Sandfire Resources Limited (ASX: SFR) has announced the achievement of another key milestone at its Motheo copper mine in Botswana.
The shutdown to enable the tie-in of the ball mill and other plant required to deliver an increase in processing capacity to 5.2Mtpa is now complete and wet commissioning is well underway.
First ore was processed through the ball mill on 18 December 2023, with plant stability increasing over subsequent days.
The expansion of Motheo remains on schedule and budget, with the ramp-up to the expanded 5.2Mtpa rate expected to occur across Q3 FY24, as planned.
Sandfire also confirms that pre-strip mining activity at the A4 open pit commenced in October 2023, with first ore expected to be delivered to the centralised Motheo processing facility during Q1 FY25.
“We are particularly pleased to have achieved another important milestone at Motheo before calendar year end and I’d like to thank the entire team for a truly outstanding 2023,” chief executive Brendan Harris said.
“Commissioning of the new ball mill sees us move a step closer to achieving the operation’s expanded 5.2Mtpa rate through the first quarter of CY24.
“While it’s still early days, we look forward to testing Motheo’s full potential having achieved throughput rates that significantly exceeded the operation’s interim 3.2Mtpa nameplate rate across shifts during the December 2023 quarter.”
