PERTH (miningweekly.com) – South Africa-based gold miner Gold Fields has applied to the Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to extend the life of its 400 000 oz/y St Ives gold mine to 2028.
In its ‘Beyond 2018’ plan, which was submitted to the EPA in January, Gold Fields is seeking approval to disturb an additional 5 000 ha of land in the Lake Lefroy area, about 20 km south-east of Kambalda.
The plan is not expected to require a change to the current mining or processing methods, but Gold Fields noted in its application that alternate methods for cost-effective and safe mining were always under consideration.
Gold Fields was quoted by the West Australian as saying that the Beyond 2018 referral to the EPA was an important part of its overall plan to secure the future of the operation over the next ten years and beyond.
“This plan will also see the continuation over the next three to five years of the current investment in exploration of approximately A$38-million per annum,” the company said.
Gold Fields believes that through this investment, St Ives will continue to maintain a production profile of about 350 000 oz/y to 400 000 oz/y, the newspaper reported.