Mining
Sovereign Metals commences hydraulic mining trial at Kasiya
September 17, 2024 / Modester Mwalija
Overview of the hydraulic mining trial
By Modester Mwalija
ASX-listed Sovereign Metals, which is prospecting for rutile and graphite at Kasiya area in Lilongwe, has announced that it has commenced a hydraulic mining trial at the rutile-graphite prospect as part of the ongoing Pilot Mining and Land Rehabilitation Program.
Sovereign MD Frank Eager announces in a statement stating that the hydraulic mining trial aims to further develop previous test work as part of the Kasiya Optimization Study.
The trial is being conducted by Fraser Alexander, a global industry leader in hydraulic mining, following successful completion of a dry mining trial in July 2024
“With valuable insights gained from the dry-mining approach at Kasiya, we are now entering the next phase, which includes the commencement of the hydraulic mining tests, processing and backfilling material, and progressing towards the rehabilitation phase which we expect to take approximately three months to complete including backfilling of main trial pit, deposition and rehabilitation test work,” states Eager
He says that the company has also made significant strides in water management for the trial. A temporary water storage pond, filled with six million litres of groundwater from eight on-site boreholes, will supply the water required for the hydraulic mining operations.
“This water will be used during the hydraulic mining trial and continuously recycled from the constructed holding cells where sand and fines fractions will be stored respectively prior to the planned deposition and rehabilitation test work allowing for the recovery of approximately 34% of the water, which will be returned to the water storage pond.”
Sovereign Metals is confident that the successful completion of the hydraulic mining trial and associated tests will further solidify Kasiya as a flagship project for rutile and graphite extraction in Malawi, setting a new benchmark for sustainable mining in the region.
OUTSTANDING BATTERY ANODE MATERIAL PRODUCED FROM KASIYA GRAPHITE
Meanwhile, studies have confirmed Kasiya graphite concentrate as an excellent feedstock for natural graphite anode materials suitable for battery production.
Eagar explains that the Kasiya natural graphite presents a unique, low-cost opportunity to develop lithium-ion battery supply chains outside of China as very high quality coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) anode material produced from Kasiya graphite concentrate has performance characteristics comparable to the highest quality natural graphite battery material produced by dominant Chinese anode manufacturers.
Eagar comments: “These results confirm that Kasiya graphite concentrate will be an excellent anode material feedstock to the battery industry. Not only is the weathered, saprolite-hosted graphite easy to purify to very high-grades, the anode material produced meets the highest industry specifications. Along with the very low BET specific surface area and high tap densities (both resulting in excellent first cycle efficiencies and initial battery discharge capacities), Kasiya has the potential to become a dominant source of graphite supply ex-China.”
“Combining these excellent results with one of the largest graphite resources globally, industry low operating costs and lowest global warming potential, Kasiya is presenting significant advantages over its graphite peers.”
“We look forward to further test-work and market updates as we continue to develop Kasiya as a supplier of premium quality, cost competitive natural graphite concentrate.”
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Rehabilitation:
The establishment of a stable and self-sustaining ecosystem, but not necessarily the one that existed before mining began. In many cases, complete restoration may be impossible, but successful remediation, reclamation, and rehabilitation can result in the timely establishment of a functional ecosystem.
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Remediation:
The cleanup of the contaminated area to safe levels by removing or isolating contaminants. At mine sites, remediation often consists of isolating contaminated material in pre-existing tailings storage facilities, capping tailings and waste rock stockpiles with clean topsoil, and collecting and treating any contaminated mine water if necessary.
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