Altura looks at bigger Pilgangoora
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – An expanded production scenario for the planned Pilgangoora lithium project, in Western Australia, has improved project economics, owner Altura Mining revealed on Monday.
A feasibility study revealed that the Pilgangoora project could produce about 215 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate over an initial mine life of 12 years.
This was up from the prefeasibility study (PFS) production of 150 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate, with a mine life of 19 years.
With higher output expected at Pilgangoora, the feasibility study had increased the project’s expected net present value from A$227-million reported in the PFS to A$382-million, while the internal rate of return increased from 42.5% to 59.9%.
The projected life-of-mine (LoM) revenue also increased from A$1.3-billion projected in the PFS to A$1.56-million, while LoM cash generation increased from A$609-million to A$773.8-million.
In the meantime, the project’s expected capital costs had increased from A$97.6-million to A$129.3-million.
Altura said that the company was aiming to have Pilgangoora in production by 2017, with the development of a single openpit mine and processing plant facilities. Processed ore would be trucked to Port Hedland, where it would be exported.
Altura stated that there was potential for further economic improvements at the Pilgangoora project by increasing the mine life with the conversion of inferred mineral resource into the indicated category, as well as by increasing the resource base.
Furthermore, the company was investigating the reduction of capital requirements through the acquisition of existing infrastructure or infrastructure sharing arrangements with adjacent project developers, as well as concluding binding offtake agreements with partners that could potentially offer higher spodumene prices.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
ZF Aftermarket is the after-sales division of the world-renowned German ZF group, a global leader in mobility technology.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Electrifying the world in a safe, smart, and sustainable way, ABB Electrification is a global technology leader in electrical distribution and...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
