PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum has approved ASX-listed Altech Chemicals’ mining proposal and mine closure plan for its Meckering kaolin deposit.
Altech is planning to mine some 140 000 t of kaolin once every three years, with mining to take place in short two-month mining campaigns. The resulting raw kaolin ore will be stockpiled on site and shipped to Malaysia at a rate of 40 000 t/y.
“The company is delighted to have received mining approval for the Meckering kaolin deposit. While the company will not need to commence mining kaolin until 2018, the approval of the mine is an important developmental milestone that has now been ticked off,” said Altech MD Iggy Tan.
He noted that the next step in the project would be the works approval application for the proposed loading facility at Meckering, which was being assessed by the Department of Environmental Regulation.
Kaolin is a type of clay that is used in the paper industry, as well as for other industrial applications, including paint, rubber and fertilisers.