Tomra XRT Ore Sorter Update
23 September 2024
Marula Mining PLC
("Marula Mining'' or the "Company")
Tomra XRT Ore Sorter Update
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU A2X: MARU), an African-focused mining and development company, is pleased to provide a further update on the installation and planned commissioning of the Tomra COM XRT 1200 Ore Sorter ("Ore Sorter") at the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine ("Blesberg").
Maintenance and refurbishment work of the Ore Sorter has now been completed by the Company's management team and its consultants after transportation of the Ore Sorter and associated equipment to Springbok in the Northern Cape Province in August 2024. The Ore Sorter is now to be installed and commissioned at Blesberg, where Tomra Systems ASA ("Tomra") will complete a final maintenance and servicing, and with its personnel on-site, also assist with the installation and commissioning process.
Further detectability and sortability test work has been completed by Tomra at its Mining Test Centre in Johannesburg in August 2024. X-ray transmission was used due to the difference in attenuation of X-ray radiation amongst the different Blesberg ore types. This was completed as part of the training of the Ore Sorter and parameterisation of its image-processing sorting software. This test work has confirmed the ability to separate the various Blesberg ores including the spodumene, feldspars, coltan, mica, lepidolite, quartz, garnet and waste rock. Additional sortability test work is now due to commence in order to assist in determining the separation and sorting performance of the Ore Sorter by size range, recovery, grade and ore concentration factors.
Highlights:
· Maintenance and refurbishment work on the Ore Sorter and all associated equipment has now been completed
· Upgrade work on the Ore Sorter and associated equipment's support structures including the conveyors and discharge chutes has also now been completed
· Transportation of the Ore Sorter from Springbok to Blesberg is to commence, where it will be installed and commissioned
· Tomra will be on-site at Blesberg to complete the final technical work including the final maintenance and servicing associated and its installation and commissioning
· Commissioning of the Ore Sorter will expand the ore processing capacity at Blesberg and production of multiple by-product minerals
· The Ore Sorter and its commissioning alongside the existing Rados SRF100-8 XRF ore sorter is a key component of the Company's plans at Blesberg, which will see it increase production and sales of multiple mineral products and further target exports of a high-value lithium intermediate product for battery production
· Tomra has further completed some initial detectability and sortability test work on the eight different styles of mineralisation at Blesberg
· This test work was completed to train the Ore Sorter and to provide key parameters for the Ore Sorters sorting software
· Approximately 40 kilograms of Blesberg material comprising feldspar, spodumene, lepidolite, mica, quartz, garnet, coltan and the waste granodiorite rock, was tested in two size ranges (+20-40mm and +40-80mm) and underwent high-energy X-ray and sensor capturing detectability analyses
· The sortability testing confirmed the ability to separate the multiple mineral and ore types at Blesberg and further algorithms and iterations can be utilised to optimise the process based on final product choices
· Further sortability testing is now due to commence using a larger representative sample amount, and to assist in determining the separation and sorting performance of the Ore Sorter by size range, recovery, grade and ore concentration factors
· Results from this testing will be utilised in the commissioning of the Ore Sorter at Blesberg which is to commence following its installation in the coming weeks
Jason Brewer, CEO of Marula Mining, said:
"The completion of the maintenance and refurbishment of the Tomra Ore Sorter and the associated support equipment is another further positive step forward at Blesberg.
The installation and commissioning of its at Blesberg is the next step and is a critical one for us as we look to both expand our ore processing capabilities and our plans to produce and sell multiple mineral products from the mining operation.
The Tomra Ore Sorter is also a key part of our planned additional new processing facilities that we have planned to have operational in 2025 to allow the production of higher value 'intermediary' lithium products, that are needed in the manufacture of electrical batteries.
More updates from Blesberg are due shortly and I look forward to providing these as we move ahead and achieve more technical and development milestones at Blesberg."
The Directors of Marula Mining are responsible for the contents of this announcement. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of UK Market Abuse Regulation.
About Marula Mining
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU A2X: MARU) is an African focused battery metals investment and exploration company and has interests in several high value mining operations and mine development projects in Africa: the Blesberg Lithium and Tantalum Mine, Northern Cape Lithium and Tungsten Project, Korridor Lithium Project and Kruisrivier Cobalt Mine, all in South Africa; the Larisoro Manganese Mine and Kilifi Manganese Processing Operation both in Kenya; the Kinusi Copper Mine, the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, the NyoriGreen Graphite Project and the Bagamoyo Graphite Project all in Tanzania and the Nkombwa Hill Project in Zambia. As we advance operations at these battery metals focused projects, Marula will continue to build and expand its interests in other high-quality projects in Africa.
Marula's strategy is to identify and invest in advanced and high-value mining projects throughout East, Central and Southern Africa that the Directors believe would deliver returns for its shareholders. The Board and management team aims to establish Marula as a socially and environmentally responsible, sustainable, and profitable producer of critical metals and commodities that are of increasingly strategic importance to modern technologies and the global economy.
Marula's shares are traded on AQUIS Stock Exchange (AQSE) in London and A2X Markets in South Africa. Marula is exploring opportunities to admit its shares to trading on Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange and South Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
For enquiries contact:
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Marula Mining PLC Jason Brewer, Chief Executive Officer
Faith Kinyanjui Mumbi Investor Relations |
Email : jason@marulamining.com
Email : info@marulamining.com
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AQSE Corporate Adviser Cairn Financial Advisers LLP, Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti |
+44 (0)20 7213 0880 |
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Broker Peterhouse Capital Limited, |
+44 (0)20 7469 0930
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Financial PR and IR BlytheRay Tim Blythe / Megan Ray / Said Izagaren |
+44 (0)20 7138 3204
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A2X Advisor AcaciaCap Advisors Proprietary Limited Michelle Krastanov |
+27 (11) 480 8500 |
Caution:
Certain statements in this announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are identified by their use of terms and phrases such as ''believe'', ''could'', "should" ''envisage'', ''estimate'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'', ''potentially'', "expect", ''will'' or the negative of those, variations or comparable expressions, including references to assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures (including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof), competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such forward looking statements reflect the Directors' current beliefs and assumptions and are based on information currently available to the Directors.
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