PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The start of mining operations at the Bauxite Hills mine, in Queensland, could be delayed by a week, Metro Mining has warned, as the company prepared the site for Tropical Cyclone Nora.
Metro on Friday reported that all non-essential staff and contractors had been flown out from the Bauxite Hills mine as a precautionary measure, after Tropical Cyclone Nora developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
While the mine site was not in the predicted cyclone path, it was within range of a possible cyclone path.
Mining operations were due to start during the week of April 2, but Metro has warned shareholders that this could be delayed by up to one week, depending on the extent of the rainfall, speed of staff mobilization back to site, and the extent of any storm related damage.
Despite the possible delay in the start of mining, Metro has maintained the 2018 production target for the project.
The project is expected to produce at an initial rate of two-million tonnes a year ramping up to six-million tonnes a year in the fourth year of operation.