Two Queensland-based companies have announced steps to move forward the start-ups of mine projects in the Mt Garnet area of the state.
Following the completion of a deal by a major shareholder to acquire a one million tpy capacity concentrator nine kilometres from its Gillian tin project, Consolidated Tin Mines is negotiating a new joint venture arrangement that will allow it to start up in 2014. Snow Peak Mining has acquired the former Karaga assets for A$40 million, considerably less than the costs of building a new mill. The Karaga plant currently has copper and poly-metallic circuits but can be reconfigured to handle tin ore. A Consolidated Tin-Snow Peak JV could potentially produce up to 5,000 tpy of tin-in-concentrate from the Gillian and other local projects.
Meanwhile MGT Resources is on course to commence tin production at its Mt Garnet project in June 2013 following the granting of a mining lease covering the area surrounding its refurbished mill. MGT’s production will initially be at a rate of some 500 tpy of tin-in-concentrate, but this could be increased considerably if it can expand its resource base to support a mill expansion from 70,000 tpy to 250,000 tpy.
