The maiden blast for the box-cut excavation to establish the portal entrance to access the orebodies at the DeGrussa Copper-Gold Project in WA took place on Thursday, 21st April. The first load-out of blasted material was completed on Saturday, 23rd April.
The decline portal will be established within a few weeks and decline development will commence, continuing for the next 18 months. Based on current schedules, ore drive development (and ore production) will commence in the first quarter of 2012 with the first stope expected to come on stream in the fourth quarter of that year and the underground operation ramping up to its full 1.5Mtpa production rate by the 2nd quarter of 2013.
Mining camp accommodation for 250
Camp construction is advancing well with capacity to accommodate 150 people already in place. The camp is expected to be able to accommodate 250 people by the end of the 2nd quarter of 2011.
Sandfire`s Managing Director, Mr Karl Simich, said: “We are now embarking on the development of a world-class mining operation with full on-site construction on track to start by mid-year. That should put us on track to produce our first copper at DeGrussa within three years of the discovery “� an outstanding achievement.”�
