Mining Intelligence and News
Spain

Muga-Vipasca Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StageConstruction
Commodities
  • Potash
  • Salt (evaporated)
  • Salt (rock)
Mining Method
  • Room-and-pillar
  • Continuous
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Company announced on 29 March 2023 that the Townhall of Sangüesa issued the licence for the construction of the process plant. This milestone was one of the Company’s highlight achievements of 2023 as this was the last construction licence required to begin the full-scale construction of Muga, comprising the civil works, the process plant and the ramps. To expedite the process, the Company requested an amendment to the licence; this amendment was to exclude a small parcel of public land that required a more extended licencing process. This does not impact the construction of the Muga process plant and has limited impact relative to the southern ponds.

Some preliminary works, which need to be carried out prior to the main construction have been progressed during 2023 year. Some of these works relate to earthmoving in preparation for the areas for the saline water deposit and the environmental protection barriers around the footprint of the Project. In addition, minor preliminary.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Highfield Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Concession is wholly owned by and exploration is operated by Geoalcali S.L., the wholly owned Spanish subsidiary of Highfield Resources.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Evaporite

Summary:

The depositional basin bounds are defined to the south-west at the east-south east/west-north west trending Rocaforte Syncline near the margin of the Aragón River. To the north-west is the Sierra de Leyre anticlinal structure that overthrusts the Pamplona Marls Formation, the underlying unit of the evaporite. This thrust and two reverse faults run approximately east-west.

The first fault in the north is within the Pamplona Marls over Yesa turbidites. The second is coincident with the Liedena Sandstone, which overlays the evaporite. These faults are considered the extension of the Loiti Fault towards the east which also corresponds to the synsedimentary line between marine sediments within the Basin to the Eocene-Oligocene continental sediments at the thrust front.

The south boundary of the Exploration Target is an important fault running north-west/south-east that extends towards the east acting as limit to Magdalena anticline, considered the southern limit of southeastern section of the Muga Project area. In the west, the fault converges to the Loiti structure beyond the investigated area.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Potash MOP Mt 130
Salt (evaporated) Crystals Mt 15
Salt (rock) De-icing salt Mt 11

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual production capacity 1.33 Mt of MOP *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 179.8 Mt *
* According to 2019 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
C1 cash costs Potash EUR 81 / t * **  
Assumed price Potash EUR 378 / t *  
* According to 2019 study / presentation.
** Net of By-Product.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Total CapEx $M EUR  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M EUR  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 16, 2024

Aerial view:

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