PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Wolf Minerals has started tungsten concentrate production at its Drakelands openpit mine at the Hemerdon tungsten and tin project, in the UK.
“We are very pleased to announce that, as part of the commissioning process, we have now produced tungsten concentrate to the required specification. We look forward to shipping our first tungsten concentrate to Global Tungsten and Powders, in the US, and to Wolfram Bergbau und Hutten, in Austria,” said Wolf MD Russell Clark.
The £123.2-million Hemerdon project would include a three-million-tonne-a-year processing plant and associated infrastructure. The project was expected to produce about 3 500 t/y of tungsten concentrate and 450 t/y of tin concentrate.
Commissioning of the crushing and scrubbing section of the plant had now been completed, as had the fines section, with the design tonnage throughput being met at both sections.
The refinery section of the plant was now in the final stages of commissioning.
However, the takeover of the plant had been delayed, as exciter bars of two vibrating screens within the dense media separation section broke during commissioning and had to be remanufactured and replaced.
Takeover of the plant was expected in September.
“Overall, commissioning activities are going well and the operating teams have learned how to manage the plant in different conditions. Commissioning is a time when all processes and equipment are fully tested and performance established,” said Clark.
“By its very nature, it is not unusual to encounter a number of challenges along the way and our teams are working successfully together to address this.”