Pensana Advances Longonjo Rare Earths Project in Angola, Launches Coola Exploration
London-listed rare earths miner Pensana has announced that construction of its Longonjo mine in Angola is progressing on schedule and remains within the allocated capital budget of $217 million.
In parallel, the company has commenced exploration activities at the Coola project, located approximately 40 km north of Longonjo.
Main construction at Longonjo began in May 2025, following a series of preparatory site works that enabled a streamlined build-out.
The project has been in development for over six years, with more than $70 million invested to date in exploration, technical design, and environmental studies.
Once operational, the Longonjo mine is expected to produce 20,000 tonnes per year (t/y) of mixed rare earth carbonate, with the potential to scale production up to 40,000 t/y.
Pensana has already secured a five-year offtake agreement for its initial output with Toyota Tsusho, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational Toyota.
Key project delivery partners include Pro-Process Engineering, Lycopodium Group, and SRK Consulting. As part of the construction phase, SRK has contracted a specialist drilling company to determine the final excavation profile for the on-site tailings storage facility, ensuring it meets Global Industry Standards on Tailings Management.
Upon completion of its role at Longonjo, the drill rig will be moved to the Coola site, where Pensana is targeting a weathered and supergene-enriched central diatreme, similar to the mineralization found at Longonjo.
Initial exploration at Coola will consist of ten drill holes, each between 30 and 50 metres deep, aimed at investigating subsurface magnetic anomalies.
Samples will be analyzed on-site using portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology, and the results will guide a potential follow-up drilling program.
Pensana’s objective at Coola is to assess whether it can serve as a high-grade feedstock for the Longonjo processing plant, potentially extending the operational life of the facility beyond its current 20-year projection.
Commenting on the developments, CEO Tim George stated:
“The on-time and within-budget progress at Longonjo reflects the strength of planning and technical execution behind the project.
We are also optimistic that exploration at Coola will confirm additional resources, allowing us to extend the use of the infrastructure being developed at Longonjo.”
