Lindian Resources has further bolstered its senior management ranks with another bauxite expert after experienced Guinea Mining Engineer, Danny Keating, was appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer. The appointment follows hot on the heels of the company also securing the services of 45-year bauxite and alumina veteran, Yves Occello, as a Non-Executive Director.
For the past decade, Keating – who is also a chartered accountant – has been involved with the development of new bauxite projects in Guinea, where Lindian is looking to develop its high-grade Gaoual conglomerate bauxite play.
As CEO of Dynamic Mining, he was responsible for advancing the Bon Ami project in the Boke region of Guinea from the exploration stage through to a definitive feasibility study. He also arranged bridging finance to prepare the asset for construction.
Before his stint at Dynamic, Keating was co-founder and CEO of Alufer Mining, where he directed the development of the Bel Air bauxite resource in the Boffa region, taking the project from first drill hole through feasibility studies and eventually securing bridging and construction financing. The Bel Air mine ultimately started production in 2018.
Occello was also a Director of Alufer and Compagnie des Bauxites de Guinee, or “CBG”.
Lindian Chairman, Asimwe Kabunga said: “Danny has an excellent track record of identifying good projects in Guinea, advancing their development, and delivering market beating returns for his shareholders. He has a solid understanding of the strategic priorities and project execution skills required to realise the value of the company’s projects.”
“I am delighted that in such a short space of time, we have been able to significantly strengthen the board and management of Lindian with proven industry professionals.”
Lindian last month delivered a maiden indicated high-grade surface bauxite resource for its Bouba conglomerate bauxite plateau deposit at its Gaoual project of 83.8 million tonnes of ore going an impressive 51.2 per cent alumina, using a grade cut-off of 45 per cent.
The Bouba alumina grade is comparable to some of the big bauxite mines in Australia, including Weipa in Queensland and Gove in the Northern Territory, which are among the world’s highest-grade deposits, averaging between 49 and 53 per cent alumina, according to Geoscience Australia.
Resource estimation work for the neighbouring Mamaya plateau deposit, also part of the Gaoual project, is in progress.
The Gaoual project area is located in north-western Guinea within the Boke bauxite belt, about 65 km north-east of the Sangaredi mining centre. It hosts the same type of conglomerate ore initially discovered at the Sangaredi bauxite deposit, which is owned and mined by CBG, Guinea’s largest bauxite producer for the past 30 years and which in turn is partly owned by Alcoa.
With Gaoual sitting in a known bauxite province and close to major bauxite mining operations with significant infrastructure and Lindian now well armed with bauxite management credentials, the company is well placed to rapidly develop its high-grade bauxite project.
Though Lindian’s Bouba resource contains higher levels of silica than other bauxites in the region, metallurgical test work on mineralised material shows most of the silica present is predominantly fine-grained quartz and Lindian says simple screening may significantly reduce the reactive silica content and effectively increase the alumina content with minimal loss of tonnage.
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