Abstract:
AfriTin Mining Limited plans to reopen the Uis tin mine in Namibia and establish a pilot processing plant
for phase 1 of the Uis tin project, which is scheduled to commence in the last quarter of 2018 . A mining
plan is required for phase 1 to supply the new pilot processing plant with 500 kt of run-of-mine ore per
annum, for a period of 5 years. New geological mapping and three-dimensional modelling of the mining
area were utilized to identify the most optimal mining locations that require low initial waste stripping.
An open-pit mining method was selected to target the surface outcrops of the pegmatite orebodies.
The mine design criteria were determined and used as input to generate the mine design by utilizing
professional engineering software. The mine design was optimized and an overall stripping ratio of 0.81
was achieved. A 5-year production schedule was developed for the mine design according to quarterly
periods of three months. A fixed production target of 125 kt of ore was assigned to the quarterly periods,
and a ramp-up production target of 65 kt of ore was assigned for the first period. The mobile mining
equipment requirements were calculated, and recommendations were made for implementing the 5-year
mining plan.
