South32 has clipped production guidance for its Cannington mine in North-West Queensland by 10 per cent for this financial year.
The downgrade was attributed to challenging geotechnical conditions at the silver-lead-zinc site and reduced operator availability in the past quarter as a result of weather-related disruptions in Queensland.
Cannington payable zinc equivalent production decreased by 20 per cent to 180.1kt in the nine months ended March 2025 as the operation continued to manage increased underground activity and complexity.
Main image: Cannington Minesite
‘Production decreased by 37 per cent in the March 2025 quarter as challenging geotechnical conditions delayed access to higher-grade stopes and mining productivity was impacted by lower operator availability due to weather-related disruptions,’ South32 said in a quarterly update.
‘As a result, FY25 production guidance has been revised lower by 10 per cent to 239.2kt payable zinc equivalent (ore processed 1,900kdmt, silver 10,200koz, lead 90.0kt and zinc 45.0kt).
‘Looking forward, we are completing work to assess optimal underground mining rates and stope sequencing to manage continued geotechnical challenges and unlock value over the remaining mine life at Cannington.’
South32 has revised operating unit cost guidance up for the site, about 200km south-east of Mount Isa, to $US195/t ore processed (from $US175/t).