Hinda phosphate project continues development

The box cut construction contract was awarded to local companies, with the operation supervised by mining engineers, a market-leading, privately owned opencast contract mining company that specialises in medium to large scale surface mining and earthworks. The project is supported by the Cominco and Kropz teams.

Construction of the box cut, expected to take approximately two to three months, has made significant progress in the first few weeks. The box cut, developed in the mineral zone, is the initial excavation made in the opencast mine to expose the orebody deposit.

“This first development step is an important milestone in Cominco’s schedule to begin realising the large potential of the Hinda project’s vast resource, delivering meaningful benefits to our stakeholders,” said Kropz plc CEO Louis R. Loubser.

The box cut objective is to obtain extensive technical data ahead of the next phase. “We are all very excited to expose the various layers of our deposit over a height of greater than 20 m”, Loubser added.

In addition, a geologist has arrived in Pointe-Noire and is preparing the sampling campaign. Around 10 t of samples will be shipped to South Africa where metallurgical testing will be carried out at the laboratory of sister company Elandsfontein.

Loubser said it is also important for Cominco to confirm the process for the project which will guarantee the correct specification of the plant equipment to be purchased.

The rock phosphate from the Hinda project will be used to produce phosphoric acid and commercial-grade fertilizers like DAP, MAP, and SSP.

Read the article online at: https://www.worldfertilizer.com/phosphates/18092026/hinda-phosphate-project-continues-development/