Australia’s largest tin miner, Metals X Ltd, has reported a dip in December quarter production at its Bluestone operations in Tasmania, but is advancing plans to mine copper as a by-product. The Bluestone operations – comprising the Renison and Mt Bischoff mines – are run as a 50:50 joint venture with Yunnan Tin and other Chinese partners, but mining at Mt Bischoff ceased last July. Production of tin-in-concentrate for the three months to 31 December was 1,217 tonnes, down from 1,426 tonnes for the same period in 2009 and typical rates of 1,600 – 1,800 tonnes per quarter achieved earlier last year. Total production in the 2010 calendar year was 6,263 tonnes. “Overall tin production was lower as a result of the treatment of lower grade remnant stockpiles from Mt Bischoff and the mining of lower grade areas within the underground mine while higher grade areas are being accessed and developed," the company said. The head grade at the concentrator dropped from 1.7% Sn in the previous quarter to 1.29% in October-December.
Copper production will start shortly the company reported: "Recent increases in the copper price has resulted in the recovery of a copper co-product being a commercial opportunity, and as such a copper recovery circuit was commissioned during the quarter." The Renison mine is anticipated to produce approximately 600 tonnes of copper in concentrates for the calendar year 2011, increasing to approximately 1,200 to 1,500 tonnes in 2012.
Meanwhile Bluestone is continuing an aggressive exploration programme which has already added substantially to its underground resource/reserve base at Renison. At the end of the year total identified mineral resource estimates are 8.60 million tonnes @ 1.64% Sn, containing 140,814t Sn. The mining reserve estimates are 2.53Mt @1.48% Sn containing 37,510t Sn.
