I-Polymetal isanda kumemezela ukuthi i-Tomtor niobium kanye ne-rare earth metal deposits eMpumalanga Ekude zingase zibe enye ye-rare earth deposits ezintathu ezinkulu emhlabeni. Le nkampani inamasheya ambalwa kulo msebenzi.
I-Tomtor yiphrojekthi eyinhloko iRussia ehlela ukwandisa ukukhiqizwa kwezinsimbi zomhlaba ezingavamile. Izinhlobo zomhlaba ezingavamile zisetshenziswa embonini yezokuvikela kanye nokukhiqizwa kwamafoni aphathwayo nezimoto zikagesi.
“Isikali sikaThomtor kanye nezinga lakhe kuqinisekisa ukuthi imayini ingenye yezindawo ezinkulu kakhulu ze-niobium kanye nomhlaba ongavamile emhlabeni,” kusho isikhulu esiphezulu sePolymetals uVitaly Nesis kulesi simemezelo.
I-Polymetal ingumkhiqizi omkhulu wegolide nesiliva, inesabelo esingu-9.1% ku-ThreeArc Mining Ltd, eyathuthukisa lo msebenzi. Umfowabo kaVitali, usomabhizinisi waseRussia u-Alexander Nesis, unesabelo esiningi kulo msebenzi kanye nenkampani ye-polymetal.
I-Three Arcs isiqalile ukulungiselela ucwaningo lokuthola imali ngephrojekthi, yize kunzima ukuthola izimvume ezithile kuhulumeni waseRussia, futhi umklamo usabhekene nezinselelo ngenxa yokubambezeleka kwalesi sifo, kusho i-Polymetal.
Inkampani yezimayini zesiliva yathi, ngenxa yokuthi iphrojekthi yeTomtor ithinteke yilolu bhubhane, ihlehlisiwe izinyanga eziyi-6 kuya kweziyi-9, kusho inkampani yezimayini zesiliva ngoJanuwari. Ngaphambilini bekulindeleke ukuthi le phrojekthi iqale ukusebenza ngo-2025, ngomkhiqizo waminyaka yonke ongamathani ayi-160,000 ensimbi.
Izilinganiso zokuqala zibonisa ukuthi izindawo ezigciniwe zeTomtor ezihlangabezana nezidingo ze-Australian Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) zingamathani angu-700,000 e-niobium oxide kanye namathani ayizigidi ezingu-1.7 zama-rare earth oxides.
INtaba i-Weld (MT Weld) yase-Australia kanye neKvanefjeld (Kvanefjeld) yaseGreenland yizinye izindawo ezimbili ezinkulu kakhulu ezitholakala emhlabeni ongavamile.