Mesa Mineralshas reported that the vessel carrying the second trial shipment of manganese ore from Ant Hill sailed from Port Hedland early this morning.
The Opal Amber, which is carrying the 18,006 tonne cargo, is scheduled to arrive in northern China early in February.
Managing Director Alan Scott said the second trial shipment, which is of medium manganese and relatively high iron content, was similar to what the company would anticipate to be its medium grade product offering.
"It was keenly sought after by a wide range of customers, confirming our view that the market will welcome both our high and medium grade products," Mr Scott said.
"The geographical spread of these two cargo destinations within China is indicative of the wide spread of potential buyers who wish to establish regular ore supply relationships with Mesa."
The interest expressed in both trial shipments is in part due to their excellent handling characteristics in part due to smelting performance and due to the process innovations developed by many Chinese customers to efficiently smelt high iron manganese ores.
The two trial shipments have effectively completed the ‘export ore dimension’ of the trial mining exercise carried out at Ant Hill, with remaining ore stocks earmarked for beneficiation or secondary processing at a later date.
The completion of the trial mining exercise represents another significant step forward in Mesa’s efforts to attain a sustainable income stream from the export of metallurgical grade manganese ores into the steel sector.
Importantly, Mr Scott said it also advances Mesa’s efforts to establish a second sustainable income stream from the domestic processing of low grade manganese ores mined in the Pilbara, into high grade manganese products consumed in other industry sectors, utilising the Company’s patented hydrometallurgical technologies.
"Given that all regulatory hurdles in the way of opening a new mine have now been overcome, our attention can now be focused upon the commercial decisions that are before us, if we are to see the great potential of this mining venture fulfilled," he said.
"In this regard, Mesa believes that it is possible to move the Ant Hill mine from its present ’mothballed’ state, to a fully operating mine site, in a relatively short period of time."
Source: Proactive Investor
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