27 Feb 2023 – Sandfire Resources is gearing up to start up a mill at Motheo copper mine, the company’s general manager, Hendrikus Engelbrecht has said.
Briefing Ghanzi District leadership during the February 23 tour of Motheo Copper Mine, he said the mine was in the process of commissioning the ore processing plant, and was hopeful that they would start the mill in April.
Engelbrecht said the mine was expected to go into full production by the end of June. If more deposits were discovered, he said the mine would expand.
Project manager for African Mining Services (AMS), contracted for open-pit mining services, Caster Mothibedi said in an interview that Motheo Copper Mine, the construction of which is almost complete, is about to go into production. While the commissioning of the processing plant is underway, AMS is currently continuing with waste striping, which started last year, he said. He said the first trial of the commissioning of the plant and the first tipping of ore into the primary crusher started in February 21.
He further said the T3 pit would be mined in four stages, noting that they are mining stage one at the moment and have already encountered copper deposits at bench 3. Mothibedi said ore was encountered at 30 metres, at a bench at about 10 metres. He highlighted that presently, the mine was operating with 20 trucks, four excavators and six drills, and at its peak, it would need 24 trucks and eight drills.
Source: BOPA
