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
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Graphite
  • Vanadium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotBalama is the largest integrated graphite operation globally, a market-critical asset with a multi-generational mine life, high reserve grade, and an integrated processing facility, supporting sustainable participation in the battery anode and electric vehicle markets.

It is the first graphite operation to achieve the IRMA 50 level of performance.

Syrah produces 23 graphite products in eight mesh sizes at Balama, including specialty flakes for specific customers.

Balama also contains a significant vanadium resource, which can be refined into V2O5, offering high-growth potential. The vanadium resource is under review, with an updated estimate due in 2025, and a Pre-Feasibility Study started in late 2023.

Balamas 2024 production was lower than 2023 due to non-continuous operations, low fines demand in China, and protest actions. Protests, starting in late September 2024, hindered operations.

On June 19, 2025, Syrah recommenced production at its Balama graphite operation.

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.

In accordance with the obligations under the Mining Agreement between the Mozambique Government and Twigg Exploration and Mining Limitada, the Mozambique Government holds a 5% minority interest in Twigg through Empresa Mocambicana De Exploracao Mineira, S.A (“EMEM”).

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

Balama reported lower production in 2024 from non-continuous campaign operations through the first half of the year due to inventory being sufficient for sales, low fines demand in China and protest actions. Protest actions, which commenced in late September 2024 and continued to year end, impeded Syrah’s ability to conduct operations in the last quarter of the year.
CommodityUnits2024202320222021202020192018
Graphite kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe153104
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,154 kt1,120 kt
Annual mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2,351 kt2,039 kt
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,834 kt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe205 kt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2024202320222021202020192018
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 72.2  
Pre-tax Income M USD -148.5   -20.6  
EBITDA M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -135.2  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2024
...... 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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