Galaxy Resources Commences Production of Lithium Concentrate at Mt Cattlin

Galaxy Resources Limited (ASX:GXY) announced it has received a Production Notice from General Mining Corporation Ltd (ASX:GMM) in accordance with the obligations in the Acquisition and Development Agreement on the Mt Cattlin Project. Mining and processing operations have now formally commenced.
As quoted in the press release:

Production has commenced, with both mining and processing operations having started up. An initial 5-week program will sequentially recover and stockpile spodumene and tantalum concentrates from the fines circuit ahead of crusher and HMS circuit (coarse circuit) commissioning in the June quarter.
Given the quantities of ore already mined and available for processing, the immediate focus at restart through to May 2016, is on the processing circuit. This work shall include progressive commissioning of the primary and secondary feed preparation circuits, thickener, fine and course circuit screens, mica removal screens, the tantalum spirals and tables, as well as the fines reflux classifiers and filter belt.
Mining of blasted ore in the Dowling Pit has also commenced and this ore will be stockpiled for processing in the June quarter. Recovery of fines material from the TSF for processing in the fines circuit is scheduled to begin during the quarter. Initial plant feed will be sourced from the existing crushed fine ore stockpile adjacent to the plant.
Regular operational updates will be provided to the market as the Mt Cattlin processing facility works through its 3-month ramp up to a base case throughput rate of 800ktpa by the end of June 2016. A second optimization phase will continue through the second half of the year to improve yields to a targeted 70-75%, based off the ongoing 800ktpa throughput rate. Funding for the capital expenditure required for this optimization phase and all working capital requirements from the commencement of production onwards, will be covered by pre payments to be paid by offtakers.

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