Sovereign Metals, an ASX-listed company, has completed a spiral drilling program at its Kasiya rutile/graphite project in Malawi, extracting and delivering 30 tonnes of ore to Paterson & Cooke (P&C) in Cape Town, South Africa, for testing.
P&C, an esteemed engineering consultant in the mining sector, will conduct advanced bulk laboratory-scale test work using the material, representative of ore expected in the project’s initial ten years of production.
The tests aim to optimize technical aspects outlined in the Kasiya prefeasibility study (PFS), including pumping, tailings characteristics, and dewatering.
Managing Director Frank Eager commended the efficiency of Sovereign’s teams in swiftly delivering the sample to P&C, emphasizing the significance of this milestone in project advancement.
Eager also highlighted the valuable technical collaboration with strategic investor Rio Tinto, underscoring their involvement in optimizing the Kasiya project.
With over 30 years of industry experience, P&C specializes in slurry pipeline systems, tailings management, mine backfill, and mineral processing.
Their Cape Town laboratory, equipped with a pipe loop facility, will conduct tests to assess various parameters related to ore mining, transportation, and handling.
The test work program was designed by a project team comprising representatives from Sovereign and Rio Tinto, with approval from the technical committee.
This committee, consisting of three Sovereign employees including Eager and three Rio Tinto employees including the GM for Kasiya, provides recommendations on technical matters related to the project, as per the investment agreement between Sovereign and Rio Tinto following Rio Tinto’s A$40.4-million investment.
