JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) - Aim-listed Savannah Resources has appointed multidisciplinary engineering consultancy Hatch to conduct a scoping study of a potential mine development of the Mina do Barroso lithium project, in Portugal.
The scoping study will investigate a potential mining and concentration plant development based on the Grandao, Reservatorio and NOA spodumene deposits with the results expected to be available towards the end of the second quarter.
"We are delighted to have partnered with Hatch. They have a wealth of experience in much of the lithium value chain and have specific and very relevant knowledge of spodumene deposit developments, like that proposed for Mina do Barroso," Savannah CEO David Archer said, adding that it expected the scoping study to be the precursor to the launch of a definitive feasibility study later this year.
Hatch has extensive experience in the lithium market space with design and construction of both concentrators and downstream processing, having been involved in a significant number of recent lithium projects at all levels including Lithium Korea, Desert Lion Energy, Nemaska, North American Lithium, Prospect Resources, Novo Litio and others.
On Monday, Savannah reported that the mineral resource estimate of the Mina do Barroso project had increased by 200% to 9.1-million tonnes at 1.03% lithium oxide (Li2O) containing 94 100 t Li2O.
The resource estimate covers Reservatorio, Grandao and NOA, which are three of at least eight known pegmatites on the Mina do Barroso mining lease.