Mining Intelligence and News
Mozambique

Balama Mine

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Balama Mine

Location: 41 km SW from Montepuez, Mozambique

Regional Office:

Vladimir Lenine ave., n. 174, Millennium Park building, B, 5th floor
Maputo
Mozambique

Contacts:

Additional Resources for Suppliers & Investors

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusTemporary Suspension
Commodities
  • Graphite
  • Vanadium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotBalama is a “market-critical” natural graphite operation – largest integrated mining and processing operation globally.

Syrah produces 23 natural graphite products across eight different mesh sizes at Balama. Balama also supplies flake with properties outside of typical market specifications to special purpose customers.

Vanadium in the processed Balama graphite ore, which would otherwise report to tailings, can be refined into a saleable product (V2O5) and presents a medium term, high value opportunity.

On December 12, 2024, with conditions continuing to deteriorate across Mozambique and further National Government opposition protest actions recently announced, Syrah is unable to undertake a production campaign at Balama in the December 2024 quarter that is required to replenish finished product inventory, and for customer sales. Consequently, force majeure is declared under the Mining Agreement.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Syrah Resources Ltd. 95 % Indirect
Syrah, through its wholly owned subsidiary and holder of the Balama Operation on Mozambique, Twigg Exploration and Mining Limitada (“Twigg”), signed a mining contract with the Government of Mozambique (Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy) in March 2018. A 5% non-diluting free carried equity interest in Twigg to be made available to a Government of Mozambique entity.

Syrah subsidiary, (Twigg) was granted a graphite and vanadium mining concession (6432C) in December 2013 for a period of 25 years to December 2038.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Metamorphic

Summary:

The Project lies within the Neoproterozoic Xixano Complex, which in the Balama region comprises a NNE-trending synform with a core of mafic orthogneisses surrounded by micaceous gneiss and schist, quartz-feldspar gneiss, quartzite and marble. Graphitic gneiss and schist, locally enriched in vanadium within the micaceous gneiss unit, dominates the Balama area.

Higher grade graphite mineralisation is hosted by graphitic schists interlayered with lower grade psammites and intruded by volumetrically minor pegmatites. At Balama East, the graphitic units bifurcate around a granitic intrusion which outcrops as a dominant hill. The graphitic units dip variably to local grid north at an average of around 45°.

Relative to the pre-mining surface, the graphitic schists were overlain by an average of around 2 to 3 m of un-mineralised soil and overburden, and variably weathered to an average depth of around 30 m.

The graphite mineralisation is mostly contained in stratiform graphitic schists. The flake size of the graphite is up to 4mm.

The mineralisation interpretation extends over a strike length of 1,050 m and 1,450m at Balama West and Balama East, respectively. The mineralisation is open to the west, east and north.

Mepiche (formerly Balama East) mineralised domains comprise a main zone of generally moderate TGC grades flanked to the south by a comparatively narrow zone of lower TGC grades. In the east, the domains bifurcate around a granitic intrusion. The combined Balama East domains extend east-west over approximately 1,000 m and dip to the north at an average of around 40° with an average thickness of around 150 m.

Mualia (formerly part of Balama West with Ativa) domains are truncated to the east by an interpreted fault and extend over 800 m of strike and dip at around 45° to the north with an average thickness of around 170 m.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits202320222021202020192018Avg. Annual (Projected)
Graphite kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe153104313
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics202320222021202020192018
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2,351 kt2,039 kt
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,154 kt1,120 kt
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,834 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe205 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units202320222021202020192018
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 72.2  
Pre-tax Income M USD -148.5   -20.6  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -135.2  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 25, 2024

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2021

Aerial view:

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