George Roach (right) with Martin Creamer
Photo by: Duane Daws
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The first major commercial production of tungsten from a new mine under construction in Zimbabwe is expected in June.
The plant for the mine, which is being built in Johannesburg by Appropriate Process Technology, is due for shipment to Zimbabwe on May 11.
The RHA project has so far absorbed an investment of $9-million, George Roach, the chairperson and CEO of London Aim-listed Premier African Minerals, told Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online in a video interview (see attached).
Premier holds 49% of RHA Tungsten (Pvt) Limited with the remaining 51% held by Zimbabwe’s National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Fund.
The company became involved at RHA before the Zimbabwe government decided to enforce 51% indigenised ownership.
“I took a view that what I knew of the project at that time was good enough and there was sufficient historic development to leave me feeling quite happy to only have half of the project,” said Roach, who holds 40% of the shares of Premier.
Located 20 km south-east of Hwange, the mine will rail its concentrate to a choice of ports at rates Roach described as competitive and the concentrate will not be subject to the latest 15% export levy.
RHA holds 50 mineral claim blocks, where historic mine workings in the form of trenches, pits, pegs and shafts are evident.
Opencast mining is envisaged for 22 months, with revenue from the openpit expected to repay debt currently being raised as well as open the way for the development of an underground mine, with an eight-year life-of-mine based on measured and indicated resources.
The company says on its website that it is targeting a compliant indicated resource of up to 10-million tonnes at a grade of 0.12% to 0.17% tungsten trioxide (WO3) and 86 000 t at 2.25% WO3.