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Australia

Rosebery Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Transverse stoping
Backfill type
  • Cemented rockfill
  • Unconsolidated rockfill
Production Start1936
Mine Life2031
SnapshotRosebery is an underground polymetallic base metal mining operation consisting of an underground mine and a surface mineral processing plant that produces separate concentrates for zinc, lead, and copper, as well as gold/silver doré bullion.

MMG’s strategic priority at Rosebery is to extend the mine’s operational life, supported by initiatives such as an accelerated resource extension and near-mine exploration drilling program, initiated in 2023, and a recently approved sustainable tailings storage solution.

In December 2024, MMG announced a significant ventilation project as part of its ongoing investment to expand the mine and extend its life well beyond 100 years.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
MMG Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Rosebery Mine is wholly owned by MMG Limited through MMG Australia Ltd.

Contractors

ContractorContractDescriptionRef. DateSource
unawarded or unknown Power supply Electric power to the site feeds in through No. 1 Substation located adjacent to the Mill Car Park. There is a contract for the supply to the site with the Electrical Supply Authority for the region. This system has redundancy to ensure continuity of supply and has the potential for expansion if required. Jun 30, 2024

Deposit type

  • VMS

Summary:

The Rosebery volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) deposit is hosted within the world-class Mt Read Volcanics. This Cambrian volcanic belt is an assemblage of lavas, volcaniclastics and sediments deposited in the Dundas Trough between the Proterozoic Rocky Cape Group and the Tyennan Block.

Mineralisation occurs as stacked stratabound massive to semi-massive base metal sulphide lenses. The host lithology lies between the Rosebery Thrust Fault and the Mt Black Thrust Fault which all dip approximately 45° east. Ore mineralogy consists predominantly of sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite with electrum and minor tetrahedrite.

The orebody has experienced numerous events of folding, shearing and thrusting particularly in the late Cambrian and early Devonian. Lenses in the southern portions of the deposit have experienced metasomatism and replacement by a deep Devonian granitoid resulting in variation of the mineralogy, structure and alteration in these lenses.

Dimensions
The Rosebery Mineral Resource extends from -200mE to 1750mE, -1000mN to 3325mN, 1650mRL to 3500mRL (Rosebery Mine Grid coordinates) and is currently open to the north, south and at depth.

Individual lenses vary in size from a few hundred metres up to 1,000m along strike and/or down-dip, with a total strike length of mineralisation reaching approximately 4,000m.

The mineralised lenses range from a minimum of 0.2-0.3m, maximum of 12-36m with an average true thickness of 3-6m.

Reserves at June 30, 2024

Rosebery Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves cut-off grade is based on Net Smelter Return (NSR), expressed as a dollar value of A$191/t.

Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven & Probable 6.7 Mt Zinc 5.9 % 390 kt
Proven & Probable 6.7 Mt Lead 2.3 % 150 kt
Proven & Probable 6.7 Mt Copper 0.18 % 12 kt
Proven & Probable 6.7 Mt Gold 1.1 g/t 0.24 M oz
Proven & Probable 6.7 Mt Silver 100 g/t 23 M oz
Total Resource 25 Mt Zinc 6.5 % 1,600 kt
Total Resource 25 Mt Lead 2 % 500 kt
Total Resource 25 Mt Copper 0.26 % 64 kt
Total Resource 25 Mt Gold 1.1 g/t 0.88 M oz
Total Resource 25 Mt Silver 86 g/t 67 M oz

Mining Methods

  • Longhole open stoping
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Transverse stoping

Summary:

Mining production is carried out by long-hole open stoping with decline access. Stoping is conducted through both longitudinal retreat and transverse methods.

Mining lenses are divided into panels and are mined using a bottom-up sequence with a number of levels being retreated simultaneously, either towards or away from level access drives. The nature of this mining sequence causes fluctuations in the grade profile in the short-term.

Backfilling of stope voids is carried out using two methods; cemented rock fill (CRF), and rock fill (RF). Up-hole (Crown) retreat stopes are left as open voids due to lack of access for fill placement. These open voids do not result in regional instability. The current mine closure plan identifies approximately 500kt of waste rock that has been stockpiled on the surface that is available for use as backfill when development material becomes insufficient to meet demands.

Average stope strike lengths of 15m were used in W and X Lens while the other lenses used 20m. The height set to 20-25m (floor to floor) and the minimum mining width of 4.5m.

Access to the orebody is through a decline 5.5m H x 5.5m W at a 1:7 gradient. The approximate horizontal standoff distance between the stoping footwall and major infrastructure; i.e. - stockpiles, vent rises, escape-ways and declines is 65-70m.

The current deepest production drive is approximately 1,700m below surface and the deepest economic drill intersection is approximately 2,000m below surface.

The primary ventilation system supplies approximately 660 m³/s (measured at depth) of air to the underground mine, which is sufficient to allow extraction from multiple ore lenses.

With all mining activity taking place underground at Rosebery, access to the operating areas is by the main decline, this route is used to access the upper-mid area of K Lens. From this point, access splits between two declines to the K/N/P Lens area and the W/X/Y Lenses. Other declines are used to direct primary airflow and for cross mine access.

In December 2024, MMG announced a significant ventilation project as part of its ongoing investment to expand the mine and extend its life well beyond 100 years. A raiseboring machine will be used to drill the first of many ventilation rises, which will be 4.5 metres in diameter, 200 metres high and situated 1.4 kilometres below surface.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

HME TypeModelSizeQuantityRef. DateSource
Load-Haul-Dump (LHD) Caterpillar R2900 XE 18.5 t 3 Nov 21, 2023
Truck (haul) 60 t Jun 30, 2024

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
Jaw crusher 1
Cone crusher 1
Ball mill 5

Summary:

The Rosebery crushing circuit consists of a Primary Jaw Crusher and a Secondary Cone Crusher. During Crushing the ore size is reduced from around 650mm to P80 of 20mm. The Grinding Circuit consists of 2 x Primary Ball Mills and 3 x Secondary Ball Mills.

Processing

  • Gravity separation
  • Centrifugal concentrator
  • Smelting
  • Crush & Screen plant
  • Flotation
  • Concentrate leach
  • Inline Leach Reactor (ILR)
  • Dewatering
  • Filter press
  • Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning

Summary:

Rosebery is a poly-metallic underground mine with all ore processed through an onsite mill and concentrator. Metallurgical processing of ore from the Rosebery deposit involves crushing and grinding followed by flotation and filtration to produce saleable concentrates of zinc, lead and copper. In addition, doré bars are produced at site from partial recovery of gold and silver by a Knelson gravity concentrator.

Traditional froth flotation has been used to float sulphur bearing minerals successfully for decades. The addition of a gravity gold recovery circuit allows for additional value to be recovered to the gold doré product. This is proven technology in the gold industry and has been operating successfully in this configuration at Rosebery for some time. The saleable products from this plant in its current configuration are doré, copper concentrate, zinc concentrate, and lead concentrate.

Gravity gold is recovered from the grinding circuits using 2x Knelson Concentrators. Gold Concentrates are leached in an Intensive Leach Reactor (ILR). Then recovered from the pregnant leach solution by electrowinning and thereafter the gold sludge is smelted.

The recovery sequence for sulphide minerals in the Flotation Circuit is Chalcopyrite (Cu), Galena (Pb), Sphalerite (Zn). Payable gold and silver is recovered with the copper and lead concentrates.

Concentrates are pumped to the Filter plant where they are filtered using Larox Filters. The filters produce a dry concentrate that is then transported via rail to Burnie.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Zinc Recovery Rate, % 87.586.285.68584.485.884.786.987.989.6
Zinc Head Grade, % 6.226.536.788.159.458.78.98.311.2
Zinc Concentrate Grade, % 53.954.154.25453.954.154.155.556.154.7
Lead Recovery Rate, % 75.975.975.18072.276.978.879.881.177.3
Lead Head Grade, % 2.662.752.73.13.293.13.53.22.92.9
Lead Concentrate Grade, % 65.46464.36161.260.960.661.461.363.4
Copper Head Grade, % 0.180.20.20.250.250.240.20.20.30.5
Gold Head Grade, g/t 1.21.21.21.51.61.31.51.41.41.7
Silver Head Grade, g/t 89.2107.995.1113.8122.2103.6130.8112.39893.4
Copper Recovery Rate, % 63.362.259.357.263.166.1
Copper Concentrate Grade, % 17.41717.318.317.719.2
Gold Recovery Rate, % 23.823.528.628.529.327.2

Pipelines and Water Supply

TypeMaterialDiameterLengthDescription
Slurry pipeline HDPE 900 m Dam Slurry Distribution Line.
Tailings pipeline HDPE 1475 m Tailings Line.
Water pipeline Steel 480 m Steel galvanised pipe.

Summary:

Rosebery’s fresh water comes from the Pieman and Stitt Rivers through a calibrated water balance model overseeing use and consumption. Risk management systems and site controls minimise stakeholder impacts within the catchment.

Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits20252024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Zinc Metal in concentrate t 45,000-55,000 ^56,313 51,626 51,156 69,454 67,393 83,463 75,721 74,803 81,447 92,104 
Zinc Equivalent Metal in concentrate t 110,000-125,000 ^133,563 120,196 
Zinc Concentrate kt 1049594129125154140135145168
Lead Metal in concentrate t 20,87919,14718,07725,05323,27224,54928,74426,61126,00521,312
Lead Concentrate kt 32302841384047434234
Copper Metal in concentrate t 1,2881,1631,1471,5671,5371,5101,4651,3211,9482,937
Gold Metal in doré oz 10,65210,54611,08714,46810,63610,56712,96812,45112,17813,341
Gold Metal in concentrate oz 22,72619,54915,62217,93020,079
Silver Metal in doré oz 6,6716,3325,6247,0306,1376,0517,2436,5106,7796,991
Silver Metal in concentrate oz 2,407,3122,577,0862,173,3751,657,6881,735,261
Copper Concentrate kt 9.28.88.98.57.21115
^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics2024202320222021202020192018201720162015
Ore tonnes mined 1,033,718 t922,275 t886,118 t1,004,168 t991,124 t1,032,508 t1,017,089 t990,813 t931,573 t897,516 t
Waste 380,320 t356.89 kt299 kt405 kt345 kt359 kt318 kt297 kt378 t
Tonnes milled 1,033,778 t918,074 t896,861 t1,022,487 t979,718 t1,030,016 t1,028,234 t968,573 t939,125 t898,573 t
Plant annual capacity 1 Mt1 Mt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits202520242023202220212020201920182017
C1 cash costs Zinc USD 0.32 / lb ^ **   -0.1 / lb **   0.26 / lb **   0.26 / lb **   -0.34 / lb **   0.01 / lb **   0.2 / lb **   -0.04 / lb **   0.07 / lb **  
^ Guidance / Forecast.
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units2024202320222021202020192018
Revenue M USD 306  240  259.9  365.2  280.7   272.8   328.7  
EBIT M USD 44.4  21  51.7  123.6  79.5   55.2   97.8  
EBITDA M USD 123.2  77.8  98.6  203.3  130.3   125.9   171.6  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneEmailProfileRef. Date
Electrical Superintendent Shane Youd LinkedIn May 19, 2025
Environmental & Community Manager Adam Pandelis (03)-6473-2221 Adam.Pandelis@mmg.com LinkedIn May 19, 2025
General Manager Steve Scott LinkedIn May 19, 2025
Health, Safety & Security Manager Wendy Hodgetts LinkedIn May 19, 2025
Metallurgy Superintendent Steve Pickford LinkedIn May 19, 2025
Mining Manager Andrew Flynn LinkedIn May 19, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesContractorsTotal WorkforceYear
382 262 644 2024
361 239 600 2023
337 193 530 2022
342 153 495 2021
327 157 484 2020
292 189 481 2019
387 2018
214 172 387 2017
242 232 474 2015

Aerial view: