Name of the Project
Lindi Jumbo graphite project.

Location
South-east Tanzania.

Project Owner/s
Walkabout Resources.

Project Description
The Lindi Jumbo project has mineral ore reserves of 5.15-million tonnes grading 17.9% total graphitic carbon for 987 000 t of contained graphite.

The mine life has increased from 20 years in the 2017 definitive feasibility study (DFS) to 24 years in the enhanced DFS to produce 40 000 t/y of graphite.

Once commissioned, Lindi Jumbo will officially be the first modern, large-scale graphite mine in Tanzania, as well as the first critical minerals asset in the country to go into full production.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The pretax net present value has increased from $302-million, at a 10% discount rate, in the 2017 DFS, to $335-million in the enhanced DFS. The project’s pretax internal rate of return is estimated at 142% in the enhanced DFS, from 108% in the 2017 DFS. The payback period is less than two years.

Capital Expenditure
With the contracting of the power and camp scope changes, and the Lindi Jumbo plant construction nearing completion, the final estimated capital cost for the mine is $34.5-million, up from the $27.8-million estimated in the original DFS, Walkabout said on September 7, 2023.

The bulk of this cost was incurred in 2021.

Planned Start/End Date
The Lindi Jumbo project is preparing for operational readiness in early 2024.

Latest Developments
The maiden shipment of graphite concentrate from the Lindi Jumbo graphite mine is set to depart to Europe early this month, unlocking a new global graphite mining jurisdiction.

The shipment for Europe will be followed by further exports to destinations in Asia.

“Our focus is on continuing to methodically ramp up production and product quality to meet this demand,” Walkabout MD and CEO Andrew Cunningham has said.

Pilot orders of between 20 t and 80 t are being received on a regular basis and will be fulfilled from concentrate produced during the commissioning and ramp-up phase.

The company is increasing plant throughput as part of the ramp-up and plans to achieve at least one-third of the nameplate production capacity by the end of July.

At full production, Lindi Jumbo will be the highest margin producing mine globally, Cunningham said. “Lindi Jumbo continues to impress and at current estimated operating costs is currently one of the lowest cost producing mines in the world with one of the highest basket prices globally,” he stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
TNR (bulk earthworks civil engineering works contract); Yantai Jinpeng Mining Machinery (engineering, procurement and construction, or EPC); and Axis Group International (EPC oversight).

Contact Details for Project Information
Walkabout Resources, tel +61 8 6298 7500 or email admin@wkt.com.au.