PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Metals X has warned of production impacts at its Nifty copper operation, in Western Australia, following a temporary loss of power at its underground mine.
The power outage was caused by a short circuit of the underground power cables leading from the gas turbine to the underground workings.
While repairs have been completed and mining has restarted, Metals X noted that the power outage, combined with other legacy issues relating to the Nifty infrastructure and mine services, was expected to impact production in the current quarter.
For the March quarter, Metals X is now expected to produce between 4 000 t and 4 200 t of copper in concentrate. This was compared with the 5 177 t of copper in concentrate delivered in the December quarter.
“The lower production at Nifty for the current quarter is disappointing given the progress we have been making as a new management team in reviewing and refining operations at the mine,” said Metals X MD Damien Marantelli.
“As outlined in the December 2018 quarterly report, we continue to focus on increasing development rates at Nifty, particularly in priority areas, and driving operational efficiencies and cost reductions. These are the drivers critical to the future success of Nifty and we will continue to pursue them vigorously.”
Marantelli said that despite the setback, Metals X was making progress on the life-of-mine planning at Nifty, and remained on track to deliver a reset plan for the mine in April this year, which will include a detailed strategic roadmap, key milestones and the production ramp-up profile.