Tim Marais, exploration manager for AfriTin Mining.
style hosted in quartz veins and potentially
represents a continuum of mineralisation
from the Brandberg West tin-tungsten mine.
No previous mechanised mining has occurred
within the Goantagab license area; however,
the hallmarks of vein-hosted tin, tungsten,
copper, silver, and gold mineralisation occur.
According to Viljoen, the initial
exploration costs associated with these
licenses are estimated at about GBP100 000
and do not include any exploration drilling
at this stage. “We intend to implement an
initial plan of sampling and mapping over the
next few months with further updates being
provided as appropriate,” says Viljoen.
Viljoen says the acquisition of Tantalum
Investment is another positive step for
AfriTin in attaining their goal to consolidate
African tin assets and embark on a regional
expansion drive in Namibia.
“During a recent exploration programme,
on our new licences and in the surrounding
area, we identified a number of anomalous
geological targets. Some of these targets had
been mined in the past and we therefore
believe in the overall potential of the
Damaraland area, in Namibia,” says Viljoen.
“Our recent acquisitions are no more than
80km away from our flagship Uis tin mine
and are therefore located in what was once a
prolific tin-producing region. While bringing
the Uis Mine back into production remains
our primary focus, we will begin early stage
exploration on these new licences, with the
objective of
reopening the
whole region
as a major tin
province,” Viljoen
concludes.
households. AfriTin is committed to working
with the relevant authorities to provide a
long-term sustainable solution to the town
and the mine.
The unemployed portion of the population,
on the other hand, hopes mining activities
create opportunities and jobs. AfriTin is
currently buying tin from about 10 artisanal
miner groups in the region, and managing
community issues in Uis will be key to
ensuring a sustainable project.
AfriTin’s recent acquisition of local
company Tantalum Investment might prove
to be an important strategic deal. Included
in the deal is two exploration licenses at
Brandberg West and in the Goantagab
Belt, which is believed to hold substantial
deposits of tin, tantalum, and other associated
minerals, including lithium.
Brandberg West was mined for tin
and tungsten by SWACO, a subsidiary of
Goldfields, from early in the 1940s to late in
the 1980s. According to historical records,
additional mineralisation include copper
and potentially gold, although there is no
indication that these minerals are economically
extractable. The mine was initially an
underground operation but was then open-
casted due to high tungsten and tin grades
in a densely populated vein swarm, which
occurs against an impermeable marble layer
(“Geology and alteration-mineralisation of
the Brandberg West Sn-W deposit, Damara
orogen, South West Africa/Namibia” in S.Afr.
Tydskr. Geol. by F. Pirajno, V.F.W. Petzel, and
R.E. Jacob.,1987).
Recent site visits by the AfriTin team
indicate that the marble layer is continuous
along strike, which the directors believe
attests to the potential of larger, unexploited
mineralised areas. The Goantagab license
has a similar, multi-element mineralisation
Mine excursion
The old crusher infrastructure still stands as Iscor left it.
www.miningmirror.co.za
MAY 2019 MINING MIRROR [19]