mining news
13
07.13
Ferrex ups Malelane target
Ferrex, the AIM-quoted iron ore and manganese development com-
pany focused in Africa, has announced at least a 70-79 % increase
in its contained iron ore exploration target to 1,6 billion tonnes (bt)
to 2,0 bt at 28 to 30 % Fe at its 74 % owned 4 192 ha Malelane iron
ore project located in Mpumalanga.
Comments Ferrex MD Dave Reeves: “We are delighted to report
this significant increase in the exploration target for Malelane which
supports our long-term view that the project potentially contains a
significant large-scale iron ore resource.
“In line with our strategy of developing assets which are close to
infrastructure that have near-term production potential and, in turn,
cash generating capabilities for the company, we remain committed
to commencing development of the smaller scale, low capex start-up
operation (1,8 Mt/a over a 16,6 year life) that utilises the existing infra-
structure of a main rail route to Maputo in Mozambique 170 km away.
“However at the appropriate point of Malelane’s exploration and
development, the company will investigate how best to extract the
potential 2,0 Bt iron resource on a much more significant scale to
fully unlock the project’s intrinsic value.”
ASX-listed Kaboko Mining reports that commercial scale mining at
its northern Zambian manganese project at Mansa is fully opera-
tional and exceeding expectations.
The company has removed an initial overburden of 8 000 m
3
and
extracted an estimated 6 000 tons of high grade manganese ore
from the main vein. The main vein ore is currently on site in a stock-
pile waiting to be crushed with the arrival of Kaboko’s crusher plant
purchased from SBM in China. The plant is scheduled to be erected
and operational this month (July). The main stockpile was tested
at the company’s on site laboratory and through independent geo-
chemical analysis.
Importantly, testing of the overburden has identified that it has
manganese mineralisation and can be processed as fines with a
20 % recovery to produce a 50 % plus product. Processing of the
overburden was not previously part of the short-term mining plan
but test results show that this stockpile contains around 20 % of
‘potato’ manganese, which tests at approximately 50 %. Currently
the stockpile of these unprocessed fines is around 6 450 m
3
. Pro-
cessing of the overburden as summarised above decreases overall
production costs of manganese ore from the main vein and results
in an additional 3 000 tons of sellable ore a month – taking targeted
production to 8 000 tonnes/month by Q4 2013.
Comments Kaboko’s CEO, Tokkas Van Heerden: “We are ex-
tremely excited as we have achieved the target set in May and the
initial indications are that we will be able to continue our produc-
tion of 5 000 tonnes per month of main vein production in line with
budgeted costs. Where we have exceeded expectations is with the
manganese mineralisation of the overburden and the much wider
main vein reef than previously targeted.”
Kaboko’s Mansa manganese
project now fully operational
Exposed reef at Mansa widening at depth (photo: Kaboko Mining).
