Evolution Mining has reported that its Ernest Henry operation was impacted by a regional weather event, leading to the suspension of production activities due to water entering the mine workings.
On the evening of 8 March 2023, all personnel were safely removed from the mine, with re-entry of the mine undertaken when it was safe to do so after the cessation of the rainfall event.
In the days following the weather event, the Ernest Henry team was able to assess the impact on the mine and commence development of a recovery plan.
Mining activities are expected to restart towards the end of April, based on current planning and underground inspections.
Works will be undertaken to restore mine production safely and as soon as possible, and the surface maintenance plans originally scheduled for the June 2023 quarter will be brought forward.
Evolution’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Lawrie Conway, said while the significant weather event that occurred at Ernest Henry has suspended operations, the priority has been to ensure all personnel are safe, including as the company moves to the recovery phase.
“The team on site has handled the situation in accordance with our incident management protocols. We expect the recovery phase to take approximately six weeks before ramping up to normal production.
“The business performance in the March quarter has been solid with our cash position better than planned. This provides adequate coverage to handle the impact of this incident at Ernest Henry,” Mr Conway said.
