The Karibib Lithium Project, 25km east‐southeast of the town of Karibib, ranks number seven among Africa’s top ten mines with the most significant deposits, according to Energy Capital & Power.
This is also the first mine in Africa to export 30,000 tonnes of lithium concentrate to the Chinese company Jiangxi Jinhui Lithium in July 2018.
Lepidico now owns 80% of the mine and holds licence 204, granted to Desert Lion Energy on 19 June 2018, which will remain current in the name of Lepidico Chemicals Namibia until 18 June 2028.
Karibib Lithium Project has 6.7 million tonnes of ore reserves grading at 0.46% lithium oxide, 2.26% rubidium and 320 parts per million caesium, a 60% conversion from mineral resources of 11.24 million tonnes. Its total production over a 14-year life-of-mine is 773.000t.
The project could be the first known lithium reserve discovered in Namibia in the 1930s, with mining activities started at the Rubikon Mine by the Klochner Group of Germany around 1950.
Project tenure includes the historic Rubikon, Helicon and Fricke’s lithium-tantalum-caesium mines, which operated intermittently from 1930 to 1994.
The Rubikon mine reportedly produced some 17,000t of lithium mineral concentrates from small-scale open pit and underground mining between 1980 and 1994.
Helikon 1, located 750 m south of Helikon 2 – 5, is the largest exposed pegmatite at the project with a strike length of 350 m, an average thickness of 65 m and dips 70° to the north.
The Helikon 2 – 5 pegmatites define a discontinuous strike length of 1,700 m with variable dips and thicknesses.
The project is on Farm Okongava 72, owned by the Namibian Government.
Source: The Extractor Magazine