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United States based Mabwe Mineral Holdings Incorporation said it has finished compiling documents (specifications sheets) that are necessary for it to get the green light to commence full scale operations at its Dodge Mine in Shamva. Mabwe wants to mine barite, a crystalline mineral of barium sulfate (can be white, yellow or colourless) that is used in paint manufacturing and is mostly used as industrial mineral and also a chief source of barium chemicals.
In July this year Mabwe Minerals Incorporation announced that it has commenced barite and limestone production at Dodge Mine.
However, for the mine to commence operations it was supposed to finalise its specifications sheets to start its operations and marketing its minerals and a specification sheet is a technical document that sets out the details of how, exactly, a certain product is intended to perform or function.
Mabwe minerals business development vice president Mr Louis Schlegel said: “As part of the lot qualification process, Mabwe Zimbabwe will be sending bi-weekly lots of barite, sorted by grade type, to multiple test labs under the supervision of Steinbock Minerals, whose barite customer base has historically approved as third party, independent barite test facilities.
“The accumulation of multiple lots of test data will be used to set specification sheets for the different grades of barite,” he said.
He said the company’s strategic partners network with their barite customer base would set up initial shipments for final customer approval in the fourth quarter of this year.
“Mabwe minerals Zimbabwe has now established different grades of barite types in Zimbabwe to address the multiple market applications,” he added.
Director of Mabwe Minerals Zimbabwe private limited Mr Tapiwa Gurupira, said the company is pleased by the work done by its affiliate company in expanding employee housing, management offices, roadways and all related tasks associated with building long-term infrastructure at Dodge Mine.
“Mabwe Zimbabwe looks forward to their first shipment, as it continues developing the barite specification sheets in order to commence barite lot qualification during the fourth quarter of 2013,”he said.
Mabwe Minerals Incorporation is a United States based natural resources and hard asset company engaged in the mining, logistics and commercial sales of industrial minerals and metals, with first focus on barite.
The company’s operations are conducted through its Zimbabwe holding affiliate, Mabwe Corporation private limited, which includes wholly owned subsidiary Mabwe Minerals Zimbabwe Private Limited and minority owned WGB Kinsey company. Raptor Resources Holdings Inc is the holding company of Mabwe Minerals Inc. with a second independently operating subsidiary TAG Minerals Inc.
All mining operations are managed by, WGB Kinsey Company, a fourth generation mining and construction company in Zimbabwe since 1955.
The hydrothermal barite deposits on Dodge Mine are considered world class due to their high percentage content of barium sulfate (BaSO4).
Bongani Ndlovu
Online Reporter