Australian miner IMX Resources Limited (IMX) has reported that road haulage of ore has commenced from its mine at Cairn Hill to the Rankin Dam rail loading siding in Southern Australia.
The 58 km haul road was originally constructed between late 2008 and early 2009 and during the majority of 2009 was placed under maintenance. Since the second quarter of 2010, remedial road works have been carried out to bring the haul road up to a standard to enable road haulage to commence.
IMX managing director Duncan McBain "The commencement of road haulage was the next key milestone in Cairn Hill development and was achieved as per plan. Ore mining and crushing activities are progressing to budget to enable the shipping to commence in the last quarter of 2010."
As SteelOrbis previously reported, on June 4 this year IMX successfully achieved the first blast of ore at the Cairn Hill phase one magnetite/copper/gold project in Southern Australia.
The project is expected to export about 1.7 million metric tons of ore a year via Port Adelaide when it is completed. The mine currently has inferred and indicated resources of 11.4 million metric tons, at 49.5 percent iron, 0.4 percent copper and 0.1 percent gold.