W kicks off mining at second tungsten operation
Aim-listed W Resources on Wednesday announced the start of operations at its second tungsten mine – Régua, in northern Portugal – following the release of an updated resource estimate.
The Joint Ore Reserve Committee-compliant estimate confirmed that the Régua project has 4.47-million tonnes at 0.27% WO3, with initial mining focused on the higher-grade areas of the orebody close to the surface.
W chairperson Michael Masterman commented that the indicated resources of 3.74-million tonnes at 2 800 ppm WO3 concentrate was nearly three times the grade of the La Parrilla deposit in Spain.
Mining operations will start with the development drives in the first of two and potentially three adits to allow the company to access and start mining the thick high-grade ore zones and test two different mining methods: room and pillar and sublevel stoping.
Adit mining has been contracted to Portuguese mining operator Empresa Portuguesa de Obras Subterrâneas.
In the initial trial mine operation, high-grade Régua ore would be processed using crushing, mill and spiral equipment to produce an 8% to 12% WO3 concentrate, which would then be trucked to the La Parrilla processing plant for upgrade to 60% WO3 concentrate and purification.
The process plant configuration would maximise synergies between La Parrilla and Régua and keep the processing plant capital cost to an estimate of €1.5-million.
“The technical information gained in the trial mine phase will allow us to evaluate if we build a larger scale plant at Régua, which will yield cost reductions or alternatively continue with the production of intermediate concentrate production and processing at La Parrilla. Mining operations and associated optimisation will be enhanced through this trial mine phase,” said Masterman.
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