Aim-listed W Resources commenced the first of a three-stage tungsten and tin production programme with the early start-up of concentrate production at the La Parilla mine, in Spain.
The company has started concentrate production from an existing concentrator, using tailings feed. Production is expected to reach 10 t a month to 15 t a month from November, with the first shipment planned for December.
Production will then be lifted in the New Year with the first crushed mine feed being fed into the existing concentrator, which will pave the way for production from the new large-scale concentrator in the second quarter of next year.
With this final step, production is scheduled to steadily ramp up to more than 200 t a month at the end of 2019.
The early start-up of production allows W to generate revenue and cash flow ahead of large-scale production at a planned run rate of 2 500 t/y of tungsten concentrate.
It also allows the La Parrilla technical team to fine-tune the design enhancements built into the large-scale La Parrilla concentrator in the current plant and in addition enable W to now appoint and train the skilled operations and maintenance team.
“It’s great to be back in production ahead of start-up of the large-scale plant in the New Year. Tungsten and tin prices are robust and our staged production expansion will allow W to build-up production capacity ahead of full plant completion,” said chairperson Michael Masterman.
Meanwhile, W also announce that SRK Consulting has been appointed to complete an upgraded resource estimate for the São Martinho gold deposit, in Portugal. This is scheduled for completion in the first quarter.
W switched from Golder Associates to SRK Consulting .
Source: miningweekly
