9th Apr 2025 17:57
(Alliance News) - BWA Group PLC on Wednesday announced an updated initial mineral resource estimate for its Dehane 2 heavy mineral sands project in Cameroon, including a sharp increase in valuable minerals and promising test work results, particularly for kyanite.
The London-based mineral exploration firm said the updated inferred mineral resource totals around 4.2 million tonnes at a 3.5% total heavy mineral cut-off. It includes estimated contents of 42,000 tonnes of ilmenite, 65,000 tonnes of kyanite, 5,500 tonnes of rutile, and 4,500 tonnes of zircon.
The total valuable heavy mineral grade more than doubled to 2.77% from 1.23%, which BWA said reflects the success of recent kyanite test work. The resource also includes 3.3 million tonnes of construction-grade sand, adding further commercial potential.
The testwork, which used a simple separation process, showed the kyanite to have comparable chemical characteristics to benchmark products from Virginia, US. Sand extracted from the project area also met specifications for the construction industry, the company added.
Chair Jonathan Wearing said the inclusion of kyanite and limited impact from current US import tariffs, which stand at 12%, puts the company in a strong position to market its products globally, including in North America.
"We intend to advance Dehane 2 with further exploration, testwork and a preliminary economic assessment," Wearing added, with a fundraising planned later this year to support the next development phase.
Shares in BWA were up 17% at 0.175 pence each in the Aquis Stock Exchange on Wednesday.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
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