Mabwe Minerals seeks green light to start operations

Published: 18 November 2013

United States based Mabwe Mineral Holdings Incorporation (MMI) said it has been compiling documents (specifications sheets) that are necessary for it to get the green light to commence full scale operations at its Dodge Mine in Shamva.

Mabwe wants to mine barite, a crystalline mineral of barium sulfate (can be white, yellow or colourless) that is used in paint manufacturing and is mostly used as industrial mineral and also a chief source of barium chemicals.

In July this year Mabwe Minerals Incorporation announced that it has commenced barite and limestone production at Dodge Mine.

However, for the mine to commence operations it was supposed to finalise its specifications sheets to start its operations and marketing its minerals and a specification sheet is a technical document that sets out the details of how, exactly, a certain product is intended to perform or function.

Mabwe Minerals business development vice president Mr Louis Schlegel said: "As part of the lot qualification process, Mabwe Zimbabwe, will be sending bi-weekly lots of barite, sorted by grade type, to multiple test labs under the supervision of Steinbock Minerals, whose barite customer base has historically approved as third party, independent barite test facilities.

"The accumulation of multiple lots of test data will be used to set specification sheets for the different
grades of barite," he said.

He said that once the specification sheets are completed during the fourth quarter of 2013 lot qualification should commence shortly thereafter, as our strategic partners network with their barite customer base to set up initial shipments for final customer approval.
- herald