Operations resume at Mirabela Brazil mine

Perth-based Mirabela Nickel said that operations had resumed at its Brazilian subsidiary Mirabela Mineração's mine.

The labor ministry, on May 8, had ordered work to stop at Mirabela ​Mineração's Santa Rita deposit.

"Plant operations have now returned to normal," Mirabela said in a release on Wednesday.

Talks with the ministry over the warehousing, transport and shipping of concentrate in bulk were ongoing, it added.

"This order has to do with possible occupational health concerns associated with concentrate handling. The company is assessing all available options to resolve these issues and, in the meantime, is also investigating other methods to contain and ship the concentrate material," Mirabela said.

The company is committed to meeting guidance of 16,500-18,000t of nickel for full-year 2015, and said on May 8 that production targets would remain unchanged.

Mirabela is primarily involved in the development and exploration of mineral properties in Brazil. Santa Rita is its only operating mine.

The company has been affected by technical problems, political issues and low nickel prices over the last few years.

Mirabela was not immediately available for comment.