PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Strandline Resources has achieved commercial production of heavy mineral concentrate at its Coburn mineral sands project, in Western Australia, days after processing first ore at its wet concentrator.
“Ore commissioning is now well underway, as shown by the growing stockpile of product ahead of our first shipment,” Strandline MD Luke Graham said on Friday.
“Sales of heavy mineral concentrate will generate strong cashflow for Strandline while we complete construction of the mineral separation plant, which will in turn drive further increases in cashflow.”
Standline is now focused on increasing production throughput towards design rates, improving plant availability and optimising product recoveries and specification. While ramp-up of the wet concentrator plant (WCP) continues, construction teams remain focused on finalising the downstream mineral separation plant (MSP) and remaining support infrastructure.
Strandline expects to sell several shipments of heavy mineral concentrate produced from the WCP while construction of the MSP is being completed.
Coburn has an ore reserves of 523-million tonnes and an initial mine life of 22.5 years at a planned average mining rate of 23.4-million tonnes a year, with the potential to extend its mine life to more than 37 years.