Late last year, following a competitive tendering process, PYBAR was awarded an underground development mining contract at the Savage River Mine in Tasmania. Under the contract, PYBAR will provide services, labour and equipment for continued development of an underground exploration decline and lateral development roadways at the Savage River Mine, with over 2 km of development planned.

The existing mine is predominantly an open cut operation which has been producing high grade pelletised iron ore for over 50 years, and the contract works will allow ongoing exploration and studies to support a potential to transition to an underground block cave mine.

PYBAR says its skilled crews, comprising 42 people and fleet of specialised underground mining equipment, including a Sandvik DD421 jumbo, Cat R2900G loader, Cat AD60 truck, Jacon Maxijet shotcreter and Elphinstone WR820 agi, were mobilised to site ready for project kick off early in the new year.

It adds: “The team, led by Project Manager, Andrew Callan, has hit the ground running, already achieving pleasing development progress sitting above the contract target after the first month of development. Our work at the Savage River Mine will further expand PYBAR’s presence in Tasmania, with our teams already providing supply, delivery and application of fibrecrete and cement fill services at the nearby MMG Rosebery Mine.”

“We are excited by the opportunity to work with Grange Resources and to build upon our presence in the Tasmanian resources sector,” said James Glover, PYBAR’s CEO. “It’s particularly exciting to be involved at an early stage in the development of this potential new underground mine.”

The current phase of works at Savage River is expected to take 10 months to complete and PYBAR will play a key role in taking the mine to the next stage of operation.