Sovereign Metals Ltd (ASX:SVM, OTC:SVMLF, AIM:SVML) has successfully wrapped up its dry mining trial at the Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project in Malawi as part of an ongoing Pilot Mining and Land Rehabilitation Program.
Innovative and sustainable
The program leverages innovative mining techniques and sustainable practices to optimise resource extraction while fast-tracking land rehabilitation.
Sovereign aims to restore mined land to achieve equal or better agricultural yields than existing land uses, demonstrating successful land rehabilitation to local communities.
Simple excavator fleet mining the test pit.
Managing director Frank Eagar said: “Completion of the test pit at this scale marks a significant achievement.
“The mining, hydrology and geotechnical data collected throughout is invaluable in our understanding of the orebody and the simplicity of a potential dry-mining operation at Kasiya.
“We now look forward to the next steps of the pilot phase including the hydraulic mining trial, cyclone separation of ore, backfilling of test pits and soil rehabilitation.”
No drilling or blasting required
This trial, conducted at a test pit measuring 120 metres by 110 metres and reaching a depth of 20 metres, confirmed that Kasiya ore can be efficiently mined using conventional dry-mining techniques and standard mobile excavators.
The test pit's construction, with a 10-metre-wide ramp, demonstrated that no drilling or blasting is required for excavation, due to the free-dig and soft, friable nature of the orebody.
Around 170,000 bench cubic metres of material were excavated during the trial.
The dry mining fleet comprised four excavators, 20 trucks and support equipment, highlighting the homogeneity and consistent physical properties of the saprolite-hosted mineralisation.
The ore was stockpiled without the need for crushing or grinding, indicating potentially lower mining costs and a reduced carbon footprint compared to hard rock deposits.
Next steps
As part of the ongoing pilot phase, the next steps include hydraulic mining trials, which will use water from a six-million-litre storage pond currently filled to 80% capacity.
The pilot phase will continue to progress under the oversight of the Sovereign-Rio Tinto Technical Committee.
The empirical data generated from this phase will be critical in determining optimal project excavation, material handling, processing, backfilling and rehabilitation approaches.
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