Africa-Press – Botswana. Quarterly report is full of praise for the Sandfire team’s remarkable resilience that allowed “Motheo to focus mining activity in Stage 2 of the T3 open-pit” in the aftermath of adverse weather and a reduction in power supply imposed by BPC.
Sandfire’s Motheo copper mine faced severe challenges during the third quarter of FY25 as extreme weather inundated its operating pits.
According to the company’s March 2025 Quarterly Report released recently, the adverse weather significantly impacted production, forcing the mine to shift focus to Stage 2 of the T3 open pit.
However, despite the obstacles, Sandfire’s team demonstrated remarkable resilience that allowed “Motheo to focus mining activity in Stage 2 of the T3 open-pit”, the report stated.
Disruption
During the quarter, Motheo processed 1.4 million tonnes of ore, a decrease of 7 percent quarter-on-quarter (QoQ). This resulted in a copper equivalent (CuEq) production of 13.4 kilotonnes (down 6 percent QoQ), including 12.1 kt of contained copper (down 4% QoQ) and 0.4 million ounces of contained silver (down 22 percent QoQ).
Adding to the disruption, a nine-day partial reduction in power supply imposed by Botswana Power Corporation between 27 March and 4 April 2025 further strained operations.
The report revealed that the power cut reduced CuEq production by around 40 tonnes per day. Nevertheless, some factors helped offset these challenges.
Dewatered
“A higher copper head grade and record metal recoveries did provide some relief during the period as A4 was successfully dewatered and the site was progressively returned to its steady state,” the company noted.
Despite the challenging period, Sandfire remains confident in its production targets. The company expects the Motheo processing facility to maintain an average throughput rate of 5.5 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) throughout FY25.
Sandfire has retained its CuEq production guidance of 59 kt for FY25, anticipating a slight increase to approximately 60 kt in FY26. “Detailed guidance will be provided for FY26 when we report our full year results,” the report read.
Cost adjustments
Underlying operating costs rose by 9% to $38 per tonne in Q3 FY25, driven primarily by reduced plant throughput. Nevertheless, costs remained below the FY25 guidance of $39 per tonne.
C1 unit costs were also below guidance at $1.34 per pound, attributed to a significant decline in treatment and refining charges.
Mine development expenditure decreased modestly to $10 million while $6 million was allocated to construction, sustaining and strategic projects.
Capital expenditure guidance for FY25 has been revised down from $96 million to $85 million due to the deferral of plant debottlenecking activities and delays in commencing Stage 3 at the tailings storage facility.
Future prospects
Sandfire’s Motheo mine, located in the Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana, about 70 kilometres from the town of Ghanzi, is poised for long-term operations.
Opened in August 2023, the mine focuses on developing and mining the T3 and A4 Open Pit mines. The company completed a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for a 5.2 Mtpa expansion in August 2022, indicating strong economic prospects.
Motheo remains a critical asset for Sandfire despite weather setbacks. As the site returns to its steady state, Sandfire is optimistic about sustaining production and increasing throughput in the future.
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