The Mt Garnet operations consist of an underground mine, as well as a treatment hub for both copper and polymetallic ore.
The copper plant at Mt Garnet primarily sources ore from the large Balcooma Underground Mine, located 150km south-west of Mt Garnet. The copper plant has a C1 cash operating cost of US$1.79/lb (June 2011 Quarter). In FY 2011 the copper plant treated 493,828 tonnes of ore.
The polymetallic plant, which is located adjacent to the newer copper circuit, has been in operation since 2003. It processes ore mined at the nearby Mt Garnet underground base metals mine and higher grade ore trucked from the Mungana underground base metals mine, located 150km to the north-west. In the FY 2011, the polymetallic plant treated 452,644 tonnes of ore.
In the FY 2011, a total of 250,075 tonnes of polymetallic ore grading 9.0% zinc, 1.8% copper and 0.7% lead was mined from the Mt Garnet operations.
