feasibility study: 11 million tonnes

Mount Burgess to open zinc mine at Kihabe in Botswana

Botswana Press Agency reported that Botswana will soon open a zinc mine along Botswana Namibia boarder at a place known as Kihabe west of Nokaneng in the North West District. The project which started in 1983 but due to its remoteness within Botswana and the struggle for independence in Namibia through the 1980s the project was inactive.

Botswana said that Mount Burgess Mining applied for a prospecting license at Kihabe for 1969/03 and was granted the same. It added that if all went according to plan the project would be scheduled to commence production around November 2008. The planned project schedule is to follow a pre feasibility study that commenced in July 2006 and completed in December 2006 and the feasibility study started in January 2007 and will be completed in July 2007.

Mr Nigel Forrester CEO of Mount Burgess Mining indicated that there is significant zinc, lead and silver wealth in the order of 11 million tonnes calculated to a depth of 150 meters with some extensions to 190 meter. Mr Forrester added that based upon a positive bankable feasibility study and approval to commence mining, the project finance will be sought for design and construction due to sustained growth in countries such as China and India zinc was in high demand.