JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Aim-listed Premier African Minerals continues to make progress on the development of its 49%-owned RHA tungsten project, in Zimbabwe, with earthworks now 10% complete and the development of the openpit mining area on schedule.
The company said in a statement on Tuesday that the openpit perimeter had been pegged out and that bush clearing had started in the last week.
The fabrication of the process plant was on schedule to be transported to the mine from Johannesburg, in May, while the mechanical equipment, including the mill, was currently being shipped to the plant assembly workshop in Johannesburg, where assembly of the various components were under way.
“The mill is expected to arrive in Durban in mid-April, while the contracts for transport and on-site erection were currently being finalised,” Premier outlined.
To date, the group had paid $1.46-million as a deposit towards the process plant, which represented 70% of the total cost of the plant. A final $664 000 payment was due once fabrication of the plant was completed.
Premier added that the development of infrastructure was behind schedule owing to orders being placed five days behind schedule.
“Current focus is on expediting these orders to pull the schedule back through early delivery,” it outlined.
First production from the mine was scheduled for June.