 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
The Nolans Bore Mine is located wholly within a 14 square kilometre mining lease. The resource is exposed at surface and, as currently defined, sits within an area measuring 2 kilometres by 2 kilometres. It will be a relatively small open pit operation, mining to a depth of about 150 metres. The rock will be blasted and removed using excavators and haul trucks. About 6 million tonnes of material will be mined each year over the life of the mine. Around 15-20% of this material, or 1 million tonnes per year, will be fed to an on-site beneficiation plant for upgrading to a mineral concentrate. The remaining material will be placed in overburden rock storage areas. Government approval for the Nolans Bore Mine development is contingent on a detailed environmental approvals process, which includes extensive community engagement and comprehensive social impact and environmental studies.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
The beneficiation process, comprising crushing, screening, gravity separation and flotation to remove impurities, will generate about 700,000 tonnes of mineral concentrate each year. This mineral concentrate will go through a grinding process, then be dried ready for transport to Arafura’s Rare Earths Complex at Whyalla in South Australia. This treatment process removes about 300,000 tonnes a year as waste material (tailings), which will remain at the mine permanently in specially designed tailings storage facilities.
All waste materials, including overburden and tailings, will be stored according to accepted engineering and environmental principles. This will ensure that erosion is minimised and natural water courses remain free flowing and are not adversely impacted.
Some mine overburden rock may be used as road base or to construct the tailings storage facilities. Wherever possible, water will be recycled to the beneficiation plant and also used for dust suppression at the mine.
|
|
