PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection has given the final approval for Resolute Mining to restart operations at its Sarsfield openpit mine.

Resolute on Tuesday said the approved environmental authority was a major milestone in the governmental approval process that is required to progress the Ravenswood expansion project, and included all provisions required to restart mining at the Sarsfied openpit.

“The amended environmental approval we have received is a critically important aspect of our plans to expand production and extend the mine life of our Ravenswood gold mine,” said MD and CEO John Welborn.

“We have already successfully recommenced openpit mining at the nearby Nolans East pit and have increased processing capacity to 2.8-million tonnes, while we continue underground operations at Mt Wright. The next stage of our expansion plans [is to] recommence mining activities at the Sarsfield openpit mine, before advancing to the adjacent Buck Reef West deposit.”

Following the regulatory approvals of the Sarsfield and Buck Reef West operations, Resolute is hoping to expand the mill capacity to five-million tonnes a year during 2018.

Minister Assisting the Premier on North Queensland Coralee O’Rourke welcomed the final milestone for the expansion that will extend the life of the mine and ensure 280 existing jobs continue.

“This investment could extend the mine’s life by 13 years and will mean 100 new construction jobs in the region.”

The expansion project is a prescribed project, which allows the independent Coordinator-General to help Resolute navigate government approvals and cut red tape.

Resolute’s existing Mt Wright underground mine is due to close next year. The expansion proposes a long-life large-scale return to openpit mining at the Sarsfield and Buck Reef West deposits.

The company’s recently completed feasibility study confirmed that the return to openpit mining could extend the mine life to at least 2029, and increase average yearly gold production from the current level of around 100 000 oz to more than 120 000 oz.