manganese ore from the K Hill deposit.

Above: A prospect-scale gravity survey has been completed to target and identify drill targets.

world’s manganese reserves,” he explained. “What makes our K Hill resource unique is that it is a manganese oxide deposit as opposed to the manganese carbonate and manganese silicate that you get across the border in South Africa.” Theron, who spoke to Modern Mining shortly before the release of the

PEA, said that Giyani had carried out a vigorous work programme on K Hill – and the two other pros- pects – since acquisition. “We started with surface mapping and sampling and geophysics in 2017 and followed up with ground magnetics, ground grav- ity and IP/DC surveys in 2018,” he said. “In April last year we launched a core drilling campaign which cul- minated in September 2018 with the publication of a maiden inferred mineral resource for K Hill – pre- pared by MSA – of 1,1 Mt grading 31,2 % manganese oxide (MnO) at a cut-off grade of 18 % MnO, which is well above the required grade for making Electrolytic Manganese Metal (EMM). “A resource of 1,1 Mt is not huge but it has to be remembered that K Hill is not a bulk manganese project but rather a niche operation which requires only relatively small tonnages of manganese ore to produce a specialised product using a solvent

Botryoidal (or ‘grape-like’) habit of secondary manganese oxide ore.

September 2019  MODERN MINING  31