Metals X has confirmed that commissioning of the Renison mill in Tasmania will begin in June, following the commencement of mining at the Mt Bischoff open pit this month and the Renison underground mine in April. The combined Renison operation, run by its subsidiary Bluestone Mines Tasmania, is expected to produce 8,500 tpy of tin-in-concentrate at planned cash operating costs of A$8,500/tonne (US$7,650/tonne).
Initially Mt Bischoff will provide about a third of combined mill feed. Metals X reports that the “open pit has a current planned life of approximately three years, although excellent potential to extend its life and mine other ores at Mt Bischoff exists. In the three years the Mt Bischoff pit is operating, BMT intends to build capacity within the Renison mine so that it can again operate at the full capacity of the plant in its own right.”
Meanwhile performance at the Collingwood tin mine in Queensland improved in the December quarter but “remains under expectations”. Tin-in-concentrate production rose to 536 tonnes in the last three months, bringing calendar year output up to 2,031 tonnes. Cash costs were reduced to A$15,780/tonne (US$14,200/tonne) in the latest period, and the operation generated positive cash flow of A$1.38 million.
