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Rowena Duckworth
Lindian Resources has moved decisively into the next phase of growth at its Kangankunde rare earths project in Malawi, kicking off a stage two resource definition and geotechnical drilling program aimed squarely at lifting scale, confidence and potential mine life.
The aggressive campaign is designed to convert approximately 20–40 million tonnes of existing inferred resource material into the higher-confidence indicated status. Drilling will focus on areas beneath and adjacent to the current indicated resource, with results feeding directly into mine scheduling, pit optimisation and a potential stage two expansion scenario.
In total, Lindian expects to drill an impressive 3,400m of diamond core and 2,700m of reverse circulation (RC) drilling, in addition to a dedicated mine geotechnical drilling and study program.
Two diamond rigs are already operating 24/7, supported by an RC rig on day shift, with the intense drilling schedule expected to continue through to April. If assay results are dropped by the end of May, Lindian says it expects to deliver the updated resource model by late June.
Kangankunde is a large, carbonatite-hosted rare earths deposit sitting within altered gneiss country rock. The system encompasses a dominant oval-shaped central carbonatite body flanked by smaller connected spurs known as the North and South Knolls.
‘… Stage 2 is about scale and mine life, and that starts with confidence in the resource model and the design inputs that sit behind it …’
Lindian Resources executive director Zac Komur
A textbook concentric zoning pattern sits at the heart of the deposit, featuring a carbonate-rich core ringed by breccias and altered units, a geological framework that helps explain the project’s impressive size and consistency.
The current drilling program is targeting parts of the orebody where greater confidence in grade distribution and geological continuity is needed to support expanded pit design criteria.
By tightening drill spacing in these zones, Lindian aims to firm up the foundations for a larger stage two mine design and assess a lift in throughput to as much as four million tonnes of ore per annum.
At that production rate, the stage two expansion could deliver an additional 100,000 tonnes per year of REE-bearing monazite concentrate from Kangankunde, materially boosting output and reinforcing the project’s standing as a globally significant rare earths supplier.
Lindian Resources executive director Zac Komur said: “Stage 2 is about scale and mine life, and that starts with confidence in the resource model and the design inputs that sit behind it. This program is focused on the parts of the orebody most likely to define the Stage 2 expansion case, converting targeted Inferred material to Indicated where the drilling supports it, and completing the geotechnical work required for robust pit design.”
Lindian is rapidly building a world-class project. Only a few days ago, the company announced it had ordered the critical long-lead plant items, including the SAG mill, thickener, flocculation plant, shaking tables and belt filters.
Owner-operated Komatsu mining fleets are actively shaping haul roads, construction platforms and tailings storage facility earthworks and the 90-person accommodation camp is nearing completion, with administration buildings, a medical clinic and security facilities progressing to support workforce mobilisation.
Kangankunde sits 90 kilometres north of Malawi’s commercial hub, Blantyre, and is widely recognised for its scale, high-grade mineralisation and absence of radioactive elements.
The project already stands out for its scale, mineralogy and low-impurity profile and the stage two program is now about translating those attributes into a longer mine life and higher annual production.
With drilling underway, rods turning around the clock and a clear pathway to resource upgrades, Lindian is pushing hard to consolidate Kangankunde’s status as one of the world’s most strategically important undeveloped rare earths projects.
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