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Herald Reporter
Regional mining firm Premier African Minerals, has signed an agreement with MN Holding Limited for the supply of mining and exploration machinery for the former’s tungsten mine in Zimbabwe — the RHA Tungsten Mine.
The agreement between Premier and MNH will initially provide Premier with the following plant and equipment for use at RHA: two cubic meter wheel loader; 20-tonne dump truck; tractor/water bowser for dust suppression with alternate blade for road work; and 1 x 4-wheel drive tractor-loader-backhoe.
The RHA Tungsten Mine is located approximately 270km northwest of Bulawayo.
And Premier has advanced the RHA project from an exploration project through to a producing tungsten mining operation.
Premier holds a 49 percent interest in RHA, and has so far invested around US$18 million in the acquisition and development of the mine.
Commenting on the development, Premier CEO George Roach said: “This is another step towards the revival of RHA Tungsten Private Limited and apart from the reprocessing of tailings whilst we bring the underground development back to life, the dramatically reduced cost of operating a mining fleet arising from the association with MNH will encourage a re-evaluation of the possible restarting of open pit operations as well.
“I have now completed two site visits with the management of MNH and the complete route to locate the equipment and the route to Walvis Bay for future export has been surveyed and approved. In situ inspection of the tailings to be reprocessed has resulted in agreement on necessary equipment and MNH will now commence with mobilisation. MNH have also agreed to make available their professional expertise to assist RHA and will be the operators of the mining fleet. The potential exists to see further operating cost reductions flowing from the integration of MNH expertise.
“At the same time, a 5-ton bulk sample of underground ore is now cleared for shipment to undergo detailed test work leading up to the optimisation of the process long budgeted for. During this test work, we will look also to optimise the concentrates now able to be produced both to improve the concentrate grade as to understand whether or not any other mineral is profitably recoverable. Other minerals specifically include copper that is coexistent with gold traces.”
Premier is a multi-commodity mining and natural resource development company focused on Southern Africa with its RHA Tungsten and Zulu Lithium projects in Zimbabwe.
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