Tag: Dugald River

THE production guidance for the Cloncurry-based Dugald River mine is set at 175,00t of zinc in concentrate for 2019, despite extreme wet weather and flooding events in North Queensland during the first quarter. MMG chief executive officer Geoffrey Gao said the impact of severe flooding events around Dugald River and the Cloncurry to Townsville rail corridor in February temporarily impacted production and concentrate transport during the quarter. “Alternate trucking arrangements and the opening of a temporary rail transfer facility at Hughenden has restored access to Townsville port,” Mr Gao said. MMG began loading onto rail at a temporary rail transfer facility at Hughenden, about halfway from Cloncurry to the Townsville Port, on April 15. Following track repairs, rail operations are…

All images: MMG.  BY ELIZABETH FABRI FIRST zinc concentrate production began in November last year at the $US570 million Dugald River mine. Since then, the MMG team and its contractors have been working at warp speed to reach the next milestone; commercial production. We spoke with Dugald River general manager Pierre Malan about how a “leap of faith” during the downturn enabled the project to be achieved ahead of schedule and under budget. Q. How is ramp up progressing and how close you are to reaching commercial production?   The project has been going really well. With commissioning ahead of schedule last year, we are, overall, still tracking under budget and ahead of schedule. Late last year we started production…

MMG’s Dugald River zinc mine near Cloncurry, QLD. Image: MMG. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND INITIATIVES by the Queensland Government to boost exploration and support employment diversification aim to attract investment and protect employment in the region from the cyclical nature of the resources sector. However some feel that addressing high energy prices as a priority may do more to lift North West QLD’s economy. Covering 10 local government areas, the 375,000sqkm North West Minerals Province (NWMP) contains major copper, lead, zinc, silver and phosphate deposits and well defined rare earths potential. The NWMP is home to about 34,500 residents, mostly based in Mt Isa, with 60 per cent of jobs that directly or indirectly support the mining industry. The significance of the…

MMG Dugald River mine portal entrance. Image: MMG. By Elizabeth Fabri MINERALS & Metals Group’s (MMG) zinc powerhouse Dugald River couldn’t enter production at a more convenient time. With a little over a year left on the clock, the project was now more than 40 per cent complete and on track to achieve first production early 2018 amid a global zinc deficit. Located in Queensland, 85km northeast of Mount Isa and 65km northwest of Cloncurry, Dugald River sits on one of the world’s largest undeveloped zinc-lead-silver deposits. The $1.4 billion project had been on the drawing board for some time, but wasn’t progressed until July 2015 when an updated development plan was approved. Not wasting any time, MMG began construction in…