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Kamativi Tailing Company (KTC) has secured funding for a dense medium separation plant after concluding a $9,5 million off take finance facility with a Swiss — based firm Transamine Trading S.A, the firm has said.
KTC is a joint venture between Jimbata, operating as Zimbabwe Lithium and Kamativi Tin Mines (KTM), a subsidiary of the Zimbabwe Mining Development Company (ZMDC).
In its latest progress report published Tuesday on its tailings project being undertaken in the western Matabeleland North Province, the company said it had also secured offtake agreements for the first 150 000 tonnes of lithium concentrate under the arrangement.
Details of the project
“During first quarter of 2019, local engineering firm, MEPP will complete all the aspects of the engineering DMS plant design criteria with MinMet, leading into the importation, erection and construction of the DMS plant during second and third quarter,” said KTC.
“The company will commence civil engineering requirements at the Kamativi site, which will include but not limited to the refurbishment of existing buildings, preparation of the plant site and associated buildings, reconditioning of the electrical, water and sewerage infrastructure required to support Phase 1 of the project.”
The Kamativi tailings storage facility contains man-made deposits that were created from dumps produced from processing of tin mineralisation at the KTM. The tailings were deposited between 1936 to 1994 and were derived from the mining and processing of the tin-bearing (spodumene-bearing lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatites.)
The spodumene is the predominant lithium, with little amounts of cookeite, zinnwaldite, petalite and amblygonite.
The Mineral Resource Statement for the project was based on geochemical analyses and density measurements, attained from drilling and pitting respectively, undertaken between March and June last year. A total of 115 vertical holes were drilled at a nominal 100 metres grid spacing.
Initially, drilling was by coring, and later an auger method was employed. Blank samples, certified reference materials and duplicates were included with the drill hole samples.
During the final quarter of 2018, the company also completed bulk test work on the tailings material using South Africa’s national mineral research organisation, Mintek.
The test work was overseen by MinMet Projects, a South African engineering organisation, appointed by the company, with extensive experience in lithium processing, having recently completed similar DMS plants in Australia, namely Tawana Resources and Pilbara Minerals.
“The results of the test work met the company’s predictions and expectations with a sample of high quality lithium concentrate,” said KTC.
Green Resources, a local environmental management firm is in the process of completing the Environmental Impact Assessment and project approvals as determined by the Environmental Management Agency.
John McTaggart, chairman of Zimbabwe Lithium and Kamativi Tailings Company said “the work completed at Mintek, the appointment of MinMet, the finalisation of deal terms with Transamine and the deployment of MEPP show our commitment to ensuring the successful implementation of this project.
Having the knowledge that MinMet, Transamine, our local partners MEPP and Green Resources Company all provide confidence and credibility to the development of this project.”
Bongani Ndlovu