Source:
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Sandfire Resources Ltd.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
Tshukudu Metals Botswana (Pty) Ltd.
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
MOD owns 100% of a UK incorporated company, Metal Capital Limited, which is the 100% owner of Botswana incorporated Tshukudu Metals Botswana (Pty) Ltd, which 100% owns and operates the T3 Copper Project.
Deposit Type
- Vein / narrow vein
- Sediment-hosted
Summary:
The copper and silver mineralisation which is the basis for the T3 Mineral Resource is interpreted to be a vein related sediment hosted deposit which is different to other known deposits and mines in the central Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana.
The Mineral Resource is defined along a >1.5km long strike length and the copper and silver sulphide mineralisation occur in veins and disseminations within host rocks that include mudstone, siltstone, sandstone and marl units considered part of the D’Kar Formation. Footwall to the copper/silver resource is generally defined by low-grade disseminated lead and zinc mineralisation within sediments also considered part of the D’Kar Formation.
Mineralisation is highly continuous and is dominated by chalcopyrite with chalcocite and bornite copper sulphides occurring in lesser amounts. Mineralisation extends from shallow depth (~25 metres below surface) to the limit of drilling to date at ~480 metres vertical depth, well below the planned open pit. Minor malachite and chrysocolla oxide mineralisation occurs near surface between ~25-50 metres depth.
The T3 mineralisation type can be described as a sheeted vein deposit dipping at 20-30 degrees to the northwest with varying widths of disseminated mineralisation around the veins. The deposit may represent multiple stacked, mineralised veins and units, thrusted one upon the other.
This interpretation opens up potential for resource extensions along strike east and west, as well as at depth towards the north and down dip. Drilling continues to test for potential underground extensions at depth across the T3 deposit.
Summary:
The T3 deposit is proposed to be mined utilising a mining contractor and conventional truck and excavator (backhoe configuration) open pit mining methods, with MOD maintaining orebody definition, quality control and medium to long term mine planning functions and management.
The general mining method is summarised as follows:
• Clearing and stripping of suitable material from all disturbed areas into discrete stockpiles for later use in rehabilitation activities
• Systematic pit mapping to demarcate ore boundaries
• Drilling and blasting of ore and waste on 10 metre benches
• Load and Haul utilising 120-250 tonne excavators and 140 tonne capacity haul trucks mining on ~2.5-metre-high flitches in ore zones and ~3.5-metre-high flitches in bulk waste zones
• Ore will be direct fed to the crusher or placed on stockpiles for future rehandle as required
• Pit dewatering is expected to be minimal and will be managed by a collection of external dewatering and depressurising bores (if required) and in-pit sumps for use within the mining operation.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
The T3 process flowsheet incorporates the following major process operations:
• Primary crushing
• Coarse ore stockpile with reclaim system
• Open circuit semi-autogenous grinding (“SAG”) with ball mill operating in closed circuit
• Rougher flotation
• Rougher concentrate regrind mill
• Cleaner flotation
• Cleaner scavenger flotation
• Final concentrate and flotation tails thickening
• Concentrate filtration
• Fresh water and tailings reclaim water supply
• Reagent preparation and distribution.
The process design criteria incorporated outcomes from the testwork program and mine schedule as well as benchmark data for similar operations. The key criteria selected for the plant design are:
• The mill will process a total of 34.4Mt of ROM ore for 11.5 years
• The annual ROM treatment is 3.0Mtpa with a peak treatment rate of 3.2 Mt/a, at a primary grind size of 80% passing 180µm
• Design availability of 91.5% ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Copper
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 92.9 |
Copper
|
Head Grade, %
| 1 |
Copper
|
Concentrate Grade, %
| 30.4 |
Silver
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 88 |
Silver
|
Head Grade, g/t
| 13.2 |
Silver
|
Concentrate Grade, g/t
| 383 |
Reserves at March 25, 2019:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Probable
|
34.4 Mt
|
Copper
|
1 %
|
342.7 kt
|
Probable
|
34.4 Mt
|
Silver
|
13.2 g/t
|
14.6 M oz
|
Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
.......................
|
.......................
|
|
Jan 28, 2021
|
- Subscription is required.
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
...................................
|
2019
|
...................................
|
2019
|
...................................
|
2019
|
- Subscription is required.
News:
Aerial view:
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