Overview
Stage | Permitting |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Mine Life | 29 years (as of Jan 1, 2019) |
Contractors
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Summary:
The graphite rich paragneiss is present at surface over 8.7 kilometers with an average width of 300m and up to 1,000m wide. The graphite rich paragneiss is hosted within the Archean Kénéma Man domain, consisting with granulitic and migmatitic gneiss with subordinate granitoides and relic supracrustal belts, which are metamorphosed to granulitic facies.
The Lola Graphite occurrence is a natural flake occurrence within a paragneiss.
The graphite mineralisation is located within the strongly sheared paragneiss, the shearing mechanism may have played a role as containing and constraining the graphite mineralisation within the paragneiss.
The first 20m or so of the deposit is well weathered (lateralized) freeing graphite flakes from the silicate gangue and allowing for easy grinding with an optimal recovery of large and jumbo flakes. Graphite mineralisation continues at depth within the non-weathered paragneiss.
Graphite mineralization is well exposed at surface on its entire strike length with sample grades ranging from trace to up to 20% of large flakes and often seen in higher concentration agglomerates.
Summary:
The mining method selected for the Project is a conventional open pit operation with articulated 41- tonnes haul trucks, hydraulic excavators and wheel loaders with 5 m³ capacity.
The Project consists of three (3) separated mineralized areas: North, Central, and South. The North and Central areas have been separated by two areas each one to avoid flooding zones. A production schedule is based on a 29-year life of mine with includes 42.06 Mt of proven and provable mineral reserves at an average grade of 4.17% Cg.
Over the life of the mine, an average of 1.4 Mt per year (3,960 t/d) of ore will be mined from the open pit and hauled to the run of mine (ROM) pad. Given the constraints on the comminution circuit of the process plant, the blend between oxide material and fresh rock material contained in the ROM delivered to the process plant has been set at a maximum of 45% of fresh rock.
The mine will operate year-round, seven (7) days per week, twenty (20) hours per day (2 shifts, 10 hours each). Since the mill will operate seven (7) days per week, a run of mine stockpile will be maintained to provide a constant supply of feed to the crusher and maintain the maximum proportion (45%) of fresh rock. During the days when the mine is not operating (for technical or weather reasons), the crusher will be fed by the front-end loader from the stockpile. The mine fleet requirements and manpower are based on this work schedule.
The opt ........

Flow Sheet:
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Graphite
|
kt
| 55 | 1,535 |
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Stripping / waste ratio
| 0.69 * |
Waste tonnes, LOM
| 29,134 kt * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 42 Mt * |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 74,158 Mt * |
Annual production capacity
| 57,500 dmt of graphite concentrate * |
Daily processing rate
| 4,306 dmt * |
Tonnes processed, LOM
| 42,024 kt * |
Annual processing rate
| 1,571,707 dmt * |
Annual mining rate
| 2.5 Mt * |
* According to 2019 study.
Reserves at June 18, 2019:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Graphite |
Proven
|
6.7 Mt
|
Graphite
|
4.43 %
|
|
Probable
|
35.4 Mt
|
Graphite
|
4.13 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
42 Mt
|
Graphite
|
4.17 %
|
|
Measured
|
6.84 Mt
|
Graphite
|
4.39 %
|
300,300 t
|
Indicated
|
39.2 Mt
|
Graphite
|
8.07 %
|
1,581,287 t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
46.03 Mt
|
Graphite
|
4.09 %
|
1,881,587 t
|
Inferred
|
4.25 Mt
|
Graphite
|
3.75 %
|
159,364 t
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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