Kenmare, one of the world’s largest titanium and zircon producers, announced this Monday that it will partially suspend operations at its Moma mine in northern Mozambique following an accident that killed a worker.
“Kenmare suspended all mining and processing operations at Moma following the incident as a safety measure and to ensure staff were kept informed. The mine management and police have launched an investigation,” the mining company said in an official statement sent to Lusa.
The incident, he adds, occurred on Saturday and the first investigation concluded that the deceased was an excavator operator for a subcontractor working on the new mining site at the Moma mine.
“Kenmare has notified Mozambique’s Ministry of Mines, Mineral Resources and Energy and is in close contact with ministry officials. The mine has now resumed full operation, with the exception of mining operations (…), which remain suspended for investigations. continue,” the message says.
“We are carrying out further investigations to understand how this tragedy occurred and how to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. The safety of our workers and subcontractors is our highest priority and we have strengthened our teams (…) during the weekend for a safe shutdown,” described Kenmare director Michael Carville, quoted in the same statement.
Kenmare is one of the world’s largest producers of mineral sands, listed on the London and Dublin stock exchanges, with production in Mozambique accounting for approximately 7% of the world’s titanium raw materials.
The company supplies customers operating in more than 15 countries who use heavy minerals in paints, plastics and ceramics.
Last month, Kenmare announced that it would pay the Mozambican state $30.5 million (€28.2 million) in 2023 in fees and taxes arising from the operation in Moma, on the coast of Nampula province.
According to market information previously published by Lusa, Irish-born Kenmare, which operates in Mozambique through Mauritian subsidiaries, paid the government $19,798,000 (€18.3 million) in fees for the operation, $10,259,000 (9.5 million euros) in royalties and US$504.00 (18.3 million euros) in fees. dollars (467 thousand euros) in the form of fees (licenses and concessions) relating to fiscal year 2023.
According to the company, the Moma mine contains reserves of heavy minerals including titanium, ilmenite and rutile, which are used as raw materials for the production of titanium dioxide pigment, as well as the relatively valuable zirconium silicate mineral zircon.
In April 2023, the mining company announced it planned to explore a new vein within its Moma concession within two years, demonstrating the longevity and profitability of the mine.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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