Processing facilities27 Jan 2021 14:32
There is some confusion here on the companies processing plants, here's what the situation is: -
1. RMM owns the nugget pond mill, which consists of two different processing plants a copper flotation plant and a hydrometallurgical gold plant. The hydrometalurgical gold plant is not used by RMM, as it is not designed for treating mined ore (A hydrometalurgical is the kind of setup you see on gold rush). As a result RMM are selling the gold plant for $2 Million.
2. All run of mine ore is trucked 50km to the nugget pond 1350tpd copper flotation mill, which produces a concentrate containing gold, copper and silver that the refinery and smelter pays for.
3. RMM has an option to purchase the duck pond mill, which is another copper flotation mill (2000tpd), the plan is to move this mill to ming mine, which will enable the mine to process its ore on site, saving around $18 per tonne of ore in transport costs. A tailings facility will not be required, as a paste fill plant will be built and tailings placed underground, allowing recovery of pillars.
4. That then leaves options with the nugget pond mill - either continue in use, boosting mine production to 3350TPD; scrap the mill retaining anything usable for spares or relocate the mill to little deer - assuming a mine is viable there - it seems highly unlikely it wouldn't be.
So in short, RMM has NOT shut its mill and will not be shutting it for the foreseeable future.