Bezant Resources chairman Colin Bird said they have completed the chain of contractor services that will make up the Hope & Gorob mining operation.
The Hope and Gorob project under EPL 5796 is in the Erongo Region.
Bezant Resources acquired 100% of Virgo Resources Ltd. and its interest in the Hope Copper-Gold Project in Namibia on June 19, 2020.
Through its 100% owned Australian subsidiary, Hepburn Resources Pty Ltd, Virgo Resources owned 70% of Hope and Gorob Mining Pty Ltd, incorporated in Namibia, which owns EPL 5796.
Virgo Resources also owned 80% of Hope Namibia Mineral Exploration Pty Ltd., incorporated in Namibia, which owned EPL 6605 and EPL 7170, which are under renewal.
Bird says that all the components required to start a new project are in place, and Hope & Gorob has the makings of a pathfinder project for Bezant’s mining aspirations in southern Africa.
He adds that the project will be launched with a modest and readily achievable output of copper and a well-recognised potential to grow into a medium-scale operation.
“Accordingly, we intend to divert cashflow into a significant exploration programme, the success of which will benefit all stakeholders,” Bird said.
The company says it has been progressing with technical aspects of the project, including the finalisation of infrastructure, mine and pre-concentrator final designs, audits, and costing for the repurposing of an existing flotation plant.
It has also adopted a renewable energy solution based on existing environmental initiatives included in plant design while waiting for the mining license.
Bezant Resources says it has received letters of preparedness for the Hope and Gorob Copper-Gold project from the main contractors responsible for future mining.
The letters are for processing plant construction, concentrate haulage, and offers for financing an off-grid hybrid renewable power supply for the project.
A leading contracting group has provided a final set of competitive unit costs for mining, ore haulage to the ore sorting plant, haulage of pre-concentrate, and the transfer of a final concentrate to Walvis Bay for export. Individual unit costs are in line with expenses used in financial modelling.
An international engineering group has confirmed its readiness for constructing and installing the front-end crushing, ore sorting, and conveying circuits.
With offices and workshops in Swakopmund, the group is well-placed to complete the project and provide continuous support and maintenance services.
A preferred engineering, construction, and project management supplier has been identified.
A proposal was received for upgrading and repurposing the existing flotation plant and tailings storage facility·
The technical design and costing of a hybrid power supply solution, including renewables for the mine site, have been completed.
Bezant says discussions are underway to finalise a power purchase agreement to install the bulk power supply.
