Graphite producer Walkabout Resources (ASX:WKT) has officially kicked off wet commissioning of the crushing circuit at its Lindi Jumbo Graphite Mine in Tanzania.
The $93.97 million market capitalisation company says the first feed of graphite ore has made its way through the entire crushing circuit, satisfying the necessary practical working of the entire circuit and de-risking the Lindi Jumbo operational start-up with the creation of a fine ore stockpile of high-grade graphite ore.
This ore will be used for the wet commissioning of the remainder of the processing plant. Walkabout says it will use roughly 19,000 tonnes of existing ore stockpile for the commissioning process, which is sufficient for one month of production at nameplate capacity.
Further, the company says by using the existing ore stockpile for commissioning and start-up, it can push back the start of operational mining activities, saving cash because the cost of creating a high-grade ore stockpile has already been incurred in the cost of mining appropriate rock to build a tailings storage facility (TSF).
Once operational mining begins, Walkabout plans to build up its high-grade and medium-grade stockpiles — those of greater than 20% total graphitic carbon (TGC) and 10% TGC, respectively — on the run-of-mine pad for optimal feed grade to the plant as it ramps up to nameplate ore throughput and recoveries.
Walkabout Managing Director and CEO Andrew Cunningham says: “As the operations team starts to prepare for full production, the fine ore stockpile will give them a flying start by de-risking the source of ore for the concentrator over the coming months.”
“As the operations team starts to prepare for full production, the fine ore stockpile will give them a flying start by de-risking the source of ore for the concentrator over the coming months”
Walkabout says it has started dry commission on equipment within the grinding and flotation circuit, and this will continue as it prepares for continuous feed through the circuit.
Meanwhile, the company reports that on 28 December, Tanzanian Minister of Minerals Anthony Peter Mavunder, a delegate from the District Commissioners Officer, Tanzania’s Chief Inspector of Mines, and a press delegate visited the Lindi site to witness the progress of the project.
The feedback from this visit, according to Walkabout, was ‘very positive’.
Walkabout Resources had roughly $19.4 million cash and cash equivalents at hand as of September 30, 2023.
Write to Joshua Smith at Mining.com.au
Images: Walkabout Resources
