The Kanmantoo copper mine. Image: Serena Findlay
Hillgrove Resources’ Nugent acceleration copper project at Kanmantoo in South Australia has been completed following the successful processing of more than 6000 tonnes of ore.
More than 7700 tonnes of copper have been produced to August at Nugent, with 913,000 tonnes of ore mined in total with total development of 5169m.
Hillgrove has processed 902,000 tonnes of copper ore at a grade of 0.85 per cent copper with a recovery rate of 94.6 per cent. The company has 286m of decline development remaining before it breaks through to the Kavanagh mining area.
This advance, the company said, sets up operations for the delivery of Nugent stoping production in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“The Nugent acceleration project was completed in August, with Kanmantoo now on track to deliver production from Nugent ahead of expectations,” Hillgrove managing director Bob Fulker said.
“With Nugent production on track to commence in the December quarter, mined tonnes are expected to increase, and with every extra tonne of ore milled through our facility, we lower overall unit costs.
“On top of this, the Nugent decline breakthrough will ease underground congestions. This is a core part of our strategy to increase mill throughput from 1.4–1.5 million tonnes per year (Mtpa) to 1.8Mtpa.”
Fulker also said that the site’s 2024 mineral resource estimate has “performed well”, demonstrating increased confidence in Kanmantoo’s geology, with “gross costs remaining largely the same”.
Want to connect with the mining industry? Register to attend AIMEX and WA Mining Conference.