| Name | Rosebery |
| Location | Located at Rosebery, on Tasmania’s north-west coast in Australia |
| Product | Zinc concentrate, lead and copper concentrate, gold doré |
| Mining method | Mechanised underground mining |
| Commenced Operation | 1936 |
| Reserves* | 0.42 million tonnes zinc, 0.12 million tonnes lead, 0.01 million tonnes copper, 0.18 million ounces gold, 10.17 million ounces silver |
| Resources* | 1.7 million tonnes zinc, 0.5 million tonnes lead, 0.1 million tonnes copper, 0.8 million ounces gold, 61.8 million ounces silver |
| 2008 Production | 84,939 tonnes zinc, 2,062 tonnes copper, 28,674 tonnes lead, 30,675 ounces gold, 2,984,502 ounces silver |
| Sales | Concentrates are sold to Nyrstar in Hobart and Port Pirie. Doré bars are sold to Australian Gold Refiners in Perth. |
| Workforce | Over 530 |
| * As at 30 June 2008 (see OZ Minerals ASX Release 23 December 2008 for full statement of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves) | |
| ** Includes all employees (full-time, part-time and casual) and contractors as at 31 December 2008 | |
The Rosebery mine in Tasmania is a polymetallic underground mine, in operation since 1936, which has current potential to extend life beyond 2020. The operation is located in the town of Rosebery, on Tasmania’s North West Coast in Australia.
Concentrates are transported to the Port of Burnie by rail where they are shipped in bulk carriers to customers.
Operations
Rosebery produces approximately 700,000 tonnes of ore per annum, which is processed into concentrates containing zinc, lead and copper. Silver and gold is also extracted from the ore and cast into doré bars.
Concentrates are transported to the Port of Burnie by rail where they are shipped in bulk carriers to customers in Port Pirie and Hobart. In 2008, 84,939 tonnes of zinc in concentrate, 28,674 tonnes of lead in concentrate, 2,062 tonnes of copper in concentrate and 30,675 ounces of gold doré was produced at Rosebery. Production guidance for 2009 is 80,000 - 90,000 tonnes contained zinc, 20,000 - 25,000 tonnes contained lead, 15,000 - 20,000 ounces contained gold and 1.75 - 2 million ounces of silver.
A pre-feasibility study was carried out in 2007/08 to review the economic merits of renewing the surface facilities at Rosebery. While benefits from replacement of the grinding and flotation circuits at a cost of $125 million were identified, these projects have been deferred in light of OZ Minerals financing difficulties. Work on a new tailings storage facility continues, however the underground ventilation upgrade has been deferred.
Exploration
Rosebery mine has traditionally had a rolling mine life of six years. Our exploration program, Project Horizons, commenced work in 2006 and expanded the resource by 65 per cent to 11.7 million tonnes.
Exploration continues elsewhere on the mine lease. The potential for a small zinc resource was identified at the Jupiter prospect near the Rosebery mine.
