I-Polymetal isanda kumemezela ukuthi i-Tomtor niobium kanye ne-rare earth metal deposits eMpumalanga Ekude kungase kube enye yezindawo ezintathu ezinkulu zomhlaba eziyivelakancane emhlabeni.Inkampani inamasheya ambalwa kuphrojekthi.
I-Tomtor iphrojekthi eyinhloko iRussia ehlela ukwandisa ukukhiqizwa kwezinsimbi zomhlaba ezingavamile.Umhlaba ongavamile usetshenziswa embonini yezokuvikela kanye nokukhiqizwa komakhalekhukhwini nezimoto zikagesi.
"Isilinganiso nebanga likaThomtor liqinisekisa ukuthi imayini ingenye yezindawo ezinkulu kakhulu ze-niobium kanye nediphozithi yomhlaba engavamile emhlabeni," kusho isikhulu esiphezulu sePolymetals u-Vitaly Nesis esimemezelweni.
I-Polymetal ingumkhiqizi omkhulu wegolide nesiliva, ebambe u-9.1% wesabelo ku-ThreeArc Mining Ltd, ethuthukise lo msebenzi.Umfowabo kaVitali, usomabhizinisi waseRussia u-Alexander Nesis, ubambe iqhaza elikhulu kulo msebenzi kanye nenkampani ye-polymetal.
I-Three Arcs manje isiqalile ukulungiselela isifundo sokukwazi ukuxhasa ngemali iphrojekthi, nakuba kunzima ukuthola izimvume ezithile kuhulumeni waseRussia, futhi umklamo usabhekene nezinselele ngenxa yokubambezeleka kwalolu bhubhane, kusho i-Polymetal.
Ithintwe yilolu bhubhane, iphrojekthi ye-Tomtor ibambezeleke izinyanga eziyisi-6 kuye kweziyi-9, kusho inkampani yezimayini zesiliva ngoJanuwari.Phambilini bekulindeleke ukuthi le phrojekthi iqale ukusebenza ngo-2025, okuzokhishwa minyaka yonke ngamathani angu-160,000 ensimbi.
Izilinganiso zokuqala zibonisa ukuthi izinqolobane zika-Tomtor ezihlangabezana nezimfuneko ze-Australian Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) zingamathani angu-700,000 e-niobium oxide kanye namathani ayizigidi ezingu-1.7 zama-earth oxides angavamile.
I-Mount Weld yase-Australia (MT Weld) kanye ne-Kvanefjeld yaseGreenland (Kvanefjeld) ezinye izindawo ezimbili ezinkulu zomhlaba eziyivelakancane.