Long Lead Items Already Sourced And Secured For Tasmanian Project
Venture Minerals Limited (ASX:VMS) has made a strategic management move in the lead-up to the commencement of production at its Riley Iron Ore Mine in north-west Tasmania, Australia.
Fergus Campbell, who has been named as Lead Technical Consultant for the mine, brings over 30 years’ of mining engineer experience and has held senior executive management positions in both mining contracting and resource development companies having worked extensively throughout Australia with a focus on Iron Ore.
Managing Director, Andrew Radonjic, said Mr Campbell’s skillset is ideally suited for the current stage of development at the Riley Project.
“Venture welcomes the addition of such an experienced iron ore mine operator to the Riley Team, which will see Fergus Campbell’s skillset further bolster an already well credentialled group of mining professionals working on the project,” Mr Radonjic said.
“Fergus’ appointment follows the recent completion of additional funding which has accelerated the construction of the wet screening plant with fabrication work now occurring simultaneously in several workshops across Tasmania and other parts of the country.
“The scene is now set for the Company to move rapidly towards its first iron ore shipment in order to capture these historically high iron ore prices.”
Mr Radonjic said the company having sourced and secured all long lead equipment items for the Riley Wet Screening Plant, has achieved a critical milestone as the project moves towards the first iron ore shipment in Q2 2021.
In addition, construction of the West Screening Plant is now well advanced with the Steel Fabrication being done by Crisp Bros & Haywards based near Launceston in Northern Tasmania with the MCC being assembled by Tritec Electrical Controls & Automation at the Hobart workshop.
The bulk of the mechanical equipment has been purchased and is ready for installation on the plant site where the infrastructure such as the ROM, concrete foundations, site works including the building of an all-weather haul road to the sealed Pieman Road were previously completed.
A four-week construction programme is currently scheduled to commence in the second half of March 2021. Iron ore prices have been strong throughout 2020 and into 2021 with the outlook for the rest of the calendar year remaining positive due to continued demand generated by Chinese government infrastructure spending and ongoing supply concerns from Brazil.
