Posted on 25 Mar 2024
Australia-listed Walkabout Resources says it has secured all the final government approvals required for the start-up of its Lindi Jumbo graphite mine in Tanzania, Kallanish reports.
The company said Thursday it has received the approval to use and operate the tailings storage facility (TSF) at the mine, marking the final permit needed for the mine’s commissioning. The 28.3-hectare TSF was designed and constructed to the “highest international standards” for the safe and environmentally friendly deposition of graphite tailings, Walkabout says.
“With the receipt of the final government approval for the operation of the Lindi Jumbo mine, we are now clear to commence both wet commissioning and production of the mine,” adds Andrew Cunningham, managing director and ceo of Walkabout Resources. He did not say exactly when commissioning would start.
The permit requires some “minor updates” to operating documentation and some further monitoring equipment to be installed, according to the company. Once all the equipment is installed, Walkabout will re-submit the tailings management operation, maintenance and surveillance manual (TSF OMS) to the ministry.
The TSF’s construction was monitored by independent engineers to ensure it met the necessary design standards. The company then submitted the facility’s detailed construction report to the ministry of water in Dodoma, which granted the operating permit.
Located in Southeast Tanzania, Walkabout’s 100%-owned Lindi Jumbo graphite mine is situated within the highly prospective Mozambique belt, famous for its coarse flake graphite deposits. The mine is expected to supply 40,000 tonnes/year of natural flake graphite to international markets. The company predicts the mine to be the second-highest margin natural flake graphite project in the world. Walkabout also claims the mine to have the highest ore reserve grade in Tanzania at 17.9% total graphitic carbon (TGC).
Lindi has an estimated pre-tax net present value of $335 million, with an internal rate of return of 142%. The project’s construction commenced in September 2021, with the first production anticipated in the first quarter of this year.
Source:Kallanish
