PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed gold major Newcrest Mining has applied to increase its processing plant capacity at the Cadia Valley operations, in New South Wales.
The miner has applied to the Department of Planning and Environment to modify the Cadia East project approval to increase the permit for the upper limit processing plant from 27-million tonnes to 32-million tonnes a year.
Cadia East is one of the largest gold and copper deposits in the world, and has an estimated mineral resource of 2.8-billion tonnes of ore, containing some 37-million ounces of gold and 7.5-million tonnes of copper.
The company invested A$2-billion in the development of the first Cadia East underground mine, which was officially opened in May of last year. The project is expected to have a mine life of 21 years.
Newcrest said on Wednesday that any increases to production capacity, as well as the associated capital requirements, would be subject to further studies and board approval.