Australian resources exploration and development company Group 6 Metals (ASX:G6M) reports it has made ‘significant’ progress with construction activities at the Dolphin Tungsten Mine, located on King Island in Tasmania.
The company says construction of the process plant is progressing well with a ‘significant’ increase in mechanical equipment installation activities over the past 2 months. It also states all of the major OEM equipment has been delivered to site, and the Gekko Systems construction team is accelerating the works for the remainder of the year in preparation for commissioning in early 2023.
In addition, mechanical and electrical installation for the crushing and screening circuit has also been completed, and the power has been turned on for the start of pre-commissioning and testing for this area.
Group 6 Metals Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Keith McKnight says: “We have made significant progress at the Dolphin Tungsten Mine over the past 2 months, recently reaching another ‘significant’ milestone.
“We have made significant progress at the Dolphin Tungsten Mine over the past 2 months, recently reaching another ‘significant’ milestone”
Power has been turned on to the crushing and screening circuit, and initial commissioning of the major drives has begun in anticipation for wet commissioning early next year.
It is pleasing to see the commencement of commissioning through activities on the process plant and we look forward to putting this part of the circuit through its paces early next year.
Mechanical and electrical installation activities for the remaining equipment and infrastructure is also progressing well, along with construction of the tailings storage facility which is scheduled to be ready in time to accept tailings from the process plant in early March, which is when the plant is expected to commence processing ore.
With all the construction activities progressing on site, it was an opportune time to welcome a group of investors and brokers for a site visit following our recent successful capital raise. It was a beautiful day on King Island, as we had an overwhelmingly positive response to the site visit. We look forward to hosting another site visit next year when the mine and process plant are operational.”
Group 6 reports while commissioning of the crushing and screening circuit continues, the Gekko construction team has transitioned to completing the installation of the downstream grinding and fine ore screening area, motor control centres (MCCs) and control room, installation of shaking tables and final product preparation areas inside the main process shed.
In parallel, the Group 6 team states it is progressing the state one mining area pre-strip, excavating historically stockpiled rock to use for construction of the Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) and remaining mine support infrastructure in anticipation for processing first ore through the process plant in March 2023.
Following the company’s successful capital raise in late November, a group of brokers and investors visited the site to inspect progress of the construction activities. Group 6 reports the site visit was a ‘resounding success’ with ‘very positive’ feedback on progress made to date.
For 2023, the company intends to mobilise a drill rig to King Island early in the new year to conduct a drill program consisting of 3 to 4 diamond core holes to test the western margin of the Grassy Granite, located north of the Investigator 21 Prospect.
Previous drilling conducted at Investigator in 2018 revealed ‘high-grade’ mineralisation with 1 hole intersected 3.3m at 1.7% tungsten trioxide (WO3). The company says this result confirmed the ‘high-grade’ tenor of mineralisation at 3 separate locations on the periphery of the Grassy Granodiorite which in turn, upgrades the overall exploration potential of this mineral intrusion.
Pending the success of future drilling campaigns, Group 6 states it will seek to delineate an economic reserve which will extend the mine life beyond the current 14 years.
Group 6 Metals is an Australian resources exploration and development company focused on developing the Dolphin Tungsten Mine located on King Island in Tasmania.
Initially the focus for this project is producing a ‘high-grade’ tungsten concentrate, and the company plans to value-add the product for supply onto the upstream tungsten industry.
Images: Group 6 Metals Ltd
