While Africa-focused mining and exploration investment company Marula Mining continues to develop the Kinusi copper mine, in Tanzania, the company has completed its first sale of 1 000 t of copper ore to four Switzerland- and UK-based global commodity trading groups.

The company expects the sales to be completed at the end of the month, after delays in receiving testwork and assay results from South African laboratories and from consultants over the festive period.

Once the results of three 10 kg copper ore samples are received, the shipment can proceed.

The company confirms that initial feedback from consultants on the testwork is positive, with the sample material so far exceeding expectations.

The metallurgical testwork and assay results will be used to finalise the copper concentrate product specifications in the initial sales agreements and to optimise the design of Kinusi’s Phase 1 and 2 processing plant.

Phase 1 comprises a gravity concentrate, coarse jigging and fines dewatering circuit, which is expected to produce 24 000 t/y of high-grade copper concentrate. Phase 2 will incorporate a hydrometallurgy fines heap leaching circuit – a copper solvent extraction and an electrowinning refining process – to produce 10 200 t/y of copper cathode.

Marula plans to award the Phase 1 contract and commission the plant in the current quarter.

Meanwhile, the company’s local Tanzanian partner, Takela Mining, continues with openpit mining at the No 4 openpit on the site, with stockpiled high-grade copper ore ready for sale.

This while Marula’s newly appointed trading and commodity sales consultant Richard Hawken is managing the final negotiations of the initial sales contracts. He is also involved in ongoing discussions with various sales parties and will advise the board on the final commercial terms of these agreements, as well as a broader sales strategy for Kinusi.

Marula CEO Jason Brewer says there is significant interest from global trading groups in Kinusi’s high-grade copper ore and that, despite the initial delays in receiving assay results, the company remains confident in finalising its initial sales this month and continues to develop the operation.