Trinity Metals has launched a sonic drilling programme at its Nyakabingo Mine in a move aimed at identifying additional tungsten resources from historical stockpiles and increasing the mine’s mineral resource base.
The programme, announced on Wednesday, July 29, involves drilling up to 106 holes at depths of between 12 and 20 metres. Samples collected during the exercise will be analysed to update the mine’s mineral resource statement and support future planning, the company said.
The expansion comes amid rising global demand for tungsten, a critical mineral used in defence, aerospace and industrial applications. Nyakabingo Mine, the largest tungsten producer in Africa, now supplies up to 20 per cent of the United States’ monthly demand for primary tungsten concentrate.
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The company said the exercise targets an estimated 2.5 to 3 million tonnes of historically mined stockpiled material, which is expected to contain about 2.5 million tonnes of resources grading around 0.3 per cent tungsten trioxide (WO₃).
The stockpiles contain material left behind from decades of mining, when older processing methods could not recover all the available tungsten. With advances in mining and processing technology, Trinity Metals can now extract additional tungsten from this material, potentially extending the mine’s lifespan and increasing future production.
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Trinity Metals chief executive Peter Geleta said the new programme is expected to strengthen the company’s position as a global supplier of tungsten while supporting plans to expand production.
"By unlocking additional value from the Nyakabingo mine stockpiles, we will significantly increase our mineral resource base, creating new opportunities to increase production, and entrenching Trinity Metals and Rwanda as a leading global supplier of tungsten,” Geleta was quoted as saying in a statement on Wednesday.
He added that once the drilling programme is completed, the company will publish an updated mineral reserve and resource statement to guide long-term mine planning and improve mineral recovery.
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According to Trinity Metals, the programme will generate around 210 samples for metallurgical testing and particle size analysis, as well as about 1,600 laboratory-grade samples for resource evaluation.
The results will also support the design of a modern processing plant intended to improve recovery from both newly mined ore and historical stockpiles.
The company said the initiative forms part of its sustainability strategy by recovering valuable minerals from legacy stockpiles while reducing the environmental footprint associated with new resource extraction.
It noted that only environmentally approved drilling fluids will be used during the exercise, while water generated during drilling will be collected and managed through the mine’s existing water storage system.
Trinity Metals plans to conduct similar assessments at its Musha and Rutongo mines to maximise resource recovery across its operations.