Metro mine a whirl of activity despite cyclone

METRO Mining’s Bauxite Hills site was back in action only weeks after Cyclone Nora struck Cape York, its June quarter report shows.

Metro mined 2,768 wet metric tons of bauxite per day in April. The numbers climbed to 5194 wet metric tons in May, and jumped to 8167 wet metric tons last month.

The mine was able to contain delays to operations from Cyclone Nora to only one week despite the evacuation of the majority of the mine’s staff.

“While it was a challenging start to the quarter, I am extremely proud of how the site team and our contract partners responded to resolving issues as they arose,” Metro’s managing director and CEO Simon Finnis said.

“All aspects of the operation have finished the quarter performing strongly, and I look forward to the project reaching targeted operating rates during the September quarter”.

The firm has exploration rights in more than 1300sq km of Western Cape York, which is second to only Rio Tinto Alcan.

“The Bauxite Hills Mine will become the largest independent mine within the internationally acclaimed Weipa Bauxite Region,” Mr Finnis said.

Bauxite sales totalled $25.2 million of revenue for the quarter and recorded its first monthly profit in June.

Metro Mining’s Bauxite Hills mining project, which began in May with 190 mining jobs, with 38 per cent from local indigenous communities.

“I have no doubt they will continue to create opportunities for indigenous people from Cape York and the surrounding region for many years to come,” said Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch.

All of the Metro workforce is fly-in fly-out.

ALL ASPECTS OF THE OPERATION FINISHED THE QUARTER STRONGLY