The mine, in the state of Tasmania, shut in January following three fatalities and was scheduled to reopen later this month.

But Vedanta subsidiary Copper Mines of Tasmania has been weighing the future of the mine due to the high cost of clearing June''s rock slide.

"Clearing the rock fall and restoring ventilation would have required a further shut down of some 3 months with a further substantial financial cost," Vendata said.

It would be at least 18 months before any reopening of the mine would be considered possible, and only then if it was found to be technically and economically feasible, according to Vendata.

No injuries were reported from the slide in an unstaffed shaft used for ventilation at the 118-year-old mine, which yields about 24,000 tonnes of copper a year.

Three workers were killed in the mine over a 39-day period in December and January, leading to the suspension of operations. Two workers died after falling down a shaft. A mud slide killed a third man.

Vedanta Chief Executive Tom Albanese, the former head of Rio Tinto <RIO.L RIO.AX>, appointed in April with a brief to get the best out of Vedanta''s underperforming mines, has said that Vedanta was keen to keep copper in its portfolio.

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