Austral Resources Australia Ltd is pleased to announce the successful completion of the West Pit at its Anthill Mine, representing a major milestone in the company’s growth strategy.
Highlights
- High-Grade Copper Ore Identified and Extracted: An additional 18 kt of high-grade copper ore was identified and safely extracted from below the original pit shell design.
- Production Stats:
- 2.4 million wet tonnes of copper ore extracted at an average grade of 0.65% Cu.
- 7.6 million wet tonnes of waste extracted, including 200 kt of in-pit dumping.
- 239 km of linear drill meters completed.
Austral successfully navigated two consecutive extreme wet seasons (2022–2023), which included high rainfall in the area, challenging ground conditions, and groundwater ingress of up to 20 liters per second.
Additionally, the onboarding of a new mining contractor in August 2024, ReGroup, required careful management for ensuring production continuity and proper adherence to quality standards.
With the completion of the West Pit, Austral will now direct its production efforts toward the East Pit at Anthill, with plans to complete operations before the 2026 wet season.
Commenting on the progress, Company Chairman, David Newling, stated: “This achievement, similarly to our recent MOU with NFM, demonstrates our outstanding operational capability. We are a lean and nimble company focussed on improving and expanding its mining and processing capabilities to achieve the results our shareholders expect.”