Tasmania’s mineral exploration sector has finally shaken off the doldrums, with almost 80 companies spending a record A$ 38.7 million last year looking for the mines of tomorrow, the Hobart Mercury newspaper reported. Drill rigs are humming on many of the 194 exploration licences held by these companies and another 15 licences are pending approval.
Among the larger and more active projects are two prospective tin mines being developed by ITRI Explorers and Developers Group members Venture Minerals and Stellar Resources. Venture’s focus is on the Mount Lindsay tin-tungsten-iron project outside Burnie, but early start ups of two direct shipping iron ore projects nearby will generate cash flow to support the tin mine development.
At Zeehan, Melbourne-based company Stellar Resources is spending $6 million on a year-long drilling program at its Heemskirk project as it progresses its plans to construct a A$108-million tin mine and processing plant. Stellar Resources chief executive Peter Blight said the company hoped to move into construction in 2014 and start producing tin concentrate in 2015. Annual production capacity of contained tin would be close to 4,000 tpy. The project is just 18 kilometres from Australia’s only current producing mine, Renison Bell, which produced 5,014 tonnes of t-i-c last year.
