Marula Mining
PLC
("Marula'' or the "Company")
28
January
2025
Update on Kilifi Manganese
Processing Plant
Marula Mining PLC
(AQSE: MARU A2X: MARU) an African focused mining and development company, is
pleased to provide an update on metallurgical testwork and
commissioning activities at the Kilifi Manganese Processing Plant
(the "Kilifi Plant") located in the Tezo Area, Kilifi
County in Kenya.
The Kilifi Plant is a fully
permitted mineral processing plant capable of beneficiating
approximately 10,000 tonnes per month ("tpm") of manganese ores
through a conventional manganese processing plant that
includes a vibrating feeder, trommel scrubber, belt conveyor,
jig separator, vibrating screen, pumps, fine jaw crusher, magnetic
separator and run-of-mine and final manganese product stockpiling
areas.
Since the Company announced its
acquisition of an 80% shareholding in the Kilifi Plant in H2 2024,
the Company has signed a number of manganese ore supply agreements
("Ore Agreement") for the supply and delivery of
manganese ores to the Kilifi Plant and completed
sampling and received assay results on high-grade manganese
mineralisation that is to be supplied to the Kilifi Plant. In
addition to this, the Company and its metallurgical consultants
have also been completing metallurgical testwork and plant
optimisation studies ahead of the planned commencement of
commercial operations and export sales this quarter.
The metallurgical testwork and plant
optimisation studies have been focused on achieving a higher-grade
saleable manganese product through the Kilifi Plant than was
originally contemplated when a target run of mine ore feed to the
Kilifi Plant of +20% manganese was proposed to be upgraded to +30%
saleable manganese product. The decision to proceed with this work
and delay in the commencement of commercial operations to this
current quarter, followed the high-grade assay results reported on
24 August 2024, from the lower sections of the manganese rich
deposits found in the surrounding Ganze Region which had
an average grade of 61.95% manganese, and which
had the potential to material impact on the economic returns from
the Kilifi Plant.
The Company is pleased to confirm
that the final phase of metallurgical testwork and plant
optimisation studies has now been completed.
The metallurgical testwork on three
samples, has confirmed that the Kilifi Plant is capable of
producing a saleable product of up to 40% manganese. This manganese
product is achieved without any major upgrades to the current
Kilifi Plant configuration and only involves slight modifications
to the trommel scrubber, the vibrating screens and expansions to
the final manganese product stockpiling areas.
Assays results from the
metallurgical testwork, received from both Kenya's State
Department for Mining laboratory facilities in Nairobi and a
further independent and internationally accredited laboratory in
Kenya, has confirmed manganese grades of the saleable product of
between 37% and 40%.
Final modifications to the Kilifi
Plant are now underway and this follows a recent site visit by the
Company's CEO and Chairman and other representatives of the
Company's executive and technical management team. During this site
visit, the Company approved the proposed work program which is
largely focused on minor modifications to the screen sizes of the
trommel scrubber and vibrating screens. An expansion to the final
manganese product stockpiling areas is also to be completed to
allow the Company to achieve its targeted expanded rates of
processing
The final modifications to the
Kilifi Plant are anticipated to be completed in the current
quarter, with commissioning of the plant and first exports sales to
then follow.
Assay Results - January 2025
MANGANESE ASSAY RESULTS -
January 2025
|
SAMPLE
|
FE GRADE
|
MN GRADE
|
Composite Ganze Sample 1 = Dept of Mining
|
11.60%
|
37.60%
|
Composite Ganze Sample 2 - Dept of Mining
|
9.90%
|
38.57%
|
Composite Ganze Sample 3 - CSI International
|
N.A.
|
39.94%
|
AVERAGE
|
10.75%
|
38.70%
|
The
Directors of Marula are responsible for the contents of this
announcement. This announcement contains
inside information for the purposes of UK Market Abuse
Regulation.
About Marula Mining
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU A2X: MAR)
is an African focused battery metals investment and exploration
company and has interests in several high value mining operations
and mine development projects in Africa: the Blesberg Lithium
and Tantalum Mine, Northern Cape Lithium and Tungsten Project and
Kruisrivier Cobalt Mine, all in South Africa; the Larisoro
Manganese Mine and Kilifi Manganese Processing Operation both
in Kenya; the Kinusi Copper Mine, the Nyorinyori Graphite
Project and the NyoriGreen Graphite Project all in Tanzania.
As we advance operations at these battery metals focused projects,
Marula will continue to build and expand its interests in other
high-quality projects in Africa.
Marula's strategy is to identify and
invest in advanced and high-value mining projects throughout East,
Central and Southern Africa that the Directors believe
would deliver returns for its shareholders. The Board and
management team aims to establish Marula as a socially and
environmentally responsible, sustainable, and profitable producer
of critical metals and commodities that are of increasingly
strategic importance to modern technologies and the global economy.
Marula's shares are traded on AQUIS Stock Exchange (AQSE)
in London and A2X Markets in South Africa. Marula is
exploring opportunities to admit its shares to trading
on Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange and South
Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
For
enquiries contact:
Marula Mining PLC
Jason Brewer,
Chief Executive Officer
Faith Kinyanjui Mumbi
Investor Relations
|
Email :
jason@marulamining.com
Email :
info@marulamining.com
|
AQSE Corporate Adviser
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP,
Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti
|
+44 (0)20
7213 0880
|
A2X
Advisor
AcaciaCap Advisors Proprietary Limited
Michelle Krastanov
|
+27 (11)
480 8500
|
Caution:
Certain statements in this
announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking
statements. Forward looking statements are identified by their use
of terms and phrases such as ''believe'', ''could'', "should"
''envisage'', ''estimate'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'',
''potentially'', "expect", ''will'' or the negative of those,
variations or comparable expressions, including references to
assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on
historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations
and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of
operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures
(including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof),
competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such
forward looking statements reflect the Directors' current beliefs
and assumptions and are based on information currently available to
the Directors.