London-listed Kenmare Resources has started to connect the two new dredges and the new feed preparation unit to its Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP) A, in northern Mozambique.

COO Ben Baxter notes in a September 11 media release that this upgrade work will enable WCP A to mine successfully in the large Nataka orezone, which is the key to future production of the company’s Moma titanium minerals mine.

“Our projects team and experienced contractors have planned this work meticulously and we are focused on executing it safely, on time and on budget,” he says.

He explains that WCP A has paused production to allow this work to take place, which is estimated to take three to four weeks, noting that this is included within the company’s 2025 guidance.

“We remain on track to achieve our 2025 production and cost guidance and we look forward to providing a further update as the project progresses.”

Kenmare is upgrading its largest mining plant, WCP A, ahead of its transition to the Nataka orezone.

Nataka is the largest orezone in Moma’s portfolio, representing about 70% of its mineral resources. Kenmare says the transition to Nataka is essential to securing its production for decades to come.

The company notes that WCP A will mine in Nataka for the remainder of its economic life, which is expected to exceed 20 years.

The company points out that mining conditions in Nataka are different to those at Namalope, where WCP A is mining currently.

The ore contains higher levels of slimes – ultrafine, clay-like particles – which can impact feed and recovery rates if not properly managed.

Kenmare says it is upgrading WCP A with two new high-capacity dredges and a new feed preparation module, including an upfront desliming circuit, to effectively manage slimes and increase mining rates, with the objective of delivering consistently stronger heavy mineral concentrate production to its processing operations.

The capital cost estimate of the WCP A upgrade project and transition to Nataka remains at $341-million, including a new tailings storage facility and infrastructure in Nataka.

Kenmare says that it continues to expect about 80% of the capital to be incurred and successfully deployed by the end of this year, substantially derisking the project.

SEQUENCE OF WORK

The two new dredges arrived at Moma in July and were transported to the (dry) staging pond using self-propelled modular transporters on a dedicated road. The new feed preparation module was assembled in the staging pond, before the pond was flooded during August.

Kenmare says the new dredges and feed preparation module were successfully floated and one of WCP A’s existing dredges mined through the wall separating the staging pond and WCP A’s mining pond in early September.

The company notes that the WCP A has paused production for an estimated three to four weeks to allow the existing dredges and feed preparation module to be detached from the rest of the plant and for the new dredges and new feed preparation module to be connected in their place.

During the production pause, commissioning of individual components, such as the new feed preparation module, is expected to continue and Kenmare plans to deliver the required process upgrades to prepare for the mining and processing of ore thereafter.