MMG has broken first ground at its new $22 million copper open pit at its Golden Grove operations, in the Mid West.
Mines and Petroleum Minister Norman Moore was on hand for the opening ceremony today, drilling the first hole for the expansion project.
MMG said the copper open pit would be located directly over the existing underground workings at Golden Grove's Gossan Hill mine and would add 3.3 million tonnes off copper reserves to the mine’s production profile.
Mining operations at the new pit will be carried out by contractor Alliance.
MMG Golden Grove general manager, Pierre Malan, said the copper open pit project was an exciting move forward for Golden Grove and demonstrated the ongoing potential of the Golden Grove ore system.
“The current underground deposit at Golden Grove takes the operation’s mine life through to approximately 2017, but to maximise the full potential of the site it is important we make every effort to identify any prospective future ore supply nearby," Mr Malan said.
“Full scale production of the open pit project will commence in January 2012, and is expected to extend Golden Grove’s operation a further two years, until 2019.”
“The open pit will supplement production from our current underground mining operations and support our mine life extension, which reinforces our commitment of continuing to be a major local miner and provider of employment in the Mid West region for the foreseeable future.”
Mr Moore said copper was worth $1.3 billion to Western Australia’s economy last year, a 13 per cent jump on the previous financial year.
Golden Grove produced 33,000 tonnes of copper in 2010.
“Golden Grove is a very important operation in the Mid West, producing many mineral commodities and currently employing more than 550 people,” Mr Moore said in a statement.
“This expansion is a significant milestone in the life of the mine which has been in continuous operation since 1990 and holds a very bright future in terms of new discoveries in the Mid West.
