Diversified metals producer Jubilee Metals Group, which has operations in South Africa and Zambia, has successfully completed extensive processing trials at its Roan concentrator, in Zambia, and, based on the results of those trials, entered into a long-term feedstock supply agreement.

The company says the results of these trials reaffirms its technical processing capability to treat shallow transitional 'waste' copper ores, achieving yields of copper of about 65%. 

"The trials over the past eight weeks have affirmed Roan's unique capabilities to process transitional copper reefs which are available in vast quantities both at surface and in near-surface mining operations. We are excited to have commenced production under the new supply agreements and will provide more clear guidance as soon as we have sufficient operational data under the supply agreement in the coming weeks," CEO Leon Coetzer comments.

Jubilee notes that the trials have confirmed the concentrator's capability to maintain a run-of-mine (RoM) feedstock run rate of between 35 000 t to 40 000 t a month on the transitional reefs, equating to 240 t to 360 t a month of copper units.

Meanwhile, at the company's Munkoyo mining operations in Zambia, a mine rate of about 80 0000 t a month is being achieved, with about 3 500 t a month of high-grade RoM ore being delivered to the company's nearby Sable refinery.

Jubilee is planning to increase the amount of ore delivered to the refinery to about 4 500 t a month in June and to about 8 500 t a month by October.

The remaining lower-grade material mined at Munkoyo is being stockpiled at surface for future processing at site. The extended large pilot trials are being completed and will consider the implementation of two 30 000 t a month modular processing units.

Jubilee points out that the combined Roan and Munkoyo high-grade RoM are expected to produce 288 t a month of copper units in June, which will increase to 400 t a month by August and between 500 t and 550 t a month by October.

"We continue to pursue aggressively further near-surface mining opportunities on the back of the success achieved at the Munkoyo operations and the potential offered by Project G, with execution of two further option agreements. I look forward to soon providing updates from the results of the resource drilling programme at Munkoyo and Project G," Coetzer says.

Resource drilling at Project G, also in Zambia, is scheduled to commence in June. Jubilee aims to follow a similar implementation strategy to Munkoyo, with a portion of the mined reef being upgraded on site using physical separation techniques, while the remainder of ore is processed further using chemical extraction techniques.

The Project G mining operations are adjacent to an existing mining operation, as well as a new developing mine, which offers the potential to collaborate on the implementation of a central processing unit. The area has already established infrastructure such as power and roads allowing for a faster implementation process, the company points out.

Jubilee has also sold one of its noncore waste assets for $12.3-million, as part of a review of the company's project portfolio in Zambia.

"We aim to monetise those assets deemed as noncore, by divesting where we see fit and appropriate, to help deliver not only cash for growth, but the ability to further sharpen our focus that this rationalisation will allow," Coetzer comments.

"We remain committed to scaling our operations in a non-dilutive, capital-efficient and sustainable manner as we advance toward our medium-term production targets," he adds.