Tri Origin Minerals Limited is moving quickly to advance the feasibility study for its Woodlawn Underground zinc project near Goulburn, NSW, following successful completion of the prefeasibility study, with a target of 440,000 tonnes of annual ore production and an initial mine life of eight years.

Tri Origin managing director Bruce Robertson says Tri Origin's prefeasibility study showed the Woodlawn mine has the potential to achieve production of greater than 80,000 tonnes of concentrate a year.

"These initial targets provide an excellent starting point and would put us in the league of other major zinc mines in Australia," he said.

"The potential for a lengthy initial mine life which would be expected to be further extended is encouraging."

Tri Origin previously announced a JORC-compliant resource of 10.1 million tonnes comprising 8.5 million tonnes of combined measured and indicated resources, grading 10.3% zinc, 1.8% copper, 4.0% lead, 0.53 grams per tonne gold and 85 grams per tonne silver, with the remainder iInferred resources.

Bruce Robertson says the report lays the groundwork for the immediate launch of a definitive feasibility study and commencement of the statutory approval process, with the aim of achieving development next year.

"Tri Origin has worked hard to redevelop the exciting Woodlawn project and the results of the prefeasibility study support progressing to the next stage of evaluation," he said.

"On current prices, the project's total resource in situ metal content has a significant contained metal value. The feasibility study will define what can be extracted economically and hopefully show the benefit of improved metallurgical processing techniques since the mine last operated in 1998."

The feasibility study will also focus on underground access to confirm the mine's geotechnical parameters, allowing resources to be converted to reserves.

Tri Origin has budgeted $2.6 million to complete the feasibility study, with a further $5 million to gain access to the underground workings as part of the evaluation process.

Metallurgical test work is on track and the results have been encouraging.

Managing the feasibility study will be newly appointed development general manager Richard Procter, a mining engineer with more than 30 years industry experience.

According to market analysts, Tri Origin's key Woodlawn project could be developed at a time of tight zinc markets, Bruce Robertson says.

"The zinc price has soared by 160% over the past two years, and despite short-term fluctuations has a strong outlook for the long term due to the phenomenal growth of China, which is currently at the US level of 1913 concerning car ownership.

"I believe that Tri Origin is well placed given the anticipated demand for zinc," Bruce Robertson says.

He added that the location of Tri Origin's projects within range of Goulburn and Canberra gives the company a number of advantages, including access to a skilled and settled workforce and established services and infrastructure, including a nearby rail service providing access to ports and other mines.