Photo by: Reuters
JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Nickel developer Horizonte Minerals has awarded contracts for key parts of the feasibility study at its 100%-owned Araguaia nickel project, in Brazil.
The dual-listed miner has appointed Steinweg Handelsveem for material transport and logistics, SM&A Electrics for power infrastructure and power transmission lines and VCE Mine Consultancy for mining permit reporting.
The feasibility study is currently at an advanced stage, with the principal work streams more than 50% complete.
Horizonte, which aims to become one of the lowest-cost nickel producers globally, noted that the Araguaia project is designed to produce 14 500 t/y nickel, using the proven rotary kiln electric furnace technology.
The project is located on the eastern margin of the State of Pará, north-eastern Brazil, to the north of the town of Conceição do Araguaia, south of the main Carajás mining district.
A prefeasibility study, released in October 2016, considered openpit mining for the exploitation of nickel laterite to establish the production of run-of-mine from eight openpits to supply a targeted 900 000 t/y of ore to a processing and smelter facility.