The sources told Business Line that the process resumed last...

The sources told Business Line that the process resumed last week at the mine, managed by process resumed last week at the mine, managed by Birla Mt Gordon Pty Ltd Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ABML.
The operations at Mt Gordon were suspended in January 2009, following steep fall in copper demand and the consequent slump in prices in 2008. Restarting of operations at ABML's another mine in Western Australia ? Nifty, which bears copper oxide ore ? is also under evaluation, according to Mr Sunil Kulwal, CEO and MD of the company.
At present, Nifty's copper sulphide bearing mine is in operation.

Mining contract

According to Barminco, last month it won a A$100-million contract to deliver underground mining operating services, including underground development and production.
In a statement Barminco said, ?With the rebound in the copper price, the operation is being re-commissioned at a scheduled monthly ore production rate of 110,000 tonnes and 440 metres of access development.? Total manpower required for the contract project is 139.

Australian Stock Exchange-listed and Perth-headquartered ABML said, when re-commissioned, the mine would produce 2,100 tonnes of copper concentrate per month.

The concentrates are to be shipped to Hindalco's Dahej smelter in Gujarat. During FY2009, Mt. Gordon produced 17,815 tonnes of copper in concentrate. Birla Mt. Gordon has a life of mine off-take agreement with Hindalco for supply of copper concentrate to the Dahej smelter.

Hindalco acquired two Australian copper assets in 2003. ABML now also owns full mining and exploration leases on 83.7 sqkm in another area 100 km south east of Nifty called Maroochydore in Western Australia.

Early this year, ABML bought over the 50 per cent holding of the joint venture partner Renison Bell Ltd in Maroochydore project for A$2,000,000 and brought it under the complete control of Birla Maroochydore Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary.

ABML was poised for stepped up exploration activity and expansion of mine production in Australia, Mr Kulwal told shareholders on August 30. He also indicated that ore processing after the restart of operations at Mt Gordon underground mine would also be synchronised with processing of low grade ore still available at the exhausted Esperanza open pit located in the same lease area.

Trials conducted during February-June helped to identify the characteristics of the low grade ore. Synchronised processing may further indicate whether Esperanza low grade extraction would be economical. ABML is understood to be scouting for more copper resource assets in other geographies too.