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ATR is actively progressing its planned Rehabilitation and Tailings Reprocessing Project on the Ardlethan Tin Mine site and has made good progress with pilot plant R&D activities at the site.
As part of our pilot plant R&D activities we recently installed a multi-gravity separator (MGS) aimed at capturing and increasing the grade of tin concentrate that would otherwise be lost to tailings after processing over the shaking tables. We are presently commissioning the MGS and are achieving encouraging results.
We are also investigating the cost/benefit of installing a WHIMS (Wet High Density Magnetic Separator) into the process circuit in order to remove the relatively high level of penalty minerals contained in our concentrate after flotation. The reason for this is to remove as many impurities as we can in order to maximise the grade and purity, and hence value of the concentrate sold to the overseas smelter.
We are also planning to install a ball mill to process the approx. 50% of tailings volume presently not captured by the Derrick and Landsky screens at the front end of the process circuit. However we are holding off on this for the moment until we have the funds available from operational cash flows or from other sources.
During pilot plant testing we have been working relatively low hours per week to minimise costs and process water consumption while we investigate process refinements and improvements to plant reliability. We are now on the cusp of finalizing commissioning of the existing 30 tph plant and commencing commercial production, albeit we still have further improvements to the process circuit to be trialled after production operations formally commence.
During our pilot plant R&D activities we have so far sent six shipments of concentrate to market for assessment and have been able to progressively increase the grade and purity and hence the value of each shipment as a result of improvements in the pilot plant process circuit initiated by our R&D program. We are expecting the seventh concentrate shipment to be despatched to the overseas smelter this month.
Commencing with shipping one 22 tonne container load of concentrate (20 tonnes dry weight, containing over 50% tin) to market overseas each month, ATR’s intention is to progressively ramp up production as we become increasingly satisfied that the production process circuit is as efficient and reliable as we can reasonably achieve and is operating on a financially viable basis. We will do this in a step-by-step manner as potential process improvements are tested and implemented, by increasing hours worked each week and by adding additional production capacity to the plant process circuit.
The price of tin has fluctuated between about US$20,000 and US$30,000 per tonne over the past two years but appears to have settled at around US$26,000 per tonne (approx. AU$40,000 per tonne at the current AUD currency exchange rate). This is well in excess of ATR’s financial projections for a viable operation.
We have submitted all the environmental plans and other data to the various government authorities as required by Council’s Development Approval Conditions of Consent for a 1.5 million tonne per annum operation and have all necessary approvals, so there are no regulatory impediments to commence production operations whenever it suits the operator.
Environmental Protection Licence Number 21797 was granted to us on 6 July 2023.
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The Ardlethan Tin Mine is located approximately 500 km southwest of Sydney, NSW 5 km NW of Ardlethan township. It covers about 400 hectares on land wholly owned by EOE (No 75) Pty Ltd (EOE), a wholly owned subsidiary of Australian Tin Resources Pty Ltd (ATR).
Excellent road and rail access is available within close proximity to the site. Additionally an approx.50km pipeline from the Murrumbidgie River at Grong Grong to site is now decommissioned, but subject to approval could potentially be reinstated.
ATR acquired EOE in July 2007 with the intention of re-opening the mine site to process approximately 9.0 million tonnes of tin tailings that remained after the previous mining activities.
Mining at Ardlethan commenced in 1912. At first it was on a small scale, but between 1965 and 1986 Aberfoyle Resources NL around 30 million tonnes of granite, initially from open cut operations and later from underground workings.
Of the approx 30 million tonnes mined, Aberfoyle processed about 9.0m tonnes of ore assaying 0.46% tin. The remaining 21 million tonnes (approx) had a tin content below Aberfoyle’s cut-off grade of 0.20% tin and were stockpiled in overburden waste dumps which surround the open cuts. In 2020 ATR carried out very successful tests offsite to trial a Tomra Ore Sorter on a bulk sample of our waste rock. The results were impressive with high upgrade rates being achieved and pointed to the feasibility of viably processing the waste rock as a future option.
Mining operations ceased in 1986 due to the collapse of tin prices.
Advances in processing methods and increased current tin prices, created the catalyst for ATR to consider recommencing mining operations on site, initially by reprocessing the tailings and possibly also waste material stockpiled at the mine site to produce tin concentrate.
Additionally, the underground hard rock resource offers an attractive future opportunity in the longer term.
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* Source: Reynard Australia Pty Ltd Report, October 2011 ** Source: Ardlethan Information Brochure, Molina & Doran, May 1989
Tailings Reprocessing
Retreatment of the tailings from previous mining operations was the main driver for Australian Tin Resources deciding to acquire the Ardlethan tin mine.
ATR now has DA approval to construct a 150 tonne per hour plant on site to operate 24 hours/day, 7 days/week.
However before moving to production, ATR is firstly carryng out small scale pilot plant processing operations on site to prove up the processing technology. Then if the pilot plant results are successful, and following completion and approval of all DA consent conditions, ATR plans to upsize the processing plant to ~60 tonnes per hour capacity and commence 24/7 production.
The plant can be progressively upsized to it’s approved 150 tonnes per hour capacity over time.
Source: Reynard Australia Pty Ltd Report, October 2011
Waste Stockpiles
The Ardlethan mine contains approximately 21.3 million tonnes of granite previously mined by Aberfoyle and now stored in waste dumps circling the open cuts. Processing the stockpiled waste material represents a potential option and is a comparatively low capital and operating costs option. Waste material boulders typically range in size from approx 30cm to 100cms in diameter and the waste dumps are readily accessible from existing mine haul roads.
ATR has obtained JORC certification of the waste material resources stockpiled at the mine site as summarized in the table below.
In 2020 ATR carried out very successful tests offsite to trial a Tomra Ore Sorter on a bulk sample of our waste rock. The results were impressive with high upgrade rates being achieved and pointed to the feasibility of viably processing the waste rock as a future option.
Source: Reynard Australia Pty Ltd Report, October 2011
Hard Rock Mining of Underground Resource
The table below summarises the hard rock mineral resources at the time of mine closure in August 1986. These resources consist of broken ore in stopes, remnants, pillars and resources inferred from drilling. Access would be via a decline just north of the main Ardwest / Wild Cherry Open Cut.
There is further potential deeper underground on the mine site and in surrounding environs. There are also some small deposits of known high grade ore at or near the surface.
Source - Ardlethan Information Brochure, Molina & Doran, May 1989.
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Australian Tin Resources Pty Ltd ABN 17 124 654 360
Registered Office: Level 4, 141 Walker Street North Sydney, NSW 2060 (PO Box 1506, North Sydney, NSW 2059). Australia Phone +61-2-9959 5599
Site Office: Tin Mines Road, Ardlethan, NSW 2665) (PO Box 13, Ardlethan, NSW 2665) Australia. Phone 0437 772 256
Complaints: Phone 0437 772 256 Email: admin@atresources.com.au
Contacts:
Peter Francis - Director Mobile 0412 178 128 Email: pfrancis@atresources.com.au
Glen Cunningham - Director Mobile 0412 058 773 Email: gcunningham@atresources.com.au
Bill Lannen - Director Mobile 0418 330 583 Email: blannen@atresources.com.au
Sam Boatwright - Site Manager Mobile 0413 483 324 Email: samb@atresources.com.au
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