PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Metals miner Panoramic Resources has declared a maiden resource of 323 000 t, grading 1.98% nickel, for 6 395 t of contained nickel at its Jury-Metcalfe deposit, at the Lanfranchi operations, in Western Australia.
Panoramic said on Wednesday that some 77% of the resource was classified as indicated. The resource remained open both up- and down-plunge, and there was the potential for the further increases with a new drill programme, which was expected to start in the second half of 2013.
The Jury-Metcalfe resource was close to existing infrastructure and, owing to the geometry of the zone, it was potentially suitable for mechanised mining, the company said.
Panoramic was currently mining the Lanfranchi operation, with run-of-mine ore delivered to mining major BHP Billiton group's Nickel West's Kambalda concentrator.
The company produced some 19 791 t of nickel during the full 2012, and was forecasting production of between 18 000 t and 19 000 t for 2013.