PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Centrex on Tuesday announced it was looking at ways to increase production at its Ardmore phosphate rock mine, in Queensland.
The company noted that with commercial production now having restarted, Centrex was working towards increasing production to a Stage 1.5, which will be achieved predominantly through the use of existing facilities.
The low-cost capital changes are expected to increase nameplate capacity from 80 t/h to greater than 100 t/h.
Meanwhile, Centrex on Tuesday announced that its logistics contractor has begun transporting the first high-grade phosphate rock beneficiated product to the Townsville port.
The current logistics solution involves filling beneficiated product into half height or three-quarter height containers onsite. The filled containers are transported to Mount Isa via road and then railed onto Townsville. The filled containers are stored in Townsville in readiness for ship loading. To load ships, the containers are rotated and emptied into the hold of a vessel.
An initial transport rate of 10 000 t/m is scheduled, increasing up to 30 000 t/m during the 2023 calendar year. The company expects to export its first 5 000 t parcel in late September 2022.