Vedanta reports good progress at all of its zinc sites. In India, underground production at Rampura Agucha continues to ramp up strongly and it achieved an ore production run-rate of 3 Mt/y during the March quarter of 2018. The south ventilation shaft system was commissioned during the quarter. Off shaft development is on track and production is expected to start in Q3 FY2019. During the quarter, Sindesar Khurd’s main shaft was equipped and winder installation work commenced. Production from the shaft is expected to start as per schedule in Q3 FY2019. Civil and structure erection for the new 1.5 Mt/y mill is ongoing and is expected be commissioned in Q2 FY2019.
During the quarter, orders were also placed for paste fill plants for both Rampura Agucha and Sindesar Khurd mines. Elsewhere, MoEF has given environmental clearance for expansion of ore production at Kayad mine from 1.0 to 1.2 Mt/y. At Zawar mine, civil construction work for the new 2 Mt/y mill is progressing well with commissioning expected by Q4 FY2019. The Fumer project is progressing as per schedule and expected to commission in mid-FY2019. Overall in India, Vedanta is on track for ramp up of mined metal production to 1.2 Mt by FY2020.
Abroad, at the Gamsberg project in South Africa, Vedanta is on track for the cold commissioning of the concentrator plant in Q1 FY2019 with production expected to commence in mid CY2018. The ore extraction from the South Pit is on track and to date the company has completed 80% of pre-stripping with 56 Mt of waste excavation. Completion of mechanical equipment erection and infrastructure for power and water pipeline for the concentrat or are in progress.
Vedanta is targeting 500,000 t of ore stockpile ahead of first feed to the concentrator plant.
In Namibia at Skorpion, the pit 112 extension project is progressing well and waste stripping has ramped up to its peak run-rate. Some 45% of waste stripping has been completed by the end of Q4 FY2018 and is expected to be fully complete by Q4 FY2019 as per schedule. Pit redesign is in progress to reduce waste stripping by 8 Mt and optimise project cost. This project will increase Skorpion’s mine life by another 2.5 years and contribute 250,000 t of metal over this period.