en.Wedoany.com Reported - Aim-listed Andrada Mining reported its first-quarter results for the period ending May 31, with tin production at its Uis mine in Namibia increasing 20% quarter-on-quarter to 286 tonnes, while tin concentrate output rose 16% to 473 tonnes. The company also made positive progress at its Lithium Ridge and Brandberg West projects.
Drilling at the Lithium Ridge project in Namibia has been fully completed, with 143 holes drilled totaling 16,500 meters. Sample assay analysis is underway and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year. High-grade lithium mineralization results of up to 3.46% lithium oxide have already been returned from near-surface areas, accompanied by significant tin and tantalum mineralization.
The Brandberg West project has commenced large-scale drilling and metallurgical test work. Early studies indicate that ore sorting can achieve over 90% mass reduction while upgrading tin grades by up to seven times, tungsten grades by six times, and copper grades by four times.
Andrada Mining CEO Anthony Viljoen told Mining Weekly that the record quarterly tin production at the Uis mine was driven by ongoing plant upgrades and improved mining performance. The company has invested significant capital to enhance plant processing capacity, and with deeper operational experience, it has gained a better understanding of material behavior within the plant, while mining operations have also been optimized simultaneously. He expects another production leap once the ore sorter is installed and the sorting plan is implemented. Viljoen noted that the mine is currently in its fifth year of what could be a 100-year mine life.
Regarding the Lithium Ridge project, Viljoen revealed that the project is being advanced through the company's joint venture with Chilean mining company Sociedad Química y Minera (SQM), and additional drilling and metallurgical test work are urgently needed to accelerate feasibility studies and unlock resource potential. He stated that the company is evaluating various options to expedite the feasibility study timeline, believing that resource potential and future reserve potential exist, but further drilling and metallurgical testing are required for verification. Metallurgical understanding of Lithium Ridge is already well-developed, and the company hopes to see accelerated progress in the project's development pathway.
For the Brandberg West project, Andrada has observed encouraging ore sorting results, achieving significant mass reduction and grade upgrades, positioning the asset as a potential low-capital-expenditure development opportunity. The final development sequence for this project and Lithium Ridge is still under evaluation.
The company has also secured strategic financing for the Uis tin mine through Namibia's major lending institutions. Uis has received conditional approval for 98 million South African rand in financing from financial services company Bank Windhoek and the Development Bank of Namibia, with both banks committing to ten-year loans that include a capital repayment deferral period. Andrada emphasized that the previously successful $11 million equity financing was crucial to accelerating the Uis mine expansion project.
Viljoen concluded that each of these assets has its own independent balance sheet, and the company retains operational control with a solid team that has executed multiple large-scale projects. He noted that the company may be in the best position of any junior mining company, with three assets, cash flow, and fully financed development projects, making now potentially the best time in the company's history.
