Kayelekera mine opened

22 April 2009

A ceremony has been held to mark the official launch of the Kayelekera uranium mine in Malawi.

Kayelekrea (Image: Paladin)

Paladin Energy made a brief announcement that the President of the country, Bingu wa Mutharika, attended the opening of the mine, which should eventually produce 1400 tonnes of uranium per year.

 

Paladin owns 85% of the project, which has cost around $200 million to develop. The deposit is open to the west, where exploration continues, but 11,265 tonnes of uranium are already classified as reserves to a cut-off grade of 0.04% compliant with the JORC and NI 43-101 standards. Overall there are 15,000 tonnes of uranium as measured and indicated resources at an average grade of 0.08% uranium.

The mine has been successfully commissioned, Paladin said, "with the plant showing full capability to operate throughout its flowsheet with yellowcake produced during this phase." 

  

Paladin already operates the Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia, which started production in January 2007. The company has previously said that total cumulative production from the Langer Heinrich and Kayelekera mines will be some 14,060 tonnes uranium oxide (11,925 tonnes of uranium) by the end of 2012.

 

 

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