| Work Detail |
Initial deliveries of 1,000 tons of high-grade "run of mine" lithium ore is about to start at Marula Minings Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine.
African focused battery metals mining and development company Marula Mining is exploring several high value mine projects across the continent.
Processing operations at the Blesberg Project started in late November 2022. They are
focused on the existing stockpiles which are being reprocessed to produce a high-grade lithium ore with commercial grades of between 4% and 5.5% U20 as well as removing the stockpiles from the underlying pegmatite deposit to allow for drilling and feasibility
study work to start. This could potentially to the establishment of a long-term, hard rock conventional open pit lithium mining operation.
"The work that has been completed by our contractors Southern Metals Processing is a credit to them and their management team on site. To have achieved what they have in the past four months is a tremendous effort and to have only commenced the reprocessing activities in late November 2022 and now be in a position with material bagged and ready for delivery under the US$5 million Lithium Prepayment Facility that we secured in October 2022, is also a great achievement," said Jason Brewer, Manila Mining PLC CEO.
Lithium mining project highlights
• In aggregate around 4,000 tonnes of material is either packaged in one tonne bags or
contained in the new run-of-mine stockpiles pending final sorting and sizing
• Processing of the existing stockpiles is ongoing with all mobile mining equipment on site and operational
• Mine layout optimisation work ongoing with upgrades already completed on haul roads and access ramps to the stockpiles and all key aspects of site infrastructure meeting expectations
• Processing plant equipment fully established on site and crushing and screening of material operating to budgeted levels
• Check samples from bagged high-grade "run-of-mine" lithium ore has been taken for analyses as part of the final grade and ore quality reconciliation required under the Prepayment Facility
• Sampling being undertaken and managed by the Companys consultants at various laboratories in South Africa to set proper testing protocols and procedures
for deliveries under the Prepayment Facility and future long-term offtake arrangements
Long-term offtake discussions are also now being progressed with multiple parties for both material from the reprocessing of the existing stockpiles and the potential hard rock conventional open pit lithium mining operation being planned by the company. Marulas Board and management team will be on site in mid-February 2023 to oversee ongoing processing activities and deliveries under the Prepayment Facility. |
