ASX-listed and African focussed lithium developer, AVZ Minerals, has commenced environmental and social impact studies at its exciting Manono lithium and tin project, located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The company has appointed in-country environmental and social organisation, EmiAfrica to conduct the work, which will form the basis of its later ESIA documentation for permitting of the Manono mining project.
AVZ said that it had recently commenced briefings with key stakeholders and dignitaries in the region affected by the future mining proposal for Manono.
The company said it considers the consultation process paramount to its social standards in the country and will set the later regulatory approvals process on the right trajectory.
AVZ intend to mine lithium and tin from the large Roche Dure pegmatite deposit at Manono and are seeking to obtain any input and concerns regarding future activities by Dathcom Mining SA, who is the JV operating company, majority-owned by AVZ.
Management said that EmiAfrica has also recently commenced work on a flora and fauna study of Roche Dure, which is also required under the ESIA for Manono.
The studies are essential for completing the Environmental Management Plan and to support the future mining operations in a sustainable manner, the company said.
AVZ Managing Director Nigel Ferguson said: “Stakeholder consultation is a critical component of the process for obtaining mining permits to mine the Manono project, both in terms of explaining our social responsibility standards and addressing the regulatory approvals process.”
“We look forward to meeting all of our key environmental stakeholders and explaining to them the benefits that our world-class lithium and tin project can deliver.”
The company also provided a set of operational updates for Manono, saying it had awarded contracts for several studies associated with its feasibility studies, including to Nexus Bonum for ore sorting works, Marketing to Roskill, Rail Technical works to Infraology, IT Infrastructure to Dynamic IT and Financial Modelling to FTI Consulting.
In addition, work studies are also being progressed that relate to road transport, road refurbishment, catering services, diesel supply, mineral resource to ore reserve generation and related mining designs.
Dewatering of the Roche Dure pit continues and is expected to be completed in December.
AVZ also indicated that no further geotechnical drilling is required at Manono with the work already completed by the company’s technical team to a high enough standard required to be checked off by its independent geotechnical consultants.
Indicative slope design angles are expected to be available around mid-December which will then be used in the mine design of the initial open pit at Roche Dure.
AVZ controls a 65% interest in the Manono project, which contains the impressive 400 million tonne, Roche Dure lithium mineral resource grading 1.65% lithium oxide, which is one of the single largest accumulations of high-grade, spodumene-dominated, pegmatite-hosted ore systems defined in the world today.
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By Matt Birney
