South Africa- and UK-listed Marula Mining has announced a revised mine plan for the Kinusi copper mine in Tanzania, targeting the production of 24,000 tonnes per year (t/y) of high-grade copper concentrate from a large conventional open-pit development.
The updated plan includes a two-phase processing operation. Phase 1 involves a gravity concentration process using a coarse jigging and fines dewatering circuit.
The capital cost for this phase is R27-million (approximately £1.4-million), which Marula already has available in undrawn funds.
Phase 2 will incorporate a hydrometallurgical process with optimized heap leaching, followed by copper solvent extraction and electrowinning, to produce 10,200 t/y of copper cathode.
Marula’s board has approved the updated development plan, and final testwork for Phase 1 is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024. The company aims to commission the Phase 1 processing plant by the end of this year or early 2025.
In parallel, open-pit mine planning and initial mining activities will commence before year-end, with plans to stockpile high-grade copper ore in preparation for the processing plant’s startup.
Exploration efforts at Kinusi continue, with Marula focused on increasing confidence in the estimated 10-million-tonne resource defined at the site.
