WORK on the £130m Drakelands tungsten mine project near Hemerdon is going well, according to a spokesman for Wolf Minerals. The Australian mining company describes preparation and construction of the mine, processing plant and mine waste facility as 'progressing well and on schedule'. The mine will work the third-largest known tungsten deposit in the world, and its output is expected to meet more than three per cent of global demand for the metal when in full production. Commissioning of the processing plant is expected to start in April or May next year, with production scheduled to begin by July. The first delivery of the finished product, tungsten concentrate, will be in September 2015. There are currently 250 people on-site constructing the mine and processing plant. When operational there will be approximately 200 people working there, and the recruitment of site operatives is likely to get under way towards the end of this year. The mine is expected to have a minimum 10-year lifespan, with production for as many as 25 years a possibility.