Aim-listed Rome Resources has started a small-scale tin mining programme at its Kalayi project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), seeking to fulfil a key regulatory requirement required to support the conversion of the company’s small-scale exploration permit into a full mining licence.

It is anticipated that achieving this milestone will assist in facilitating the company’s proposal to increase its ownership interest in the PEPM 13274 licence, as announced in April.

This is expected to strengthen the Kalayi project’s attractiveness to potential strategic and development partners.

Successful conversion is expected to facilitate the proposed acquisition of the remaining 27.5% interest in Kalayi Tin, increasing Rome Resource’s ownership in the Kalayi project to about 79%.

Early indications are highlighted as encouraging, with the site team reporting portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) readings of up to 17% tin within the exposed mineralised zone.

The mining programme is expected to generate valuable geological, metallurgical and processing data, supporting further mineral resource estimates and is expected to improve the company’s understanding of the Kalayi project’s vein system.

Mining operations are anticipated to generate modest revenues through the sale of tin concentrate via the State facility at Walikale, with limited capital expenditure required.

Rome Resources says it continues to attract interest from potential strategic and development partners, with advancement of the mining licence and increased ownership expected to further strengthen the company’s position in these discussions.

“The early XRF readings from the entrance to the adit are encouraging and consistent with what we have seen from surface trenching in this part of the deposit,” says CEO Paul Barrett.

“We are pursuing increased ownership, inter alia, of the Kalayi project because we believe in this asset. The exploration work completed to date, and what we are now seeing in the mineralised zone, gives us that conviction.

“Converting the current permit into a full mining licence is central to that process – it unlocks the proposed acquisition of the remaining interest and takes Rome Resource’s ownership to approximately 79% in the Kalayi project, a materially stronger platform from which to advance the Kalayi project and engage with potential partners,” he explains.