PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Operations at the Rocklands copper mine, in Queensland, have been temporarily suspended by order of the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, pending the submission of an updated safety and health management system.
ASX-listed CuDeco said on Monday that a desktop audit by the Queensland government concluded that Rocklands’ current safety and health management system does not support current activities, personnel and processes associated with the site, and does not meet the Mining and Quarrying Safety and Health Act.
Inspectors also found that CuDeco has not sufficiently reviewed the current risks associated with the activities being undertaken at Rocklands and that the site-wide risk assessment is out of date, with the last review undertaken in 2015.
CuDeco told shareholders on Monday that the company will ensure all efforts are made to complete the review as soon as practicable.
In the meantime, to mitigate the impact of the Rocklands mine being suspended, CuDeco will continue loading concentrate at the current site and to operate plant and equipment to keep the site safe.
Further, the crushing plant has been shut for scheduled maintenance, which will continue while operations remain suspended. CuDeco noted that, with the signing of a mining contract imminent, the suspended operations would also allow for the mobilisation of the mining fleet, with mining expected to start once approval is given from the Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
The A$640-million Rocklands project delivered its first concentrate in July 2016 and, at full production, is expected to produce an average of 18 347 t/y of copper over an initial ten-year mine life.