JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Premier African Minerals has re-equipped the 120-m vertical shaft at its RHA tungsten project, in Zimbabwe, and expects to return to operations this week.
Premier reported on Tuesday that mining equipment and minerals processing specialist Appropriate Process Technologies (APT) would complete upgrades at the plant by July 6, and that APT had confirmed that the necessary equipment had been ordered.
"While the company is frustrated that the plant upgrades to the crushing circuit by APT have not yet been commissioned, it is encouraging that the vertical shaft has now been completed and fully equipped,” said Premier CEO George Roach.
He added that, in light of the delay in installing the crushing circuit improvements, it was important to process ore from the 870 level of the project to establish that in situ grade was delivered to the plant and that mining dilution was adequately managed.
"X-ray technology test work is progressing on openpit ore. This work is expected to yield favorable results and we look to receive a proposal to upgrade ore and recommend resumption of mining from the openpit,” he said.