Marula Mining
PLC
("Marula'' or the "Company")
13
December 2024
Update on Nkombwa Hill
Project in Zambia
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU) an
African focused mining and development company, announces that,
following internal discussions and deliberations, it has
relinquished its minority interest held in the Nkombwa Hill Project
located in Zambia for nil consideration.
In H2 2022, the Company secured an
indirect 23.75% interest in Xram Traws Limited ("Xram"), the
registered holder of Large Scale Exploration License, 27977-HQ-LEL
and which encompassed the Nkombwa Hill Project. Since then, no
exploration activities on the niobium and tantalum and rare earth
element mineralisation identified at the Nkombwa Hill Project, has
been undertaken by Xram.
The Nkombwa Hill Project, is now
considered a non-core asset, given the additional project
acquisitions completed by the Company in 2023 and 2024.
Furthermore, as an early-stage exploration project, and given the
minority interest held, it is no longer deemed to be in line with
the Company's strategy which is to accelerate the development of
advanced and brownfield mining opportunities, in which the Company
has majority interests.
The Company is considering niobium
and tantalum mining and processing activities at its Blesberg
Lithium and Tantalum Mine ("Blesberg") and at the adjoining
Northern Cape Lithium and Tungsten Project ("NCLT Project"),
where it already has the processing plant capabilities to recover
niobium and tantalum mineralisation and where there is opportunity
to process a number of rare earth element minerals that have also
been identified across these adjoining license areas.
The Board of Directors are of the
opinion that operationally and economically it is a more compelling
business case to focus on mining, processing and selling niobium
and tantalum concentrates as well as certain rare earth elements
from the Blesberg and NCLT Projects rather than progress
exploration activities at the Nkombwa Hill Project
The facilities at Blesberg provide
the Company with a strategically important asset that it intends to
focus on expanding, not only in respect to the planned new joint
venture partnership for the commissioning, financing, and operation
of a lithium acid leaching plant to produce an intermediate lithium
product, but also for potentially processing of niobium and
tantalum and coltan mineralisation, as well as tungsten and
tantalum mineralisation at the former mines and projects widespread
on the NCLT Project. A number of rare earth elements and industrial
minerals such as feldspar and mica, that have been identified
across both Blesberg and the NCLT Project are proposed to be
targeted for processing through the processing facilities at
Blesberg in the future.
The
Directors of Marula are responsible for the contents of this
announcement.
About Marula Mining
Marula Mining (AQSE: MARU A2X: MAR)
is an African focused battery metals investment and exploration
company and has interests in several high value mining operations
and mine development projects in Africa: the Blesberg Lithium
and Tantalum Mine, Northern Cape Lithium and Tungsten Project,
Korridor Lithium Project and Kruisrivier Cobalt Mine, all
in South Africa; the Larisoro Manganese Mine and Kilifi
Manganese Processing Operation both in Kenya; the Kinusi Copper
Mine, the Nyorinyori Graphite Project, the NyoriGreen Graphite
Project and the Bagamoyo Graphite Project all in Tanzania. As
we advance operations at these battery metals focused projects,
Marula will continue to build and expand its interests in other
high-quality projects in Africa.
Marula's strategy is to identify and
invest in advanced and high-value mining projects throughout East,
Central and Southern Africa that the Directors believe
would deliver returns for its shareholders. The Board and
management team aims to establish Marula as a socially and
environmentally responsible, sustainable, and profitable producer
of critical metals and commodities that are of increasingly
strategic importance to modern technologies and the global economy.
Marula's shares are traded on AQUIS Stock Exchange (AQSE)
in London and A2X Markets in South Africa. Marula is
exploring opportunities to admit its shares to trading
on Kenya's Nairobi Securities Exchange and South
Africa's Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
For
enquiries contact:
Marula Mining PLC
Jason Brewer,
Chief Executive Officer
Faith Kinyanjui Mumbi
Investor Relations
|
Email :
jason@marulamining.com
Email : info@marulamining.com
|
AQSE Corporate Adviser
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP,
Liam Murray / Ludovico Lazzaretti
|
+44 (0)20
7213 0880
|
A2X
Advisor
AcaciaCap Advisors Proprietary Limited
Michelle Krastanov
|
+27 (11)
480 8500
|
Caution:
Certain statements in this
announcement, are, or may be deemed to be, forward looking
statements. Forward looking statements are identified by their use
of terms and phrases such as ''believe'', ''could'', "should"
''envisage'', ''estimate'', ''intend'', ''may'', ''plan'',
''potentially'', "expect", ''will'' or the negative of those,
variations or comparable expressions, including references to
assumptions. These forward-looking statements are not based on
historical facts but rather on the Directors' current expectations
and assumptions regarding the Company's future growth, results of
operations, performance, future capital and other expenditures
(including the amount, nature and sources of funding thereof),
competitive advantages, business prospects and opportunities. Such
forward looking statements reflect the Directors' current beliefs
and assumptions and are based on information currently available to
the Directors.