ASX-listed global miner Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) announces it has produced the first copper concentrate at its Motheo Copper Mine in Botswana.
The company reports the construction of Motheo is nearing completion, with equipment commissioning activities over 92% complete for the initial 3.2-million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) processing capacity.
Additionally, the T3 open pit mining is proceeding on schedule, with more than 270,000 tonnes of ore at about 1.1% copper and 130,000 tonnes at about 0.7% copper on the run-of-mine (ROM) pad at the end of April 2023.
With an inaugural shipment scheduled for the middle of the year, Sandfire reports the Motheo team will now focus on completing commissioning activities and ramping up the processing plant to its initial processing capacity. This goal is expected to be achieved in the September quarter of FY2024.
Commenting on the inaugural production, Sandfire Resources Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Brendan Harris says: “Achieving these important milestones is an outstanding result for Sandfire and is a tribute to the excellent team that we have at Motheo.
“Achieving these important milestones is an outstanding result for Sandfire and is a tribute to the excellent team that we have at Motheo”
First concentrate production at our newest mine signals the start of our ramp-up towards the initial 3.2 million tonnes per annum capacity, which we expect to achieve on a sustainable basis during the September quarter of FY2024.”
Sandfire also reports the Botswana government’s Department of Environmental Affairs has approved an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) for the A4 Project. Approval of the ESIA is the result of an ‘extensive’ public consultation process that included multiple stakeholders, including related communities.
The company says this ESIA paves the way for the grant of a mining licence for the A4 pit as the last critical path item for the Motheo 5.2Mtpa expansion, which will see contained copper production rates at Motheo increase to around 50,000 tonnes per annum during 2025.
Sandfire is an international and diversified sustainable mining company with operations in Australia, Europe, Africa, and North America. The company’s portfolio of projects includes the DeGrussa Copper Operations in Western Australia, MATSA Copper Operations in Spain, the Motheo Copper Mine in Botswana, and the Black Butte Copper Project in Montana in the US.
Write to Harry Mulholland at Mining.com.au
Images: Sandfire Resources Ltd
