New Century Resources says it has completed commissioning of its slurry concentrate pipeline.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The pipeline is 304 kilometres long and links the Century Mine site at Lawn Hill to the offloading facility at the Port of Karumba.
New Century told the ASX last week the pipeline is now filled and fully pressurised in readiness to receive first concentrate.
New century said the pipeline commissioning process included hydrostatic testing, running of two cleaning pigs through entire length of the pipeline and commissioning and operational ramp up of all threeWirth pumps used to transport slurry concentrate along the pipeline.
New Century said the commissioning process remains on track to enable first production in August 2018.
New Century envisions the mine to be one of the top 10 global producers of zinc in the world – alongside nearby MMG’s Dugald River project - when operation reaches full capacity this year.
Read Also:
MMG were also the previous owners of Century Mine and they closed it in early 2016 when zinc prices were slow low.
With the upturn in the zinc market the mine was purchased by New Century in March 2017.
New Century have redeveloped the existing infrastructure and upgraded it to bring the mine back into production, putting the project on track for its first output in August.
Located 300km north west of Mount Isa, Century mine was one of the largest zinc mines in the world during its 16 years of operation, where it produced and processed an average of 475,000 tonnes a year zinc concentrate and 50,000t a year lead concentrates at its Lawn Hill operation before shipping for export via Karumba.
New Century has built a large scale multi train flotation plant, 700-person camp, private airport, mining fleet, grid power connection, 304km slurry pipeline and port facility to bring the mine back into production.
New Century will focus on the Proved Ore Reserves and produce zinc in the lowest cost quartile globally. Substantial resources exist which provide an opportunity for mine life extension.