PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The West Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum has approved the mining proposal and mine closure plan for the Pilgangoora lithium project being developed by Altura Mining.
The company said on Wednesday that the mining proposal, the mine closure plan, and the native vegetation clearing permit that was issued in November 2016, constituted the key environmental approvals required to allow work to start on site.
The approvals have paved the way for a planned site mobilisation and early mining activities to start during the first quarter of this year, in anticipation of full project funding and a decision to mine from the Altura board.
A previously completed definitive feasibility study estimated that the project will have a yearly ore feed rate of 1.54-million tonnes to deliver 219 000 t/y spodumene concentrate containing 6% lithium, with estimated life-of-mine cash costs of A$316/t of spodumene concentrate.
The project will cost an estimated A$139.7-million to build.
Altura said on Wednesday that after recommissioning its 325-person construction and operations camp in early February, and now achieving approval to mine, the company is well placed to deliver the project for commissioning by the fourth quarter of 2017.