Xinfa Aurum Exploration Fiji has already made two shipments of bauxite this year.

It is expected to make a total of 10 shipments this year.

Company managing director Derek Qiu said the number of shipment per year mainly depends on the weather.

“We don’t mine on wet weather conditions but it would affect our shipment,” Mr Qiu said.

He said the mining explorations also depended on the weather conditions in the North especially in Bua

The vessels that take the shipments change and its loading capacity vary from 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes.

Works on the new site started off on a slow pace this year compared to last year.

Xinfa expects 400,000 tonnes of bauxite to be extracted from the new site at Nawailevu north in Bua.

A total of 79,500 metric tonnes of bauxite were shipped off in April and the next shipment is expected to leave our shores next month.