Overview
| Stage | Production |
| Mine Type | Underground |
| Commodities |
|
| Mining Method |
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Bench stoping
- Cemented backfill
- Dry waste backfill
- Paste backfill
|
| Production Start | ...  |
| Mine Life | 2030 |
Tritton Operations features an underground mining complex that feeds a conventional processing plant. Copper concentrate produced at the operation is railed to the Port of Newcastle for export to customers internationally.
The ore is mined, predominantly from the Tritton and Murrawombie underground mines.
The high-grade Avoca Tank mine was brought into production in Q4 2023 as planned. Production from the Budgerygar deposit, part of the Tritton mine complex, was delayed by approximately 9 months due to geotechnical issues installing the ventilation shaft. The ventilation shaft was completed in July 2023 enabling production to ramp up in FY2024.
Open cut mining at the Murrawombie Mine is expected to resume in 2030 as part of the Murrawombie Open Cut Extension. |
Source:
p. 6
| Company | Interest | Ownership |
|
Aeris Resources Ltd.
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
|
Tritton Resources Pty Ltd
(operator)
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
The Tritton Copper Operations is operated by Tritton Resources Pty Ltd, a 100 per cent owned subsidiary of Aeris Resources Limited.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Tritton Copper Operations area is host to a cluster of copper deposits hosted within Ordovician aged turbidite sequences from the Girilambone Basin. The Girilambone Basin forms part of the Lachlan Fold Belt. The deposits are characterised by massive to semi-massive pyrite and chalcopyrite sulphide occurrences. Deposit geometries are typically tabular. Dimensions vary depending on the size of the system and range between a strike of 15m to 250m; down-dip length from 90m to more than 2,000m; and from 2m to 80m in width. Mineralised assemblages are dominated by pyrite with lesser chalcopyrite, and minor gold and silver concentrations. Primary copper mineralisation occurs as banded and stringer chalcopyrite within pyrite-rich units.
The Tritton underground mine has been the primary source of ore feed for the processing plant (Tritton Mill) and from 2016, the Murrawombie underground mine has been the supplemental ore source.
New mine projects:
• Budgerygar deposit – an extension of the Tritton underground mine;
• Avoca Tank underground mine; and
• Maiden mineral resource estimate at the Constellation deposit.
Tritton Deposit
The Tritton deposit is a sulphide copper mineralised body located on ML1544 in central New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The deposit geology is best described as a structurally controlled sulphide deposit. Copper mineralisation, in the form of chalcopyrite is associated with a late-stage regional defo ........
Mining Methods
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Bench stoping
- Cemented backfill
- Dry waste backfill
- Paste backfill
Summary:
The mining method assumed in the Ore Reserve estimate varies with the deposit. At the Tritton deposit, the method is sub-level open stoping with cemented paste fill. At the Murrawombie deposit, the ore is extracted using underground bench stopes and small open stopes with cemented rockfill. Future mining of the shallow remnant portion of the Murrawombie deposit will be by open pit, as the final extraction stage. The yet to be developed Avoca Tank deposit project is planned to use up-hole benching with dry rock fill.
Avoca Tank Deposit
The Avoca Tank deposit is a high-grade copper-gold deposit located 5km to the north of the existing Murrawombie underground mine.
The development of the access decline to Avoca Tank commenced in mid-October 2021. The decline starts from a portal which was reviously used to access the North-East and Larsens mines. The high-grade Avoca Tank mine was brought into production in Q4 2023 as planned.
The mining method to be applied at Avoca Tank, as described in the pre-feasibility study, is underground sub level open stoping. In the upper and middle production blocks of the mine stopes will be mined as single benches between 20m high sub levels. In the lower production block the stopes will be mined over several sub levels in a single stope.
Access to the ore will be from a spiral decline mined by conventional drill and blast methods. The decline and sub level access drives will be mined 5.5m high by ........
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Production:
| Commodity | Product | Units | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 |
|
Copper
|
Metal in concentrate
|
M lbs
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 59 | 51 |
|
Gold
|
Metal in concentrate
|
koz
| ...... | ...... | | | | | |
|
Silver
|
Metal in concentrate
|
koz
| ...... | ...... | | | | | |
|
Copper
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 118 | 100 |
|
Copper
|
Cement
|
M lbs
| | ...... | ...... | ...... | ...... | 0.2 | 0.3 |
^ Guidance / Forecast.
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Operational Metrics:
| Metrics | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|
Annual processing capacity
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 1.8 Mt | 1.8 Mt | 1.8 Mt |
|
Ore tonnes mined
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 1,610,504 t | 1,673,066 t | 1,615,855 t |
|
Tonnes milled
| ...... | ...... | ...... | 1,640,680 t | 1,669,274 t | 1,592,165 t |
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Reserves at December 31, 2022:
Tritton Operation Mineral Resource figures are reported at a range of copper cut-off grades between 0.3% to 0.9% depending on the deposit and mining method. Copper grade cut-offs are applied on a block-by-block basis.
Tritton Operation Ore Reserve estimates are reported at a range of copper cut-off grades between 1.1% to 1.4% copper depending on the deposit and mining method.
| Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
|
Proven & Probable
|
4,010 kt
|
Copper
|
1.4 %
|
55 kt
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
4,010 kt
|
Gold
|
0.2 g/t
|
30 koz
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
4,010 kt
|
Silver
|
5 g/t
|
638 koz
|
|
Total Resource
|
25,000 kt
|
Copper
|
1.5 %
|
369 kt
|
|
Total Resource
|
25,000 kt
|
Gold
|
0.3 g/t
|
236 koz
|
|
Total Resource
|
25,000 kt
|
Silver
|
4 g/t
|
2,990 koz
|
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