Kodal Minerals PLC (AIM:LON:KOD) CEO Bernard Aylward talked with Proactive about the company’s significant progress at its Bougouni lithium project in Mali. Aylward shared updates on developments at the Ngoualana open pit mine and ongoing site enhancements. He emphasized that mining activities are ahead of schedule, with substantial materials already stockpiled for processing.
The company is preparing for production in the first quarter of 2024, with the DMS and flotation plants nearing completion. Aylward also highlighted exploration efforts at the Boumou deposit, focusing on resource expansion and metallurgical testing. “We expect our shareholders will see first-quarter production trucks rolling out,” Aylward noted, expressing confidence in the upcoming milestones.
Proactive: Bernard, very good to speak with you. You're out with a development update on your Bougouni lithium project in Mali, and it looks like you're making really good progress as the year draws to a close.
Bernard Aylward: Exactly, Stephen, and thank you for having me back. Good morning to you and everyone. It’s been an exciting year for Kodal and our developing Bougouni project. What we released today highlights the progress we've made. We are able to start a small commissioning part of the crafting circuit. This is a key development for us.
Looking at the development, it’s great to see the DMS buildings and filtration buildings coming together. The filter press is now in place. There’s a lot of action on-site as we move ahead with piping and electrical cabling. We expect the second crashing circuit to be completed within the next week. I’m looking forward to continuing this progress through to production in the first quarter next year.
Proactive: And at the same time, mining at the Ngoualana open pit mine is also progressing.
Bernard Aylward: Yes, it’s progressing really well. We’re very happy with the way the pegmatite is being exposed in the pit. We have over 117,000 to 120,000 tons on the ROM at the moment, which is well ahead of commissioning. This will ensure we have enough material to process and get the plant running efficiently. It’s great to have mining ahead of the plant so we’re ready to roll straight away. We’re not seeing any issues with the mine at the moment and are very pleased with its performance.
Proactive: Bernard, you also say that an exploration team is preparing an infill and extension drill program. That’s for the Boumou deposit ahead of the JORC Mineral Resource estimate?
Bernard Aylward: Yes, we’ve flagged that Boumou is going to be really exciting for us. It already represents a significant resource on its own. The drilling we’ve conducted this year and will continue to do over the next few years is expected to expand that resource.
Key things happening include a metallurgical program, for which we’ve taken samples from the diamond core. We’ll be testing for DMS and flotation recovery there. We believe some parts of Boumou can be processed through the DMS plant, which would be very encouraging for us. This will underpin stage two flotation plans alongside Sogola-Baoulé. There are exciting times ahead for the mining and processing, as well as the continued expansion of our project. We expect to deliver a lot of good news in the new year.
Proactive: Bernard, as you mentioned, production is still on track for the first quarter of next year. It looks like an exciting year ahead for the company.
Bernard Aylward: Yes, we’ve been very pleased with our progress. While we’ve had delays during the year, we’ve maintained our capital development budget. When able to, we’ve moved quickly on-site development. It’s really exciting to see, and we expect our shareholders will see first-quarter production trucks rolling out, with materials exported from the port in Abidjan.
Proactive: I hope you’ll keep us updated on any progress with that. If we don’t speak to you before then, all the best for the festive period.
Bernard Aylward: Thank you, Stephen. And to all your viewers and our shareholders, I wish you all the best for the festive period. We look forward to talking to you in the new year. Thanks very much.