Base Titanium has applied for a prospecting license for Titanium, Rutile, Zircon and Ilmenite minerals in Kwale County.
- •The Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs has released a public notice calling on the members of the public to give their views on the license within 21 days.
- •Towards the end of last year, the company said when the existing Kwale Ore Reserves are fully depleted by December 2024 as expected, Kwale Operations will transition to post-mining as planned.
- •Any objection against any prospecting license may be submitted to the Cabinet Secretary within twenty-one (21) days from the date of this Notice.
“The application may be accessed from the Ministry’s portal vide the website address: https://portal.miningcadastre.go.ke and is published in the Kenya Gazette and opened to the public for comment for twenty-one (21) days from the date of this Notice,” said Salim Mvurya, ex-CS Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.
According to Managing Director of Base Resources, Tim Carstens, the company has explored all avenues for further extending the life of Kwale Operations.
However, despite these efforts and broad support from the local community, Base Titanium has been unsuccessful in identifying additional mineral deposits of sufficient grade or scale to support a further extension.
“The Company’s focus at Kwale now necessarily turns to detailed closure planning and transition to post mining land use whilst ensuring we continue to safely extract maximum value from the remaining ore reserves.
“Kwale Operations has been the foundation on which we have built Base Resources, and while it will be sad to reach the end of a mining operation in which we have such pride, we see the transition to post-mining as an opportunity to further cement our reputation for excellence in the full life cycle of mining,” he added.
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