There are not too many mines coming on stream in South Africa these days so it was very satisfying for Modern Mining to recently attend the launch of Canyon Coal’s Khanye opencast mine near Bronkhorstspruit, which has cost R500 million to develop and which will produce at a rate of 200 000 tons per month once in full production.
In this issue we also look at a notable project in Malawi, a country which currently only has a very small mining sector. This is Malingunde near Lilongwe, which is being developed by Australian company Sovereign Metals. Sovereign’s belief that this is one of the world’s best flake graphite projects in the world is now supported by the results of a recently released PFS which demonstrates that Malingunde can produce 52 000 t/a of concentrate a year for 16 years and deliver an average EBITDA of over US$42 million per annum over this period.
Our news section as usual includes updates from projects and mines across Africa. Among those featured are Roxgold’s Yaramoko mine in Burkina Faso, where work is well advanced on the Bagassi South expansion, Avenira’s Baobab phosphate project in Senegal, Ivanhoe’s Kipushi zinc project in the DRC and Aura Energy’s Tiris uranium project in Mauritania.
Comment: Syama to spearhead the drive to mining automation
What is described as the world’s first “customised fully automated underground mine” is under development at Resolute Mining’s Syama property in Mali. The new mine, which will soon be in production, will be equipped with both automated trucks and loaders. Sandvik has been selected by Resolute as its technology partner on the project. Read more …
WorleyParsons RSA services mining projects worldwide
In our cover story, we talk to Denver Dreyer, CEO of WorleyParsons RSA, the South African arm of the ASX-listed WorleyParsons group. He says the South African company has managed to remain busy despite a subdued mining market due to its status as the Mining Centre of Excellence within the group which has seen it working on mining projects globally. Read more …
Canyon launches its fifth mine
Canyon Coal, one of South Africa’s fastest growing coal mining companies, recently launched its Khanye mine near Bronkhorstspruit. The new mine, the fifth in Canyon’s portfolio, will produce at a rate of 200 000 ROM tons a month once in full production. At the heart of Khanye’s processing plant is a large coal dense medium separator (LARCODEMS), which replaces the more conventional drum and cyclone arrangement seen at many coal mines. Read more …
Sissingué mine plan updated
Perseus Mining has updated the resources and reserves for its new Sissingué gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. Built at a cost of US$107 million, Sissingué is Perseus’s second mine. Under the updated LOMP, Sissingué’s estimated life of mine gold production from 1 July 2018 totals 357 000 ounces including approximately 86 000 ounces per annum for the first three years of production and approximately 78 000 ounces per annum over the current 4,6 year life of mine. Read more …
PFS reveals compelling case for Malingunde
A Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) on the Malingunde flake graphite project of ASX-listed Sovereign Metals in Malawi has confirmed that it will have very low operating costs, providing excellent margins. According to Sovereign, the project’s compelling numbers can be attributed to the deposit being hosted entirely by soft saprolite material, its high grade and the excellent infrastructure availability. Read more …
Agile Bara remains busy despite mining downturn
Founded in 2013 and operating from offices in both Johannesburg and the UK, mining consultancy Bara Consulting has proven to be a highly successful venture, with projects having now been completed in more than 30 countries worldwide. Modern Mining recently spoke to well-known mining personality Jim Pooley, one of the founders, to learn more about the company and its operating philosophy. Read more …
Still a buyer’s market for project developers, says SRK
It is still a buyers’ market when it comes to the supply of exploration or construction services in mining, although this situation may be due for a correction. In this article, three key figures in SRK Consulting SA give their views on both the challenges and opportunities presented by the current mining market. Read more …
Lycopodium to build another West African gold project
Australia’s West African Resources has lined up Lycopodium as the EPCM contractor for its Sanbrado gold project, now under development in Burkina Faso with first production of gold being targeted for the second half of 2020. The updated Feasibility Study on Sanbrado envisages an initial 11-year mine life, including 4,5 years of underground mining, with an average annual production over the first five years of mine life of 211 000 ounces of gold. Read more …
