- First mining operations after the shutdown due to COVID-19.
- Mining contractor mobilisation is complete, open-pit activity underway, with a range of operations commenced.
- Progressively ramping up production at the Rasp processing plant.
Broken Hill Mines (ASX: BHM) has restarted mining at the COVID-impacted Pinnacles silver-lead-zinc mine in NSW. This is the first mining since 2021, when operations were placed on care and maintenance due to the COVID pandemic.
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The restart at the Pinnacles NSW mine forms part of BHM’s strategy of progressive ramping up to full capacity at its 750,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) Rasp processing plant via the supply of two additional ore feeds from Main Lode and Pinnacles to complement the existing long-term Western Min ore supply.
Initial operations are focused on the restart and expansion of the existing open pit (open at depth). Up to 50,000 tonnes of high-grade ore have been identified in the base of the pit, which was stopped abruptly due to logistical constraints.
Pinnacles open-pit potential includes significant high-grade silver-lead-zinc intercepts released over the last 12 months. BHM is planning progressive expansion of the open pit into the Consols South, Fishers, Rope Shaft and Junction areas, targeting existing high-grade resources and new shallow drilling.
The historical Pinnacles mineral resource estimate reported to date is six million tonnes at 13.5% zinc equivalent and 374 grams per tonne silver equivalent.
BHM is planning to release an update to the Pinnacles MRE in late CY26, which will target the incorporation of drilling completed by BHM to date.
In addition to open-pit operations, BHM forecasts strong potential for very high-grade underground operations to be developed at Pinnacles. The company is also currently undertaking an assessment of this potential to form an additional ore feed for the Rasp processing plant in the near term.
BHM is down -0.67%, to 74.5¢. Mkt cap $237.6M.
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