Sheffield Resources’ Kimberley Mineral Sands has set sail on its first bulk shipment of zircon concentrate from its Thunderbird mineral sands mine in Western Australia.
The shipment included 10,000 tonnes (t) of non-magnetic zircon and an additional 1100t of bagged zircon concentrate.
Now departed from the Port of Broome, the load will be delivered to an existing offtake customer.
Additional bulk shipments of non-magnetic zircon, magnetic ilmenite concentrate, and paramagnetic leucoxene products are scheduled over the coming weeks as Thunderbird continues to ramp up production towards nameplate capacity.
Sheffield Resources executive chair Bruce Griffin welcomed the milestone.
“We are extremely pleased by this landmark bulk shipment achievement and the continued progress and ramp up of the Thunderbird mine,” he said.
“We wish to thank our logistics partners and local Kimberley port authorities in securing this first bulk shipment from the Port of Broome, and we look forward to continued growth in production and product shipments throughout 2024.”
Shipments from Thunderbird have been ramping up since January, with the first containing approximately 300t of bagged non-magnetic zircon concentrate.
Another voyage a few weeks later saw 5100t delivered, but the latest marks the first bulk shipment celebrated by Kimberley Mineral Sands.
The Thunderbird project boasts one of the largest high-grade mineral sands deposits discovered in the last 30 years.
Operations began at the site in October 2023, with the project expected to produce a suite of mineral sands concentrate products.
Kimberley Mineral Sands is a 50:50 joint venture between Sheffield Resources and Chinese investment company Yansteel.
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