KROPZ PLC, the AIM-listed phosphate development company, has announced that significant progress continues to be made at its Elandsfontein phosphate project in South Africa. The project schedule remains tight but on track and within the original projected capital budget for commissioning in December 2021, achievements realized against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company said. At Kropz’s Hinda phosphate project in the Republic of Congo, Hatch is currently engaged in a value engineering phase to optimize the project economics. The results of an updated feasibility study are expected to be released in January 2022. Elandsfontein site activities are currently split between finalizing the piping installation and the electrical, control and instrumentation installation and early commissioning activities. Earthworks and civil construction are complete; the fabrication and erection of structural steel, plate-work and piping are complete and mechanical equipment is installed. Pre-commissioning (C2) activities are advancing well and C3 (or cold) commissioning has begun in areas where installation is complete. Kropz earlier resolved its port capacity issues with Transnet which, in May, told Kropz that it did not have capacity to export phosphate rock from Saldanha Bay as planned. Instead, Transnet said it would provide “an alternative solution for a portion of the Elandsfontein production through the port of Cape Town.”
AFRIMAT LTD, the South Africa-based open-pit mining company, has acquired mining and fertilizer company Glenover Phosphate for $34.32m to further diversify its portfolio. Glenover owns an advanced phosphate and rare earth project in Limpopo, South Africa, whose mineral resources include rare earth oxides, phosphate, niobium and scandium. The total consideration comprises $15.57m for the Glenover’s assets and an option, at Afrimat’s sole discretion, to buy all Glenover’s shares for $18.69m. “Current reserves of phosphate, vermiculite and rare earth elements provide for a resource life of more than 20 years, Afrimat CEO Andries van Heerden said. “Afrimat will obtain the inventory deposits of historically-mined resources and extend the life of the project by acquiring the remaining in situ resource.” The acquisition will add phosphate and rare earth minerals to Afrimat’s offerings and enable the company to expand beyond the ferrous metals value chain. It is also aligned with Afrimat’s commitment to facilitate job creation and social upliftment to support the South African economy.
NORTH-WESTERN PHOSPHORUS CO. (NWPC), the main raw material asset of the Acron Group, said it has installed an automated system for seismic monitoring at its Oleniy Ruchey underground mine in Russia to improve mining safety and efficiency. The scalable, all-digital hardware uses modern electronic components to continuously record seismic events and evaluate their focal parameters. Seismic monitoring achieves multiple interrelated goals, from ensuring mine safety and minimizing ore loss to guaranteeing peak technical and financial performance. Geo-mechanical data obtained through monitoring is instrumental for setting the safest course for underground mining and planning preventive activities to relieve stressed deposit areas. It is also useful for assessing the effectiveness of safety measures. The rock safety system continuously monitors the dynamic conditions and human-induced processes accompanying underground mining and provides real-time comprehensive operational assessment of geo-mechanical rock conditions. All data is displayed at the mine control unit. In addition to collecting seismic data, Oleniy Ruchey’s new system processes and interprets that data for forecasting.
