PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Base metals miner Red River Resources is expecting to produce its first production ore from the Far West underground mine, in Queensland, by the third quarter of this year.
To date, some 3 500 t of high-grade development ore has been delivered to the run-of-mine pad at the Thalanga operations, and this ore will be treated as a single parcel through the mill, enabling the metallurgical performance of the ore to be optimised.
The Far West mine is Red River’s second underground mine, and is estimated to host a mineral resource of 1.6-million tonnes, grading 1.6% copper, 2.1% lead and 6.5% zinc, and a reserve of 1.5-million tonnes, grading at 1.3% copper, 1.6% lead and 5% copper.
Red River MD Mel Palancian said that the company was excited to be gearing up for production at Far West, having achieved record production from the existing Thalanga operation in the December quarter of last year.
Some 96 000 t of ore was mined from the West 45 deposit during the December quarter.