ASX-listed Tawana Resources announced at the Paydirt 2014 Africa Down Under Conference, in Perth, earlier this month, that it planned to build a pilot plant at its iron-ore Mofe Creek project, in Liberia, next year, which will focus on vocational training, technical data, marketing material and local employment opportunities.
Tawana Resources executive chairperson Wayne Richards mentioned during the conference that Tawana had achieved much at the projecty during the past 12 months.
“A key result that has been noted at this stage is that a production rate of between 1.2-million and 1.5-million tons a year could be sustained for a minimal start-up capital of $53-million, with a bottom-quartile operating cost of $43/t.
Mining Weekly also reported last week that Tawana Resources had undertaken meetings with the respective Ministers, Ministries, government officers, senators and the National Investment Committee to start the approval process for a Mineral Development Agreement for the Mofe Creek project.
“This indicates the determination of Tawana Resources to advance the project as it has also submitted environmental- and social-impact assessments to the relevant stakeholders involved,” stated Richards, who added that he believed that the Mofe Creek project was the most exciting iron-ore project in Africa as it was the most sustainable project in the region.
The project is situated 800 m from a Liberian highway, which is believed to be one of the elements that underpin the low operational expenditure of the project, as this means that products can be supplied to the market on a cheaper cost base.
Moreover, being characterised by its coarse- grained, high-grade itabirite that has the potential to deliver a high-grade product of between 63% iron-ore and 68% iron-ore. Richards noted,the project is high margin, low risk and has a lot of upside potential to produce more iron-ore.