Name of the Project
Cabinda phosphate project.

Location
Cabinda province, in Angola.

Project Owner/s
Junior miner Minbos Resources and Soul Rock.

Project Description
Minbos plans to mine phosphate rock from the Cácata deposit at the Cabinda project. The deposit’s resources are estimated at 27-million tonnes at 17.7% phosphorous pentoxide, including 15.2-million tonnes at 24.5% phosphorous pentoxide in the measured and indicated categories.

An openpit mine production target of 6.5-million tonnes at 30.2% phosphorous pentoxide has been selected from pit optimisation studies using only measured and indicated mineral resources.

The project is based on an initial nameplate capacity of 150 000 t/y of enhanced phosphate rock, but is forecast to start production at 50 000 t/y.

The plant is forecast to expand in two stages, adding a second and third granulation circuit to reach a nameplate capacity of 450 000 t/y after eight years.

The project has a mine life of 21 years.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value of between $159-million and $260-million, and an internal rate of return of between 40% and 58%. Payback is estimated at three years.

Capital Expenditure
The project could cost between $22.4-million and $27.9-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Minbos Resources has been awarded a mining licence for its Cabinda phosphate project.

Minbos said late last month that Angola’s Ministry of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas had approved the mining licence, renewable for up to 35 years, to allow for phosphate mining.

Minbos has said its environmental consultants will mobilise to Cabinda in April to complete a wet season baseline environmental survey in the mining licence area, with a dry season baseline survey to follow in the September quarter in preparation for an environmental-impact statement.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Orelogy Mine Consulting (optimisation, mine design, scheduling); International Fertilizer Development Center (fertiliser trials, process design inputs, granulation trials); FEECO International (plant design, costs); Alphier Capital (financial). modelling).

Contact Details for Project Information
Minbos Resources, tel +61 8 6270 4610 or email info@minbos.com.