African-focused miner Marula has confirmed it will transition to contract mining at the Blesberg lithium and tantalum mine in South Africa in February 2025.
The move follows a months-long tender process; the selected firm will mobilise to the site in the first quarter of the new year. It will perform both larger-scale planned conventional open pit mining operations as well as the reprocessing of the existing stockpiles.
In parallel, the miner and its South Africa subsidiaries, Southern African Lithium and Tantalum Mining (SALT) and Muchai Mining (SA) (MMSA) is finalising leasing agreements with EQSTRA Corporation to directly lease, under standard four-year leasing agreements, the majority of the mine support vehicles and processing equipment that were previously supplied to Blesberg under leasing agreements with Q Global Commodities.
The restructuring agreement and additional supporting documentation is expected to be completed by the end of December, it added.
“The change in dynamics of the lithium market in 2024 has already seen the company adapt its strategy and move quickly in its negotiations with a Chinese battery manufacturer and its current lithium offtake partner to transition towards the production of high-value lithium products in 2025,” said CEO Jason Brewer.
“With the planned development of the larger open pit mining operations in Q1 2025, the company’s move to appoint a mining contractor in 2025, is an important one and needed to achieve the planned mine production rates and deliver the necessary run-of-mine material to the planned higher value processing facilities. I am extremely positive about our outlook for 2025.”
Source: marulamining.com