Dual-listed Wolf Minerals Ltd. (ASX:WLF, AIM:WLFE) assumed full operational control of the processing plant at the new Drakelands tungsten and tin mine in Hemerdon, south-west England, yesterday following the completion of commissioning.
Drakelands, the first new metal mine in the UK for 45 years, was officially opened last Friday in a ceremony attended by 200 guests. Tin concentrates are presently being produced on a small scale but the company is first focussing on maximising tonnages and grades for production of tungsten concentrate. The Company has begun the process of ‘ramping-up’ production from the processing plant towards design throughput, which is expected to be achieved by early 2016.
It was initially planned that the mine would produce 5,000 tpy of tungsten concentrate and 1,000 tpy of tin concentrate as a by-product, although this may be exceeded at no extra capital cost if the seven day per week work plan, currently on a six month trial, is allowed to continue on a permanent basis. The project DFS envisages a two-stage open pit operation with an initial ten year mine life.
