Sandfire ready to shoot at Motheo copper

Sandfire Resources has produced initial concentrate from its upcoming 3.2Mtpa Motheo copper mine in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt. Initial production is predicted to rise significantly to 5.2Mtpa shortly, with bets suggesting an increase of over 60%.

Like the renowned Central African Copper Belt, the KCB possesses extensive reserves of copper. However, discovering and extracting these resources from deep underground beneath thick sand and desert sediments poses significant challenges for exploration and mining.

The prize is up for grabs, and Sandfire has integrated the KCB into its growth plan to establish Motheo as a sustainable copper production centre located in the heart of the belt.

Sandfire’s Motheo processing plant

The Motheo open pit mining operation is proceeding as planned, with over 400Kt of ore already loaded onto the ROM Pad by the end of last month. Equipment commissioning is currently at 92%, ensuring support for Motheo’s initial processing capacity of 3.2Mtpa. Sandfire prioritises a quick and cost-effective expansion to 5.2Mtpa by early next year.

The mid-capper is hardly alone in seeing the belt as a new hub of African production, and the Kalahari has attracted multiple other players looking to unlock enormous untapped potential through modern exploration.

Noronex is another ASX-listed player who has struck early success in the belt, and Chief Geologist Bruce Hooper agrees it is ripe territory for significant production.

“The belt has now come to fruition as a serious copper producer, with Cupric Canyon’s Zone 5 underground mine producing 60,00 tonnes of copper annually and looking to expand this to 130,000 tonnes,” Mr Hooper told Market Open.

“So now, a belt that historically hasn’t been looked at in great detail is of global importance.”

The Central African Copper Belt was in a similar place not long ago and is now host to a Kamoa-Kakula deposit expected to become one of the world’s biggest producers.

“Kamoa-Kakula is changing our understanding of all of the sedimentary copper belts around the world regarding the potential size and nature of this type of deposit.” Mr Hooper said.

“Part of Noronex’s area in Namibia has never had exploration – there have never been any drill holes, and that’s strikingly similar to where Kamoa was 12 years ago.”

Noronex processing a diamond core on-site in the Kalahari

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