ASX-listed miner Intra Energy says it has discovered more coal resources at its Nkhachira project, in Northern Malawi.

Executive chairperson and MD Graeme Robertson reports that the total in situ coal resources at the project are now 38.4-million tons, comprising 10.1-million tons of measured resources, 13.8-million tons of indicated resources and 14.4 million tons of inferred resources.

“Intra Energy has now defined a sufficient quality and quantity of coal resources in Malawi to support its Pamodzi power project, and will continue into the final stages of negotiations with the government of Malawi,” says Robertson.

Intra Energy is developing the Pamodzi power project, which will generate 120 MW of power at Chipoka.

Robertson explains that the latest discovery brings the total Joint Ore Reserves Committee- (Jorc-) compliant resources for Intra Energy, which has a number of concessions in Malawi, to 62.3-million tons, of which 13.6-million tons are measured resources, 18.8-million tons are indicated resources and 29.9-million tons are in the inferred category.

“As the company has other concessions in Malawi, ongoing exploration will result in further resources being brought to a Jorc standard over the next year,” he says.

Intra Energy acquired the Nkhachira tenements, covering 11.25 km2, in March 2013.

Detailed geological mapping was carried throughout the leases, starting from the exposed seams in the coal mine and following them along strike.

Outcrop and trench samples were also collected and analysed.

AAA Drilling, a subsidiary of Intra Energy, drilled 64 holes for a total of 2 437.2 m core and collected 532 core samples from these holes, which were analysed in laboratories in Malawi and Tanzania.

The firm also conducted a detailed topographic survey of the Nkhachira deposit and produced digital terrain model topographic maps.

The Nkhachira deposit is composed of sediments belonging to the Karoo Supergroup, which is the largest sedimentary stratigraphic unit in Southern Africa.