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Walkabout Resources provides coal projects update

World Coal,


Walkabout Resources has released an activities update for its coal projects in Botswana and Tanzania.

Takatokwane coal project

Study activity at the 7 billion t Takatokwane coal project in Botswana has been rescheduled while Walkabout assesses current market conditions. The company has received notification that the governments of Namibia and Botswana will sign the bilateral access agreements for the Trans-Kalahari Rail project from in March 2014. This will remove any legal impediments to the rail project and facilitate investment commitment. The planned rail-line will pass close to the Takatokwane project.

While the company awaits the final report on the coal transport logistics options, Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) of South Africa has committed finalisation dates to the extension of its heavy haul line from the Central Basin coal field to the Waterberg coal fields in northern South Africa. TFR plans to have a completed heavy haul rail line to the Waterberg coal fields by 2018. This will bring the location of heavy haul rail lines much closer to Takatokwane.

Comments

Walkabout managing director, Allan Mulligan, commented: “The political will is strong, the long term demand is sound and we are confident that momentum is growing for an infrastructure solution to Botswana’s coal field development plans.”

TFR, together with Eskom, is considering the establishment of a South African inland coal dry port facility which would greatly enhance the distribution of coal products for export and domestic power station feed in South Africa.

Coalswana agreement

In terms of the agreement signed between WKT and Coalswana in November 2013 for an off-take of coal product at Takatokwane, the company has agreed to a request from Coalswana for an extension to 30th March 2014.

Walkabout Resources is encouraged by the increase global in coal to gas (CTG) and coal to liquid (CTL) activity. In China, over 40 of these gasification facilities are in commissioning or development stages. The company is closely investigating the potential for modular scale construction in line with local market-related ‘right-sizing’ of these plants. They are then operated in sync with a coal export quota and supplied from a common mining operation.

Lindi coal project

A field reconnaissance was undertaken at the Lindi coal project in late 2013. Lindi is located within 50 km of the south east coast of Tanzania and near the deep water port of Mtwara. Last year, Uranex announced the discovery of outcrop coal on a tenement adjacent to Walkabout’s holdings. The company is highly encouraged by the results of this work and the potential at Lindi and is currently assessing options for a follow up program.

Edited from various sources by Katie Woodward

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/coal/24022014/walkabout_provides_project_update_557/

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