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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The South Australian government has approved copper miner Hillgrove Resources’ mine-life extension at its flagship Kanmantoo copper project.
The miner said on Thursday that the Department of State Development had approved the programme for environment protection and rehabilitation (PERP) life-of-mine plan for Kanmantoo.
The approval provided the Kanmantoo operation with a 75% increase in processed ore, compared with the original PERP, and a mine-life extension until 2019, based on the current mine reserves. The approval also allowed for access to additional copper resources located within the mining lease.
“Finalising this process has provided a welcome degree of certainty for the current Kanmantoo mine programme and targets. It confirms the next stage in the planned mine life of the project, continuing employment for the local region, ongoing cash flow and potential for return of value to shareholders,” said Hillgrove MD Greg Hall.
He said that the company would now undertake a review of the exploration potential on the Kanmantoo mining lease, as well as the broader regional exploration tenements as part of possible future life extensions.
“Some of this will be based on conversion of resource and exploration target ranges into reserves, and some will be reviewing the potential for new mineralised zones.”
Hall said that the company’s recent acquisitions of the exploration and mining options over the Kitticoola private mine also acted as a step in this programme.