PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed CuDeco has shipped its first sulphide copper concentrate from its Rocklands copper mine, in Queensland, to customers in China.
The company on Monday reported that 4 635 t of sulphide copper concentrate was shipped through the Port of Townsville on October 15, under an existing offtake agreement with Oceanwide International Trading Company.
The sulphide copper shipment followed a 1 000 t native copper shipment in the first week of October, with another shipment of 300 t of native copper scheduled for later this month.
MD Dianmin Chen told shareholders that the shipment marked a key achievement for the new Rocklands plant as it ramped up towards nameplate capacity.
“This delivery is an important milestone for CuDeco as we work towards the commencement of continuous bulk shipments from Rocklands, and with it a substantial increase in concentrate exports, bringing substantial cash flows to the company.”
Chen said that achieving Rocklands’ potential was a key focus for CuDeco ahead of the mine’s official opening later this month, and with exploration activity already restarted, the company saw the potential for an extension to the mine life and its capacity to deliver long-term benefits to the whole region.
The Rocklands project has now produced more than 2 500 t of copper in both native copper and sulphide copper concentrate.