Article from "The Express" - a Qld newspaperJust do a google...

Article from "The Express" - a Qld newspaper

Just do a google search for "All systems go for Mt Carbine"

Narrative below.

With the vast majority of the world’s tungsten supply controlled by Chinaand Russia, the importance of the Mt Carbine operation cannot beunderestimated, according to EQ Resources CEO Kevin MacNeill.

“We are delighted to be building Mt Carbine into a responsible mine ofthe future and becoming a major tungsten producer, helping to fill the valuechain in the western markets as China and Russia currently control around 87per cent of global output,” he said.

With tungsten being one of the hardest elements on earth, it is widelyused in the production of defence equipment such as armoured tanks, as wellproducts and components used in the aerospace, construction and technologysectors.

With the assistance of a $6 million Federal grant, EQ Resources hasinvested more than $21 million to date to bring the old mine back online whichthe company believes can be paid back within 1.5 years once open pit miningbegins.

Mr MacNeill said drilling to the north and west of the original deposithad detected a much larger deposit with higher grade material.

“We are not yet sure if that deposit is an extension of the original onebut finding this higher-grade ore has been quite exciting for the undergroundpossibilities for the mine,” he said.

Mr MacNeill said the discovery had the potential to extend the mine’slife way beyond the current forecast of 12 years.

An old decline of around half a kilometre in length will most likely beused and expanded to access the underground deposit.

Currently, the operation is restricted by a limited capacity to crushthe ore, but that will radically improve once a new crushing plant beingconstructed in Europe by Sandvik comes online late this year.

“The new Sandvik plant will provide expanded crushing capacity in thefront-end of the process flowsheet. Nevertheless, as commissioning of theSandvik Plant is scheduled for later in the year, the open pit ore will startto be processed using the existing crushing circuit supplemented with aportable jaw crusher,” Mr MacNeill said.

Mining can start in the Andy White open pit in June, and will ramp up inJuly-August but the operation needs at least 50 more workers including dieselmechanics, truck drivers, front end loader operators and welders.

“We hope to utilise a lot of people who live locally or it may be thatsomeone who has been doing fly-in, fly-out, and who might like to work closerto home,” he said.

The company was encouraging women to apply, offering training in-housefor jobs such as truck driving.

“The company has made substantial investment in recruiting locally andtraining a workforce to deliver on the production uplift. When in fulloperation, it will employ and contract more than 150 people from nearby MtMolloy and surrounding communities as far south as Mareeba,” Mc MacNeill said.

The mining operation took another major step last week, earning anenvironmental approval to start mining in the open pit.

Over the past year, the company contracted specialists to undertakeseveral studies to ensure the Mt Carbine operation meets world standards. Thesehave included a hydrogeological study, fauna and flora studies, dust and noiseassessments, the development of a blast management plan and an updatedstakeholder program based on a detailed review of heritage sites around MtCarbine.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of the study works and havingengaged with recognised environmental experts . This will set ourselves theguidelines to implement the highest industry standards,” Mr MacNeill said.

“EQR sets itself the vision to be a leader of sustainably producedcritical minerals, this path has been consistently followed since thereactivation of the Mt Carbine Mine.”

The company’s efforts to date were recognised in December last year whenit won the 2022 AMEC Environmental Award.