Aeris Resources (ASX:AIS) has signed an open pit mining contract with Mackellar Group at its Tritton Operations in New South Wales.
Mobilisation has commenced, with key personnel and equipment arriving on-site, and mining activities are scheduled to begin in early February 2025.
The Murrawombie Pit Project holds a probable reserve of 1.34 million tonnes, grading at 1.3% copper and 0.2 g/t gold.
The project will involve two stages, with initial stripping to access the remaining ore, followed by stripping and ore mining.
The contract includes a 14-month operational period using a fleet of excavators, dozers, and Cat 777 trucks.
Aeris’ Executive Chairman, Andre Labuschagne, highlighted the importance of the project, stating, "The Murrawombie open pit cutback is a key project for Tritton. With over a million tonnes in Reserve, the cutback delivers a significant proportion of the mill feed in FY26."
The project will also use non-acid forming waste rock from the pit to encapsulate existing heap leach pads, thus reducing future rehabilitation obligations and saving on closure expenses.
Aeris Resources is a mid-tier base and precious metals producer engaged in the production, sale and exploration of copper, zinc, gold and silver.
At the time of reporting, Aeris Resources' share price was $0.18.