PROCESSING

Keras Resources adds plant at Diamond Creek

Keras Resources is targeting the end of the March quarter for the starting up the new processing plant which has now arrived at the Diamond Creek phosphate operation in Utah, US.

Diamond Creek in Utah, US

Diamond Creek in Utah, US

The plant was built and shipped from Shanghai during the December quarter of last year and construction is now underway at the property that is owned by Keras' 51% subsidiary Falcon Isle.

The company said the owner-operated plant has design capacity to tackle the planned production rate 48,000 tonnes per year, which it is aiming to reach in 2024.

Keras expects a significant operational cost reduction as the mine moves away from its current toll agreements during the ramp-up.

Plant commissioning remains on schedule; Keras said it wants to have it online by the end of the March quarter.

"Our expansion at Diamond Creek continues to progress as planned and the commissioning of the new crushing, milling and bagging facility, which will be capable of supporting our peak production rate, is a key component underpinning this strategy," Keras Resources CEO Russell Lamming said.

"We have a long life-of-mine at Diamond Creek, with the opencast resources alone representing in excess of 60 years at the peak production rate, highlighting the long-term sustainable cash flow we anticipate being generated from this mine."

The news comes five months after the miner recorded its first commercial production at Diamond Creek and flagged its processing plant order.

The Diamond Creek high-grade direct shipping ore (DSO) organic phosphate mine is located 70 kilometres southeast of Salt Lake City.

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