DR Congo : Tiger Resources vets cobalt production at Kipoi project

Tiger Resources Ltd, ASX listed copper focused company, contemplates cobalt production at its 95% owned Kipoi copper project with 55 sq km mining licence area in Katanga Province, south-east of DR Congo.

Positive result of investigation conducted by engineering company Mintrex Pty Ltd on the viability of cobalt production at Kipoi is the spurs for Tiger Resources as it considers increasing annual copper cathode production from 26,151 to 32,500 tonnes in the project.

Tiger Resources disclosed this on Friday explaining that the current Kipoi Mineral Resource “contains cobalt but there is no processing pathway for this material”.

Meanwhile, Mintrex found possibilities for cobalt production based on the expected 32,500 tonnes nameplate copper cathode production, the measured cobalt in the raffinate pond (photo) and a the copper to cobalt ratio derived from Kipoi mineral resources.

“There is sufficient cobalt potential within the current Kipoi copper leach circuit to justify further studies”, Tiger Resources said, citing the independent engineering company.

Mintrex Pty has identified, for staged cobalt production at Kipoi, a cobalt intermediate recovery of cobalt hydroxide and a cobalt refining for cobalt cathode metal. 

It recommends the development of a cobalt hydroxide circuit producing a cobalt hydroxide intermediate product as a first step, and estimates a capital cost of US$22 million (+/- 40%) for a 1,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) circuit.

Tiger Resources Ltd said it will now scope a metallurgical test work program to confirm commercial process flow sheets and firm up the capital cost and estimate likely operating costs.

The Australian based company, that also owns at 95 % Lupoto copper project in Katanga province, said the test work is expected to be completed by December 2016.

Kipoi project has total resources of 71.1 Mt at 1.3 % Cu and 0.07% Co with 894 000 tonnes copper contained and 46 000 tonnes of cobalt. Its total reserves stand at 49.3 Mt resources at 1.3 % Cu with 644 000 tonnes copper contained.