Wolf Minerals starts tungsten production at Hemerdon
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Wolf Minerals (ASX: WLF) has commenced tungsten concentrate production from the Drakelands open pit mine at the company’s Hemerdon tungsten and tin project in Devon, southwest England.
“We are very pleased to announce that as part of the commissioning process we have now produced tungsten concentrates to the required specification,” Wolf Minerals managing director Russell Clark said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“We look forward to shipping our first tungsten concentrates to Global Tungsten and Powders in the USA and to Wolfram Bergbau und Hütten in Austria.”
Wolf advised it has also completed commissioning of the crushing and scrubbing section of the plant, as has the fines section, and that design tonnage throughput is being met in both sections.
The company now has the refinery section of the plant in the final stages of commissioning.
Wolf explained that during commissioning of the dense media separation section, the exciter bars of two vibrating screens broke due to a manufacturing fault.
These have been re-manufactured and replaced and commissioning activities continued, but it has resulted in a delay in the takeover of the plant from EPC contractor, GR Engineering Services, to Wolf, which requires the entire processing plant, and all equipment within it, to run at design throughput.
Wolf indicated the takeover is now expected in September 2015.
“Overall, commissioning activities are going well and the operating teams have learned how to manage the plant in different conditions,” Clark said.
“Commissioning is a time when all processes and equipment are fully tested and performance established.
“By its very nature it is not unusual to encounter a number of challenges along the way and our teams are working successfully together to address these.
“It is particularly pleasing that the plant is operating as expected and we are successfully upgrading the ore to produce product that meets our customer’s specifications.”
Website: www.wolfminerals.com.au