Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM, OTC:SVMLF, AIM:SVML) has commenced a hydraulic mining trial at its Kasiya Rutile Graphite Project in Malawi and Proactive’s Tylah Tully brings you Just the Facts.
The trial’s part of an ongoing Pilot Mining and Land Rehabilitation Program, which builds on prior test work from the Kasiya Optimisation Study.
This found that the project was well suited for hydraulic mining due to the soft, friable nature of the orebody. Kasiya holds a 1.8 billion tonne mineral resource estimate, with the orebody requiring no drilling, blasting, crushing or grinding before processing.
The company says it gained valuable insights from the dry-mining approach at Kasiya, which will be fundamental as it progresses to this next phase.
The trial’s expected to last three months and involves backfilling the main trial pit and conducting deposition and rehabilitation test work.
Managing director and CEO, Frank Eagar said, “With valuable insights gained from the dry-mining approach at Kasiya, we are now entering the next phase, which includes the commencement of the hydraulic mining tests, processing and backfilling material, and progressing towards the rehabilitation phase, which we expect to take three months to complete.
“Results from the Pilot Phase, in particular the analysis of dry-mining versus hydraulic mining, will be fundamental for the ongoing Optimisation Study.