Name of the Project
Uis Phase 2 expansion project.

Location
Namibia.

Project Owner/s
Andrada Mining, formerly AfriTin Mining.

Project Description
The historical Uis mine was owned and operated by Iscor from 1958 to 1991 as a tin mine.

The Uis project comprises a total non-Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mining reserve (provided for guidance purposes only) of 134-million tonnes of ore, which could result in a mine life of 14 years. The mining plan features a production rate of ten-million tonnes a year of run-of-mine (RoM) ore at an average overburden stripping ratio of 2.6.

Andrada, formerly AfriTin, has set out to re-establish the Uis operation in two phases. Phase 1 is a low-capital, cash-generating initial production facility serving as a pilot for Phase 2, which is planned as a scaled-up version of the initial phase. The beneficiation process may involve dry crushing of the RoM ore and sensor-based ore sorting once confirmed through testwork.

The preconcentrates from this process could then be treated through various wet concentration circuits to produce saleable concentrates. The tin and tantalum minerals could be preconcentrated using X-ray transmission ore sorting and concentrated through dense-media separation (DMS), gravity separation and magnetic separation. The lithium mineral petalite could be preconcentrated using near-infrared ore sorting, concentrated using DMS, and cleaned using milling and flotation.

Mining will comprise conventional openpit methods using low-carbon, truck-and-excavator combinations, and is planned to be conducted over multiple pegmatite orebodies from four to five pits concurrently. A zero-effluent plant is planned to include dewatering systems for all concentrate and discard streams to aim for maximum water conservation and eliminate the need for tailings dams.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $2.1-billion and an internal rate of return of 75%, with a payback of 1.5 years.

Capital Expenditure
Initial capital expenditure is estimated at $440-million, including a 30% contingency.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Andrada has reported that resource validation drilling is planned over the northern and central pegmatite clusters at the Uis project to enhance the current mineral resource estimate classification of tin, to establish the mineral potential for lithium and other technology metals. 

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Andrada Mining, tel +27 11 268 6555.