Sandfire Resources has shipped the first load of copper concentrate from its 100%-owned DeGrussa Copper and Gold Mine in Western Australia.
The maiden shipment comprised 4,958 dry tonnes of copper concentrate grading approximately 22% copper and was produced as part of the commissioning process for the 1.5 million tonne per annum DeGrussa Concentrator. This is part of a ramp up in production at DeGrussa.
This lower grade commissioning concentrate is being produced and sold on a spot basis ahead of Sandfire’s main copper concentrate sales contracts which commence in January 2013.
Shipments of high-grade Direct Shipping Ore chalcocite from the open pit continue, with 10 shipments completed to date totalling 98,489 tonnes grading 28% Cu containing 27,555 tonnes of copper metal.
Mining of Stage I of the open pit is now complete and all DSO chalcolcite has been mined, with crushing and sales to continue into early 2013. Mining of Stage II will continue into mid-2013 extracting further sulphide and oxide copper material. It has signed a further three sales contracts for DeGrussa’s copper concentrate production.