Base Titanium in expansion bid as Kwale mine-life nears end

Australian mining company-Base Titanium is considering expansion of its  exploration activities in Kwale as the current mine’s life approaches its end, marked by a drop in production last year.

The Kwale-based miner has acquired a prospecting licence covering 136 square kilometres in Vanga area(PL/2015/0042), towards the Kenya-Tanzania border of Lunga Lunga, approved by the Mineral Rights Board and issued  in December last year.

Acting General Manager External Affairs Simon Wall yesterday confirmed community engagement in the area has commenced, with a drill programme planned to start in March.

The firm has additionally applied for a north eastern extension of the Vanga PL/2015/0042 to cover further prospective ground which has since become available.

“A lot of community sensitisation is going on to ensure locals are involved before we commence exploration,” Wall told journalists during the company’s quarterly update.

The current mines, where the company has been mining titanium ores since 2013 is nearing its exhaustion, prompting the company to venture into other sights, as titanium exports continue to remain key in Kenya’s mineral exports.

Base management said the current site has remained with a four to five-year life line and its end would mean the company closes shop on its Kenyan operations and shifts focus elsewhere.

Wall yesterday, however, said a geophysical survey conducted in 2015 showed prospects of the minerals in other parts of the Kwale, hence the decision to explore.

Source: People Daily