Global news and projects
Mining leases to support
Ravenswood
The Queensland Government in Australia
has approved nine new mining leases in
areas that will support several expansions
at Resolute Mining’s Ravenswood gold
mining project.
The new leases include areas within
the operational footprint of the proposed
Buck Reef West open pit and nearby land
required for infrastructure including roads,
water management, and noise bunding.
The new mining leases expand
Resolute’s available tenure for the
proposed open pits within the
Ravenswood expansion project and will
now be included in the current strategic
review of the project, which aims to
incorporate expanded production rates.
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Lithium project gets the nod
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Australia
BHP to keep Nickel West
To capitalise on the emerging global battery
market, diversified mining company BHP
has decided to keep its Nickel West business
in Western Australia. According to Andrew
Mackenzie, CEO of BHP, the company’s
nickel operation offers high-return potential.
Mackenzie spoke at the global metals, mining
and steel conference in Barcelona.
“Decarbonisation, the electrification
of transport, the future of work and food
security are examples of strategic themes that
we monitor,” he said.
BHP had previously planned to sell the
Nickel West division due to its failure to
produce meaningful earnings.
In the past two years, however, the
company has revealed plans for major
expansion of the Western Australian
operations.
Government approves Olive
Downs
The Queensland Government has approved
Pembroke Resources’ USD1-billion Olive
Downs metallurgical coal project in the
Bowen Basin. It is expected that Pembroke
will start construction of Olive Downs
in 2020, with strict conditions to ensure
local employment and minimisation of
environmental impacts.
According to the company, as many as
1 000 people could be employed on the
[10] MINING MIRROR JULY 2019
mine, while an additional 500 jobs will be
created during construction, contributing
an estimated USD8-billion to the local
economy. Olive Downs is forecast to produce
up to 15 million tonnes of metallurgical coal
a year once it is operational.
Lithium miner Talison has received
approval from the Western Australian
Environmental Protection Authority
(EPA) to expand the Greenbushes
lithium mine. The EPA recommended the
approval for the USD512-million project
expansion, subject to Talison’s protection
of endangered black cockatoos.
According to Talison, the company has
been encouraged by the EPA to offset
the significant impact of lost habitat for
the Western ringtail possum and numbat,
alongside the protection for Carnaby and
Baudin’s black cockatoos.
The EPA’s recommendation follows
a four-week public review process, with
the state environmental minister being
responsible for making the final decision.
It adds to Talison’s ongoing expansion
plans for what is already the world’s
largest lithium mine, a site that has been
operating for more than 30 years.
(Source: Australian Mining).
Brazil
More oxygen for Great Panther
As many as 1 000
people could be
employed on the mine,
while an additional 500
jobs will be created
during construction,
contributing an
estimated USD8-billion
to the local economy.
Canadian company Great Panther has
successfully commissioned a supplemental
modular liquid oxygen supply system
(supplemental oxygen) at the Tucano gold
mine in Brazil. The system is designed to
allow for the processing of the higher-
grade sulphide ore produced by the mine
and achieve designed and budgeted gold
recoveries.
According to James Bannantine,
president and CEO of Great Panther, the
supplemental oxygen has been operational
since the beginning of May and has
successfully processed sulfide ore at grades
as high as two grams per tonne gold (g/t
Au) with high (94%) recoveries.
Before the installation of the
supplemental oxygen, Tucano was limited
to processing primarily lower grade oxide
material. Preliminary results demonstrate
the ability to process Tucano's highest-
grade sulphide materials with recovery
rates exceeding planned rates.
www.miningmirror.co.za