Western Areas production remains steady
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Nickel miner Western Areas has increased production slightly during the three months to March, despite the challenging market conditions.
The miner on Tuesday reported that nickel production for the quarter under review had increased to 7 146 t, compared with the 6 957 t produced in the previous three months.
In the March quarter, the Flying Fox mine produced 82 668 t of ore, at an average grade of 4.9% nickel, for some 4 081 to of contained nickel, which was in line with the quarterly mine plan.
At the Spotted Quoll mine, Western Areas produced 59 335 t of ore, grading 5.2% nickel, for 3 065 t of contained nickel for the quarter.
The miner noted that the implementation of choke slot blasts against paste fill had been successful at Spotted Quoll, enabling a more efficient stope turnover time, and reducing the drilling requirements and associated costs.
Meanwhile, nickel concentrate production from the Cosmic Boy concentrator remained fairly consistent during the quarter, at 6 611 t, compared with the 6 722 t produced in the three months to December.
Western Areas noted that some 145 348 t of ore, at an average grade of 5% nickel was treated at Cosmic Boy during the quarter, producing 45 896 t of concentrate, grading 14.4% nickel, for 6 611 t of nickel.
During the quarter some 6 845 t of nickel was sold, bringing the year-to-date total to some 20 597 t. The concentrate stockpile currently stood at 2 989 t, at a grade of 14.8% nickel, containing some 444 t of nickel metal.
Meanwhile, Western Areas also reported that the company was on target to better its full-year cost guidance of A$3/lb of metal produced, with the year-to-date performance currently at A$2.75/lb.
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