Approximately 25 of the 110 bags of Tungsten Concentrate produced in July on the pad, sold exgate and ready for transport.
EQ Resources Ltd. (EQR) reported a new monthly concentrate production record at its Mt Carbine tungsten mine in northern Queensland. The mine produced 110 metric tons (mt) of 50% tungsten concentrate, nearly twice the June monthly production, driven by processing of the first primary ore from the Andy White open pit.
The company said the head grade for the initial open pit production and grade control drilling has met expectations. They have gained an increased understanding of the mining conditions for the orebody with successive blasts, leading to increased efficiency and handling through the four-stage treatment process, which incorporates crushing, screening, high-tech XRT ore-sorting and gravity treatment, as the planned ramp-up continues. Gravity plant run time for the month was at 85%.
“The team at Mt Carbine have hit their stride,” EQ Resources CEO Kevin MacNeill said. “They have trusted the process and are now seeing the rewards of their focused efforts.”
The processing plant will ramp up processing of primary ore over the coming months while substituting low-grade stockpile feed materials to have a blended, consistent feed to the processing plant. “We are particularly excited by the performance of our two Tomra sorters which are designed to operate in tandem and handle 120 mt/h of primary ore,” MacNeill said.
In related news, the Queensland government awarded EQR with an exploration permit covering the Wolfram Camp mine. The permit grants the company access to assess a 477 km² RA442 license area, hosting key targets, including the Wolfram Camp mine itself, and the Bamford Hill advanced exploration target. This will allow the company to expand its exploration and development interests in the Herberton tin-tungsten field.
Through its Critical Minerals Strategy, Queensland announced a Resources Industry Development Plan that recognizes the importance of re-commercializing former mines. “EQR has a proven track record in revitalizing former mines, having established significant mine waste reprocessing operations and recently announcing the commencement of open cut mining at its nearby Mt Carbine tungsten project,” Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart said.
Located 60 km south of Mt Carbine, Wolfram Camp is a historic mining region that was once a major source of critical minerals, including tungsten and bismuth.
