First developed in the 1900s, the mine near Chillagoe has been on care and maintenance since 2014.

The site has valuable copper in solution sitting in ponds and leach heaps, which will be extracted to pay for the plant restart.

R3D is planning to start copper sulphate production in two stages.

In the first stage the company will restart leaching of the existing heaps to boost the copper grade in the pregnant liquor solution pond, which will provide a good copper inventory for future crystallisation of copper sulphate.

This will involve civil works by contractor International Mill Relines, to restore concrete bunds and upgrade the control panel for the generators, with a second-hand control panel already sourced.

That panel will control generator output to the pumps and other machinery.

The second-hand control board is being retrofitted with earth leakage systems to comply with standards.

A sulphuric acid tank and acid supplies are still to be secured.

Once the copper grade increases in the PLS pond the second stage will start.

It will involve upgrades to electrical circuitry and control boards, installation of a dryer and refurbishment of a centrifuge.

A chiller will also have to be hired for crystallisation of the copper sulphate.

R3D managing director Stephen Bartrop said it was important to get started, given the high demand for construction services in Far North Queensland and elsewhere.

"The commencement civil and electrical works is a major step forward in the refurbishment of the copper sulphate plant," he said.

"These represent some of the key components to be able to recommence copper leaching and allow us to monitor the increase in copper level in the PLS ponds."

Bartrop said the drilling was also important to upgrade copper mineralisation below the pit and upgrade the existing copper resource.