JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Construction activities at the Barruecopardo tungsten mine in Salamanca, Spain, are gathering momentum, with about 100 people now working on the project.
Ormondo Minerals, which has a 30% shareholding in the mine, reported on Tuesday that the major earthmoving phase relating to construction of water storage and collection dams was materially complete.
Groundworks were under way in the areas of the process plant and crush and screen circuit. The delivery of related plant equipment items were in progress, ahead of plant erection and installation early next year, Ormondo interim MD Michael Donoghue said in a statement.
The Barruecopardo tungsten project is fully permitted and fully funded through a $99.7-million funding package agreed with Oaktree Capital Management in 2015. Ormonde has a 30% interest in the project and Oaktree holds the balance.
The initial nine-year openpit mine will produce 260 000 mtu of tungsten trioxide at steady state.