JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Mining has restarted at Brazil-focused iron-ore miner Crusader Resources’ Posse mine, after a temporary injunction that halted operations, had been overturned.

A local judge had served the company with the temporary injunction following accusations that Crusader was operating without the appropriate licences; however, following an evaluation of the allegations by Crusader’s lawyers and environmental consultants, it submitted a defence to the State Supreme Court on June 29, after which the injunction was overturned.

Crusader noted that the Posse mine was operating under a trial mining and environmental licence, which limited the mine’s throughput to 300 000 t/y and which restricted the beneficiation process to dry crushing and screening only.

The company’s licensing team was continuing to progress the Posse project through the required processes to obtain full mining and environmental licences.

The LP and LI applications – the key environmental approvals required to obtain a full mining licence – have been lodged with the mines department. Crusader expected the department to grant the project a mining right, which was needed for the granting of a final operational licence by the environmental agency.

Meanwhile, Crusader reported that the production ramp-up at the mine was continuing, with throughput having increased throughout April, May and June. The commissioning of the plant was also ongoing.

The plant achieved a throughput rate of 139 t/h in June, only marginally below the nameplate rate of 140 t/h. The mine was expected to reach steady-state production in August.

Further, the company has brought forward the planned feasibility study on the second-stage development of the mine, which would entail the treatment of the lower grade fines being stockpiled at the mine.

The Stage 2 feasibility would define the economics of using additional screening, as well as magnetic separation to upgrade the itabirite fines material, sized at lower than 6 mm and grading at 50% iron.