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Marula Mining PLC (AQSE: MARU A2X: MAR) an African focused mining and development company, is announces the results of wash plant test work and recent manganese assay work undertaken at the Kilifi Manganese Processing Plant (the “Kilifi Plant”) located in the Tezo Area, Kilifi County in Kenya.
The programme was conducted from samples taken from selected identified ore sources within the Kilifi region by the Company, beneficiation test work completed in Nairobi and assay results then received from the accredited laboratories of Kenya’s Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
The assay results received indicate the potential of significant manganese (“Mn”) grade uplift from the processing of run-of-mine manganese ores across selected and sampled manganese ore sources.
The programme was designed to assess the beneficiation response of run-of-mine material from four identified areas in the Kilifi area, and to prioritise feedstock and ore supplies to the Kilifi Processing Plant as part of ongoing production optimisation.
Wash Plant Test Results are as follows:
Area 1 – ‘chips’
• Assayed run-of-mine grade: 26.900% Mn
• Assayed washed / processed grade: 56.619% Mn
• Grade uplift: +110.4%
Washing and processing of this material more than doubled the manganese grade, indicating significant removal of clay and other deleterious material. Area 1 is identified as the highest-performing feed source for the Company’s Kilifi Plant.
Area 2 – ‘chips’
• Assayed run-of-mine grade: 29.891%.
• Assayed washed / processed grade: 37.605%.
• Grade uplift: +25.8%.
Results demonstrate a strong beneficiation response and an improvement into higher-grade specification material, supports further evaluation of processing ore from this area through the wash plant.
Area 3 – ‘fines’
• Assayed run-of-mine grade: 33.893%.
• Assayed washed / processed grade: 32.726%.
• Grade change: −3.4%.
No material change was seen with the fines material processed, which suggests the manganese is already sufficiently liberated and no benefit is obtained through the processing of this run-of-mine ore.
Area 4 – ‘chips / coarse fraction assumed’
• Assayed run-of-mine grade: 20.309%.
• Assayed washed / processed grade: 32.726%.
• Implied uplift: +61.1%.
These results indicate materially stronger beneficiation performance in coarse fractions relative to fines.
Operational Implications
The combined results support several key operational and strategic conclusions:
• Significant grade enhancement potential at Area 1 recorded across all material types tested;
• Consistent commercial attractive beneficiation performance at Area 2;
• Limited economic justification for the processing fines material at Area 3; and
• Clear differentiation in beneficiation response between coarse and fine material.
The Company is prioritising the run-of-mine feed to the Kilifi Plant from higher-response zones and coarse material streams in order to optimise grade, improve realised pricing potential and enhance overall project economics.
These results are based on sampling and laboratory analysis of representative run-of-mine material from the four selected areas.
Further test work and assaying of run-of-mine and processed and washed manganese material will continue as part of the steady state operating procedures of the Kilifi Plant.
The Company will provide further updates on the Kilifi Plant operations in due course.
Jason Brewer, CEO of Marula Mining Plc, said:
“These results from Kilifi demonstrate the potential of our beneficiation strategy. Achieving such grade uplifts indicates the effectiveness of the Kilifi Plant.
“These results, from certain material, demonstrate the potential ability of the Kilifi Plant to surpass the minimum manganese grade specifications under the existing agency framework contract with Baosteel Resources South Africa and other potential new manganese offtake arrangements that the Company is now progressing, including the recently announced proposed trial shipments to Jindal Pelletising LLC, a subsidiary of Jindal Steel Limited (“Jindal Steel”), one of India’s foremost integrated steel producers.
“I look forward to providing further updates on our operating activities at the Kilifi Plant.”
The Directors of Marula are responsible for the contents of this announcement. This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of UK Market Abuse Regulation.