Less Ads, More Data, More Tools Register for FREE

Pin to quick picksBerkeley Mineral Resources Regulatory News (BMR)

  • There is currently no data for BMR

Watchlists are a member only feature

Login to your account

Alerts are a premium feature

Login to your account

Kabwe Update

16 Apr 2012 07:00

RNS Number : 3531B
Berkeley Mineral Resources PLC
16 April 2012
 



BERKELEY MINERAL RESOURCES PLC

("BMR" or "THE COMPANY")

 

Up to 96% recoveries of Zinc and Lead material achieved from Kabwe Mine tailings

 

Further to the announcement made on 29 February, 2012 BMR has now received the initial results of the metallurgical processing tests being carried out by its consultants, Mintek. Mintek has been testing various routes to optimise zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) recoveries from the washplant and leachplant tailings material prior to the Company selecting its preferred processing route which will form the basis of its beneficiation plant specification.

 

Although the Company conducted cyclone tests, kiln tests produced the most positive results. A total of eight kiln tests were conducted by Mintek from representative dump material (four each of washplant and leachplant material) submitted in December 2011. Tests were conducted at temperatures of 1,000, 1,150 and 1,200 degrees Centigrade. Dolomite was added to some of the tests to ascertain if that would increase recoveries.

 

The best results of the tests are as follows:

 

Washplant material: At 1,200 degrees C, 57.1% Zn and 83.7% Pb recovered

Leachplant material: At 1,200 degrees C, 62.7% Zn and 96.1% Pb recovered

 

Small quantities of other metals were also recovered, including Gallium and Germanium, both primarily used in semi-conductor production.

 

BMR is very satisfied by the extremely positive results of these initial kiln tests and will be carrying out further refined kiln testing, varying temperatures and additives such as dolomite and silicon to further improve and maximise recovery rates. The Directors believe that the ability to process both the washplant and leachplant material by the same process has strong operational and capital cost advantages. The final product from a kiln process is expected to be a combined Zn/Pb powder concentrate, which is deemed to be advantageous for sales and transportation to export markets.

 

Aggregated Resource Statement for the entire stockpile inventory at the Kabwe Mine

 

The Mineral Corporation has compiled an aggregate tonnage estimate for the waste material at the Kabwe Mine of approximately 6.4Mt at 5.48% Pb and 5.50% Zn content. This tonnage includes approximately 3.2Mt of JORC compliant Mineral Resources for the leachplant and washplant tailings (8.44% Pb and 5.08% Zn content) previously announced.

The current aggregate tonnage estimate for the waste dumps is considered by the Mineral Corporation to be materially lower than the historical estimate of approximately 8Mt compiled by the Zambian Consolidated Copper Mines ("ZCCM") in 1995. Different bulk density estimates is assessed by the Mineral Corporation to account for the variance in tonnage estimates. The estimates for the waste material (excluding the leachplant and washplant materials) do not conform to a recognised standard such as JORC and as such cannot be relied upon for economic assessment purposes.

The aggregate estimate for all the stockpiles at the Kabwe Mine, including the current waste material inventory, is set out in the table below:

 

 

Stockpile Type

Dry Tonnage

Grade % Zinc

Grade % Lead

Contained Tonnes of Metal- Zinc

Contained Tonnes of Metal-Lead

Waelz Slag

1,104,794

3.64

1.52

40,189

16,794

ISF Slag

1,481,563

8.07

1.22

119,579

18,026

Mixed Leachplant

249,690

6.71

10.17

16,760

25,393

Pyrite tailings

333,508

4.86

5.66

16,208

18,877

Blue Powder

1,914

14.10

7.34

270

141

Non-JORC total

3,171,469

 

 

193,006

79,231

Washplant (JORC)

573,458

10.66

7.21

61,147

41,345

Central Leach (JORC)

2,648,920

3.88

8.71

102,690

230,810

Grand Total

6,393,847

5.48

5.50

356,843

351,386

 

BMR is pleased to have established an inventory of resources contained within the stockpiles at the Kabwe Mine The Company now intends to progress with the pre-feasibility study from its preferred consultant Metanza.

 

Masoud Alikhani, Chairman, commented:

 

"Following BMR's consolidation of the ownership of the whole Kabwe site, we have obtained the Licences both for all the dump stockpiles and, as announced last week, all the underground ore bodies at Kabwe.

 

The finalised dump stockpiles resource estimate by the Mineral Corporation of 708,229 tonnes of contained lead and zinc metal, before processing, has a value at today's LME spot market prices of approximately US$1.4 billion. We are delighted with the laboratory production recovery rates that have been demonstrated from the kiln testing by our consultants; we expect that the initial tests, averaging 75% overall recovery, should be capable of further improvement prior to the commencement of production. We are now looking forward to receiving the feasibility study after further test work to speed the commencement of production and confirm our profit projections for the years ahead".

 

16 April 2012

 

This release has been reviewed by Dennis Human, B.Sc. (Hons), Bus. Admin (Hons), GSSA, Consulting Geologist to the Company, who is a Qualified Person in accordance with the guidance note for Mining, Oil & Gas Companies issued by the London Stock Exchange in respect of AIM Companies.

 

For further information please contact:

 

Berkeley Mineral Resources Plc

Masoud Alikhani, Chairman

020 7408 1181

 

Seymour Pierce

Stewart Dickson / Jonathan Wright (Corporate Finance)

Jeremy Stephenson / Richard Redmayne (Corporate Broking)

020 7107 8000

 

Lothbury Financial Services

Michael Padley / Gary Middleton

020 7868 2010

This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
END
 
 
MSCBKNDDFBKDFQD
Date   Source Headline
9th Sep 20137:00 amRNSKabwe Washplant DFS
22nd Aug 20137:00 amRNSDFS Draft Received
9th Aug 20137:00 amRNSWarrant Amendment
5th Aug 20137:00 amRNSKabwe Update: Production 2013
12th Jun 20137:00 amRNSCopper Plant Acquisition: Production Q3
25th Apr 20137:00 amRNSPre-Feasibility Notice
24th Apr 20137:00 amRNSWarrant Amendment
28th Mar 20132:00 pmRNSInterim Results
12th Mar 20137:00 amRNSKabwe Update
19th Feb 20137:00 amRNSChange of Adviser
4th Feb 20137:00 amRNSNdola Copper Update
28th Jan 20137:00 amRNSAscot Technical Team In Zambia
21st Dec 201212:30 pmRNSResult of AGM
21st Dec 20127:00 amRNSAGM Statement
20th Dec 201212:00 pmRNSDirectors' Share Dealings
19th Dec 201212:15 pmRNSDirectors' Share Dealings
18th Dec 20123:09 pmRNSDirectors' Share Dealings
14th Dec 20124:31 pmRNSDirectors' Share Dealings
13th Dec 201210:00 amRNSDirectors' Share Dealings
11th Dec 20127:00 amRNSASCOT Appointment
29th Nov 20124:30 pmRNSNotice of AGM
29th Nov 20127:00 amRNSPreliminary Results
6th Nov 20127:00 amRNSUpdate on Feilong Progress
25th Oct 20127:00 amRNSWarrants Amendment
24th Oct 20127:00 amRNSCopper Joint Venture Established
12th Oct 20128:30 amRNSChange of Registered Office
13th Sep 201210:08 amRNSFeilong MOU Update
17th Aug 20127:00 amRNSKabwe: remaining assets acquired
10th Aug 20122:00 pmRNSChingola Update
9th Jul 20127:00 amRNSChingola Update
3rd Jul 20127:00 amRNSSigning of Chingola Joint Venture
15th Jun 20127:00 amRNSMemorandum of Understanding
1st Jun 20124:00 pmRNSKabwe Update
24th Apr 20127:00 amRNSWarrants Update - Amendment
19th Apr 20127:00 amRNSChingola Copper Tailings Update
16th Apr 20127:00 amRNSKabwe Update
3rd Apr 20127:00 amRNSGovt Approval for Kabwe Site Acquisition
30th Mar 20127:00 amRNSInterim Results
16th Mar 20127:00 amRNSIssue of Equity
29th Feb 20127:00 amRNSKabwe Operational Update
7th Feb 20127:00 amRNSUpdate on Kabwe Options
20th Jan 20127:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
20th Dec 201111:31 amRNSAGM Result
20th Dec 20117:00 amRNSCopper Option Agreement Signed
14th Dec 20117:00 amRNSKabwe Update
25th Nov 20117:00 amRNSPreliminary Results
23rd Nov 20117:00 amRNSKabwe Resource and Operations Update
2nd Nov 20117:00 amRNSWashplant Tailings to be Sold
30th Aug 20117:00 amRNSDirector/PDMR Shareholding
18th Aug 20115:18 pmRNSHolding(s) in Company

Due to London Stock Exchange licensing terms, we stipulate that you must be a private investor. We apologise for the inconvenience.

To access our Live RNS you must confirm you are a private investor by using the button below.

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.

Quickpicks are a member only feature

Login to your account

Don't have an account? Click here to register.