INDEPENDENCE Group has beaten its forecasts for copper, nickel and gold production for the half-year ended December 2019 as a result of higher output from its Nova and Tropicana mines in Western Australia.
The company said gold output from Tropicana was 257,250oz in the six months ended December 2019, exceeding Independence Group’s guidance of 225,000 to 250,000oz for the period. Independence Group’s 30pc mine share from Tropicana was 77,550oz which was just over the company’s guidance figure of 75,000oz.
Independent Group chief executive Peter Bradford said the company was expecting the Nova mine to maintain its production in line with company guidance as it focuses on delivering cost improvements and operational efficiencies.
“At Tropicana, we also expect to produce within guidance for the year, with lower gold production during the second half of 2020, in line with our mine plan,” he said.
At Nova, 360km southeast of Kalgoorlie in WA, some site-based deliveries of supplies have been affected by recent bushfires that caused the recent closure of the Eyre and Coolgardie-Esperance highways.
Nova mine produced 15,230t of nickel in the six-month period ended December 2019, passing company guidance of 13,500 to 15,000t for the period.
The mine also produced 6780t of copper and 560t of cobalt for the half-year ended December, compared to guidance of 5500 to 6250t and 425 and 475t, respectively.
