PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Image Resources has started the transport of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) from its Boonanarring mineral sands project, in Western Australia, to the Bunbury port area for storage, prior to ship loading.
The Boonanarring project produced its first HMC earlier this month, after wet commissioning started in October.
First revenue from Bonnanarring is expected in January next year, with the project expected to achieve positive cash flow by the end of the first quarter of 2019.
Image said this week that while the project is still officially in wet commissioning phase, HMC production had been sufficiently positive to warrant the start of truck transport to port for storage.
The first bulk shipment of heavy mineral concentrate is scheduled for December.
The Boonanarring deposit is expected to deliver 1.1-million tonnes of HMC and the Atlas deposit an additional 711 000 t. The Boonanarring deposit is estimated to have an initial mine life of five years, after which mining will move to the Atlas deposit, which will add a further three years to the overall mine life.