February 2014
MODERN MINING
11
MINING News
ASX-listed Discovery Metals reports that it is undertaking a restructuring
programme at its 100 %-owned Boseto copper mine in Botswana. The
restructuring programme is designed to improve cost competiveness
and further enhance production efficiencies.
According to the company, the restructuring follows extensive
detailed discussions with key stakeholders, including employees, the
relevant Botswana Government departments and the Botswana Mine
Workers Union. The site restructuring programme complements the
recent restructuring that has taken place across all other divisions of the
Discovery Group, including the Brisbane and Gaborone offices, which
have also been instigated to improve the cost competitiveness and the
C1 cash cost of copper production.
The retrenchment exercise at Boseto will affect 85 of the 516 employees
based at the site (15 % of the total workforce). Discovery does not expect
that the restructuringwill have amaterial effect on the production at Boseto.
“While the implementation of the above restructuring has been a
difficult decision, the ongoing improvements in efficiencies and cost
competiveness will help to enable the Boseto operation tomaintain long-
term sustainability in the world copper market,” says Discovery.
Brad Simpson recently stepped down as MD and CEO of Discovery and
has been replaced on an interim basis by Bob Fulker, presently the com-
pany’s Chief Operating Officer.
In its report on the December 2013 quarter, Discovery says that it
mined 9,01 Mt of material, milled 627,7 kt and produced 4 353 tonnes
of copper in concentrate. The equivalent figures for the September 2013
quarter were 8,96 Mt of material mined, 614,4 kt milled and 4 705 tonnes
of copper in concentrate.
Pilot plant test proves successful
Canada’s Great Western Minerals Group Ltd, which holds the low cost,
high-grade Steenkampskraal (SKK) rare earth project in the Western
Cape, reports it has completed a mini pilot plant test with its proposed
process flow sheet with extremely successful results. The pilot plant
has confirmed the results from laboratory scale testing.
“This is a significant milestone for us,”saysMarc LeVier, GreatWestern’s
President and CEO. “We optimised the metallurgical process and suc-
cessfully operated a pilot plant which produced a mixed rare earth
carbonate product. We now have a process flow sheet that is being
engineered in our ongoing SKK feasibility study. The study remains on
track for completion around the end of the first quarter of 2014.”
The Boseto plant at night (photo: Discovery Metals).
Discovery restructures at its
Boseto operation
