Resumen de Supply Security Report: : Mineral Sands

Industrial Minerals

• In 2015, Australia produced some 500,000 tonnes zircon, and South Africa produced 380,000 tonnes. China, usually known for leading commodity production volume rankings, produced 140,000 tonnes in 2015. China squeezed in front of Indonesia which produced 110,000 tonnes, the US with 60,000 tonnes, Mozambique with 50,000 tonnes and India with 40,000 tonnes.

  Base Resources operates the Kwale mine in Kenya which has an estimated 110m tonnes of ore at 5% heavy minerals. Of this 6% is zircon, 13% is rutile and 54% is ilmenite. In April, the company announced that it had produced higher-than-expected volumes in the quarter ended March 2016 with 110,760 tonnes ilmenite, 21,194 tonnes rutile and 7,865 tonnes zircon. The unexpected increase led the company to raise its 2015-2016 financial year guidance to 82,000-86,00 tonnes rutile, 440,000-455 tonnes ilmenite and 29,000-31,000 tonnes zircon.