PERTH (miningweekly.com) – First iron-ore sales from the Koolan Island restart project, in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, are expected by the end of March next year, ASX-listed Mount Gibson Iron reported.
The company has told shareholders that site ramp-up activities were progressing well, with dewatering activities now accelerated with around 60% of the in-pit water already removed.
The water level in the Main Pit has been reduced by 32 m since pumping started in August, with 12.5-million cubic meters of water having been removed to date. Mount Gibson noted that all instrumentation and monitoring data has confirmed that the seawall and the concrete seepage barrier installed within the seawall were performing to design expectations.
“It is extremely satisfying to report that key activities on the Koolan Island restart project continue to progress in line with our targeted schedule to commence sales at the end of March 2019,” said Mount Gibson CEO Peter Kerr.
“Given the continued strong outlook for high-grade products, we look forward to accessing high-grade ore early next year, and re-establishing Koolan Island and Mount Gibson as the producer of Australia’s highest grade direct shipping hematite iron-ore.”