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Sierra Leone

Sierra Rutile Mine

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Australia

Sierra Rutile Mine

Location: 1.5 km S from Moriba Town, Sierra Leone

Regional Office:

110 Wilkinson Road
Freetown
Sierra Leone

Contacts:

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Heavy Minerals
  • Rutile
  • Ilmenite
  • Zircon
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotSierra Rutile is the world’s largest producer of natural rutile, accounting for over 20% of global supply.

Its operations, collectively known as Area 1, include four wet concentrator plants (WCPs), a mineral separation plant (MSP), associated infrastructure, and a dedicated port facility.

In response to continued weak market conditions and uncertainty surrounding the Area 1 fiscal regime, operations were suspended on 11 March 2024. Mining and wet concentrators (WCPs) resumed on 10 May 2024, followed by the Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) on 19 May 2024.

No production data has been publicly disclosed since Sierra Rutile Holdings Limited was removed from the ASX on 3 October 2024, following the compulsory acquisition of its remaining shares by Leonoil Company Limited.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Sierra Rutile Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Leonoil Company Limited 100 % Indirect
Sierra Rutile’s principal activities are the operation and ongoing development of a multi-deposit mineral sands mining operation.

As of 23 September 2024, Leonoil Company Limited acquired over 90% of the shares in Sierra Rutile Holdings Limited at A$0.18 per share and commenced the compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).

Sierra Rutile Holdings Limited was removed from the Official List at the close of trading on Thursday, 3 October 2024, under Listing Rule 17.14, following the compulsory acquisition of its remaining securities by Leonoil Company Limited.

Contractors

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SourceSource

Deposit type

  • Mineral sands
  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Sierra Rutile Area 1 (the Gangama and Lanti Deposits and other deposits within SRL’s current operations in Sierra Rutile Area 1) consists of a series of prominent hills and slight undulations with an elevation range of 0.9 meters above sea level (masl) along the mangroves, to 322 masl with the highest point being at Gbangbama Hill. The existing dredge ponds and rutile deposits are situated around the Imperi Hills region on the western and south-western extent, with the Lanti and Gangama expansion situated within the alluvial plains and mangrove swamps to the north west. The hills in the region have relatively steep slope angles and form prominent features in the landscape. The majority of the area adjacent to the hills comprises undulating, broad expansive fluvial plains, becoming increasingly flat towards the mangrove swamp areas.

The local geology is described as Tertiary aged alluvial deposits overlying the Precambrian high-grade quartzo-feldspathic-garnet gneiss (charnockite). The SR Area 1 heavy mineral sands placer deposits are hosted in the Bullom sediments which were deposited following a Tertiary marine regression with seas levels some 100 m below current levels. Mechanical and chemical weathering liberated heavy minerals from the underlying Kasila Group which were deposited in pre-incised channels.

Estuarine and marine unconsolidated sediments are located to the west of the major watershed located within the centre of SR Area 1. In contrast, alluvial and elluvial sediments were deposited subaerially to the north-east of the watershed. Several cyclic sequences comprising poorly sorted clastic gravels overlain by sands and clayey silts are preserved. Hard lateritic inclusions are common but are generally associated with the upper portions of the sequence.

The heavy minerals are generally angular and display little evidence of transport over long distances or extensive reworking. Grades rapidly decrease downstream with sand replacing the argillaceous material within the matrix.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

2024 production figures are presented for the half year ended 30 June.

Rutile production of 30 kt down 47% on pcp (HY23: 57kt) as a result of ten weeks suspension of operations.
CommodityProductUnits2024202320222021202020192018
Rutile Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe137122
Ilmenite Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe5954
Zircon-Garnet Mineral in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Heavy Minerals kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe00
Zircon Mineral kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8.511

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe8,278 kt8,227 kt
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe290 kt of heavy minerals concentrate242 kt of heavy minerals concentrate
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity202320222021202020192018
Cash costs Rutile  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Cash costs Heavy Minerals  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 1,185 / t  AUD 1,155 / t  AUD
Cash costs Rutile  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units202320222021202020192018
Capital expenditures M USD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Revenue M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 257.6  AUD 205.7  AUD
Operating Income M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Gross profit M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Pre-tax Income M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -430  AUD -14.5  AUD
After-tax Income M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
EBIT M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -427.6  AUD -12.5  AUD
EBITDA M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 63.3  AUD 30.2  AUD
Operating Cash Flow M  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 8, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 8, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 8, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 8, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required ...... Subscription required 2023
...... Subscription required 2022
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2019

Aerial view:

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