The Reunion Gold corporation of Canada has retained Worley Parsons to "conduct a scoping-level study to assess the parameters relating to the possible development of a silico-manganese plant" to be located in T&T.In addition, G Mining Services Ltd has been retained to combine the results of the Worley Parsons' scoping study with the results of a July 2013 pre-feasibility study on the production of manganese (Mn) concentrate from the Matthews Ridge Project located in northwest Guyana, South America.
Reunion Gold has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Energy Corporation of T&T setting out the terms under which the parties will collaborate to evaluate the potential development by Reunion of a silico-manganese plant in T&T."In addition to its proximity to Guyana, T&T offers numerous benefits including competitive power costs, deep sea port facilities, dedicated areas for industrial projects and proximity to silico-manganese markets," the company said in a release.
The company hopes to release the results of a preliminary economic assessment of the combined studies, including various output scenarios, by the end of the first quarter of this year.Reunion Gold Corporation is a mineral exploration company engaged in the exploration and development of the Matthews Ridge manganese project located in the North West District of Guyana.
The project consists of four prospecting licenses covering an area of 185 square kilometres in northwest Guyana, in and around the former Matthews Ridge mine.
In July 2013, the company announced a proven and probable reserve estimate of 26.3 million tonnes of manganese with an average grade of 14.2 per cent Mn. Manganese is the fourth largest metal consumed in the world, behind iron, aluminum and copper. It is a key component in steel and iron production.Reunion Gold said the MOU with the National Energy Corporation sets out terms under which the parties will collaborate to evaluate the potential development of a silico-manganese plant in T&T.
Following the release of the pre-feasibility study of the Matthews Ridge Project in July 2013, Reunion performed various desktop studies, including assessing the viability of reducing the output of the Matthews Ridge Project and converting the manganese concentrate into silico-manganese alloys.
The company's chairman David Fennell, said: "This is a significant development for the company. While Matthews Ridge as a standalone mining operation is an attractive investment opportunity, we believe that the construction of a silico-manganese plant in T&T to be supplied by Matthews Ridge ore may potentially allow us to create a vertically integrated operation which could become one of the world's lowest cost producers of silico-manganese."
National Energy, a subsidiary of the state-owned National Gas Company (NGC) of T&T Limited, is engaged in the promotion of new energy-based industries and the provision and management of industrial estates, port and marine facilities to support industries in T&T.