Premier optimising plant at Zulu lithium project

UNITED Kingdom-headquartered mining group, Premier African Minerals, says it is now focused on optimising plant and process control procedures at its Zulu lithium and tantalum operation in Insiza District, Matabeleland South Province.

The group, which is developing the Zulu project, announced the commencement of mining operations at the mine last month, effectively setting the tone for its first concentrate production.

Premier chief executive officer Mr George Roach in a statement said: “Following commissioning of all plant components, work on optimisation of the plant and process control procedures to achieve nameplate throughput continues.

Chief executive officer, Mr George Roach

“The plant has demonstrated its ability to float mica/lepidolite-rich concentrates and spodumene. Open pit mining operations continue and as the pit expands, we are encountering less weathered ore than was originally anticipated and seeing an ore body that is conforming to the predicted internal geological mining model.

“This is particularly important and will add confidence to future operating guidance.”
In March, the company announced that it was facing cash flow challenges at Zulu.

“This is expected to be short term and Premier will implement applicable financing measures to deal with this in the lead-up to first revenues from sale of concentrates in the coming weeks. Further nearterm updates will follow,” said Mr Roach.

The mining group missed its first quarter early production deadline due to delays in concluding final regulatory approvals with the Government as well as the late delivery of reagent at the site from outside the country.

The above

issues have since been resolved as commercial production at Zulu has started.
Early production at Zulu was based on a large-scale pilot plant using ore-sorting technology to concentrate spodumene-rich ore from other lithium minerals.

The Zulu lithium claim is generally regarded as potentially the largest undeveloped lithium-bearing pegmatite in the country.

The mine has 14 mineral claims covering a surface area of 3,5km2 that are prospective for lithium and tantalum mineralisation.
Lithium has increasingly become a key mineral worldwide with its demand surging for use in the ceramic industry, mobile phone manufacturing and automotive battery industry.-chronicle