[Ferro-Alloys.com] LISTED nickel miner, Bindura Nickel Corporation (BNC) has tabled a plan to increase its extraction resource base to 8 000 metres in line with the miner’s new strategic priority.

In a recent update, BNC chairperson, Muchadeyi Masunda said the strategy will go a long way in sustaining the mineral’s output.

“The company will ramp up development from 3 330 metres to 8 000 metres over the next five years in order to sustain the production of 10 000 tonnes of nickel per annum. In order to extend the current BNC ore resources, exploration work will be carried out at Trojan Mine,” he said.

He said near-mine resources such as Trojan Hill and Kingstone Hill, in addition to Hunter’s Road and Damba-Silwane will also be included.

“The Trojan Mine Re-deepening Project (Phase 1) 2will enable the mine to extend its ore and waste handling facilities downdip by an additional 240 metres. It is 87% complete and is expected to be commissioned by April 2021,” Masunda said.

Leveraging on the above-mentioned huge in-situ Nickel resources under its portfolio, BNC aims to produce 10 000 tonnes of nickel per annum by 2025.

The key strategic advantages which BNC will exploit in order to achieve its set objective are: huge low grade resource: availability of a confirmed huge low grade disseminated resource of approximately 6.98 million tonnes of an average grade of 0.77% at Trojan Nickel Mine, which will support a high volume strategy

BNC also intends to take advantage of large and under utilised processing capacity at Trojan Nickel Mine which has a sound processing plant with 56% excess capacity at current production rates.

The plant has an installed capacity to process up to 1 million tons per annum.

BNC has nickel resources across Zimbabwe under mining, processing and exploration assets. These are Trojan Mine, Shangani Mine, the BSR (formerly Bindura Smelter and Refinery) facility, Hunter’s Road Project, Damba-Silwane and the Trojan Hill and Kingstone Hill Prospects.

Collectively, these resources amount to a total of 71.4 million tonnes of ore at an average grade of 0.59%, containing approximately 420.8 kilo-tonnes of nickel.

• [Editor:tianyawei]