KALGOORLIE (miningweekly.com) – Lithium miner Pilbara Minerals has reported a 109-million-tonne increase to its mineral resource estimate (MRE) following its 2023 drill programme.

At the Diggers & Dealers conference, Pilbara announced a 36% increase in the total measured, indicated and inferred resource at its Pilgangoora operation, in Western Australia, with the resource now standing at 413.8-million tonnes at 1.15% lithium oxide, 112 parts per million tantalum pentoxide, and 0.53% iron oxide containing 4.75-million tonnes of lithium oxide and 101.8-million pounds of tantalum pentoxide.

The project’s total measured and indicated resource has increased by 64% to 337.3-million tonnes containing 3.94-million tonnes of lithium oxide and 80.9-million pounds of tantalum pentoxide.

“This significant resource upgrade reinforces our 100% owned Pilgangoora operation as one of the largest hard rock lithium deposits globally. The upgraded mineral resource is consistent with our strategy to grow our operating base and therefore maximise value by achieving the full potential from our world-class operation,” said Pilbara MD and CEO Dale Henderson.

“We have added 109-million tonnes of additional mineral resource at a direct exploration cost of only 13c/t of additional resource – an outstanding result.

“We are looking forward to completing an updated ore reserve this quarter that will underpin operations for many years to come and may provide an opportunity to further expand production capacity beyond P1000. The 2023 drilling campaign has also identified further prospective target areas including areas in close proximity to the East and Central pits which will be drill tested in our 2024 drill programme.”

Henderson told delegates at the Diggers & Dealers conference that the MRE update allowed Pilbara to consider expanding the Pilgangoora operations past the current P1000 plans.

The miner earlier this year took a final investment decision on the A$560-million P1000 project which would increase the nameplate capacity at Pilgangoora by 47%, from around 680 000 t/y to one-million tonnes a year of spodumene concentrate, and would include an expanded concentrator with increased throughput at the Pilgan plant, as well as a range of supporting site infrastructure.

First ore from the P1000 project is targeted for the March quarter of 2025, and full production will follow at the end of the September quarter of 2025.

The Pilgangoora project is expected to have a mine life of 25 years, based on the expanded production rates.

Meanwhile, Henderson on Monday said that the P680 project was on track, with commissioning expected later this quarter, with ramp-up to the 680 000 t/y capacity to take place next quarter.

Meanwhile, Henderson said that Pilbara’s downstream joint venture process was also continuing. The company earlier this year announced that it was pursuing an additional downstream partnering process over 300 000 t/y of unallocated spodumene concentrate from the P1000 project.

Pilbara is seeking expressions of interest from battery materials supply chain participants in relation to both spodumene supply and downstream partnerships. The company is focused on partnering for a new downstream lithium processing facility in a mutually agreed location.

The partnering initiative is expected to be concluded by the end of the second quarter of 2024.