The agreement can now be finalised with the company now that the licence is official, Walkabout officials said, and it can also begin to make manufacturing and supply orders for final plant equipment. Pending advanced funding options can now progress as well.
The licence is Lindi Jumbo's last major legislative requirement, according to Western Australia director Allan Mulligan.
The project should see concentrate flowing within a year, as the construction phase is expected to take nine to 12 months to complete.
Lindi Jumbo, for which Walkabout owns 100% of the mining licence and 70% of an adjacent graphite prospecting licence, is estimated to have a 20-year mine life at an average production rate of 260,000t annually, or a total of 40,000t/y of graphite concentrate at a total graphitic content of 16%.