Titanium Sands Ltd (ASX:TSL) has chalked out plans for a robust year ahead as it is working on several initiatives to recover from the COVID-19 restrictions that severely impacted the company’s operations in 2020.
Although the company’s operation in CY2020 was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions, it achieved some milestones and formed a solid base on which to work from in 2021 and beyond once the restrictions are lifted.
Resource conversion drilling
The company has planned further RC-aircore drilling in the higher-grade resource zone on which the project scoping study was based.
A program of 350 holes is planned to infill the existing resource drilling and is expected to enable remodelling of the mineral resources in this zone to increase the proportion of indicated category resources.
The program will take around 6 weeks to complete, with results and a recalculation of the mineral resource estimate for this zone available within two months of the program being completed.
Starting of the program remains subject to local COVID-19 conditions which continue to be uncertain.
Increasing the indicated resources in this manner will enable the release of further scoping study results concerning production rates, OPEX, CAPEX and other project parameters that will guide the further development of the project.
Metallurgical test work
Further metallurgical test work is being planned to optimise the process design and produce larger product samples that have been requested by potential offtake partners.
This will begin when further samples in storage in Sri Lanka can be transported to metallurgical test facilities.
Offtake discussions
The company has been approached by several potential offtake partners on an introductory basis discussing the Titanium Sands resource.
Discussions to date have included parties from China, Japan, India and UAE.
No formal MOU’s or agreements have been entered into at this stage, and subject to the recommendations of the scoping study, the board is continuing offtake discussions with each of the above parties.
COVID-19 impact
COVID-19 infections in Sri Lanka have risen sharply from less than 10 on the 5th of October climbing to over 700 daily cases in December.
Titanium Sands is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation but will not start fieldwork until regulatory constraints permit and it is considered safe for personnel to recommence operations.
Corporate activities in Australia are being handled in keeping with local recommendations with everything being done via the internet with no significant change from normal.