Trigon makes progress in draining Kombat mine

Canadian exploration company Trigon Metals Incorporated, that is working to resuscitate underground mining at Kombat Mine near Otavi, is making great progress by pumping 2 200 cubic metres an hour out of the shafts.

This was said by chief executive officer Jed Richardson when he gave an update to Trigon shareholders and other stakeholders on the dewatering of the mine, which was initiated in September 2023, in an audio released on Monday.

He said Trigon realises the importance of water as a real asset in arid Namibia and the company is, therefore, channelling that water into reservoirs in and around Windhoek. Richardson noted that the water pumped from the mine is potable and, therefore, suitable for human consumption.

“We have now evacuated water down to 240 metres that takes us down to the eighth level from surface at the seventh level. We are able to start mining and moving out our first underground tonnes,” he said.

Richardson said pumping the water will continue down to the 11th level before they install the permanent pumps and drain water from the rest of the mine.

“We are now pumping out all the old tunnels, the old shaft and what we can report back already is that the underground looks to be in pristine shape.

“We have no rock falls, we have no areas that need to be rehabilitated, literally just cleaning up some of the mud left behind and we will be in there shortly, mining. There will be lots more to report on, a lot more drilling, a lot more production news and generally just great progress being made at the Kombat Mine,” he said.

Richardson has highlighted the expansion of the mill’s throughput and the imminent initiation of underground mining, a move expected to triple “the production profile while simultaneously reducing production costs and enhancing profitability”.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na