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Australia
Nova Operation

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 Location:
140 km E from Norseman, Western Australia, Australia

  Regional Office:
Suite 4, Level 5, South Shore Centre, 85 85 South Perth Esplanade
PO Box 496
South Perth
Western Australia, Australia
6151
Phone  ...  Subscription required
Fax+61-8-9238-8399
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
  • Mining
  • Processing
  • Production
  • Reserves
  • Costs & Financials
  • Personnel
  • Filings & News

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Overview

StageProduction
Mine TypeUnderground
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Open stoping
  • Paste backfill
Processing
  • Flotation
Mine Life5.5 years (as of Jan 1, 2021)
The Nova Operation comprises an underground mine consisting of two orebodies, Nova and Bollinger.
Latest NewsNova operation to reach its renewable Zenith     January 28, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 40, 83, 122
CompanyInterestOwnership
IGO Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Nova Operation, 100% owned, was acquired as a development stage project via the acquisition of Sirius Resources NL in September 2015.

The Nova Operation and exploration properties are owned by the IGO Ltd's wholly owned subsidiary IGO Nova Pty Ltd.

Deposit Type

  • Magmatic
  • Intrusion related


Summary:

The Nova Operation comprises an underground mine consisting of two orebodies, Nova and Bollinger.

Nova-Bollinger lies within the 425km by 50km wide, Mesoproterozoic-age Fraser Zone of the Albany-Fraser Orogen. The Fraser Zone is fault bounded by the Biranup Zone to the northeast, and the Nornalup Zone to the southeast. The Arid Basin forms the basement to the Fraser Zone and the Snowys Dam formation of the Arid Basin is the basement package in the Nova-Bollinger area.

Mafic, ultramafic and granitic intrusions were emplaced in the region during the first phase of the Albany-Fraser Orogeny (~1.30Ga). Later, intense tectonic events (1.12-1.14Ga), metamorphosed the Fraser Zone rocks to granulite facies grade, and the zone is now characterised by gneissic fabrics, complex refolding and major mylonitic zones.

The rocks within the Nova-Bollinger region are consistent with the regional descriptions of the Snowys Dam formation and include pelitic to psammitic gneisses, a local carbonate unit, along with metamorphosed mafic/ultramafic and volcanoclastic rocks. The Nova-Bollinger mafic-ultramafic sill complex that hosts the Nova-Bollinger deposit, is a doubly plunging synform, where a magnetite-bearing footwall gneiss has been identified as the cause of ‘The Eye’ magnetic feature.

The mafic/ultramafic sill complex is a dishshaped package ~ 2.4km by ~1.2km in plan and ~450m in thickness. The rocks of the complex range from peridotite to pyroxenite, to gabbronorite and norite, with both sharp and gradational contacts between different intrusive phases.

The mine area is covered by a (<3m) thick regolith and/or transported cover, with some of oxidation of sulphides in fresh rock down to ~20m in the western end of the Nova area.

Nova-Bollinger’s mineralisation is associated with a mafic magmatic conduit known as the Nova Gabbro, from which the sulphide mineralisation precipitated and accumulated within the conduit and the fracture zones surrounding this source intrusion. The Nova Gabbro and associated sulphide mineralisation is interpreted to have been emplaced in a dynamic environment, at peak metamorphism, with most of the sulphide mineralisation remobilised into structures and/or fracture zones surrounding the mineralising intrusion.

There are several mineralisation styles in the NovaBollinger Deposit ranging from massive sulphide accumulations, breccias, net-textured zones (olivine + sulphide matrix), stringer-sulphides in metasediments, and disseminated and blebby textures in gabbroic units.

The massive sulphide mineralogy is dominated by pyrrhotite (80-85%), minor pentlandite (10-15%) with lesser chalcopyrite (5-10%). Concentrations (up to 5%) of magnetite also occur locally within massive sulphides. Cobalt is strongly and positively correlated with nickel as both elements are found concentrated in pentlandite, albeit both also occur in minor concentrations in solid solution with pyrrhotite.


Mining Methods

  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Open stoping
  • Paste backfill


Summary:

Mining of the Nova-Bollinger deposit is and will be, by underground mining methods including mechanised mining, open stoping and/or paste backfill stoping.

The Nova Operation is based on a designed 1.5Mtpa underground operation with decline access, 1.5Mtpa processing plant and associated infrastructure and services. The principal stoping methods is sub-level open stoping with paste fill to maximise extraction of the orebody. The stopes measure up to 25 metres by 25 metres horizontally and 70 metres in height.

Underground mining contractor - Barminco.


Crushing and Grinding
Crusher / Mill TypeModelSizePowerQuantity
SAG mill 1
Ball mill 1

Summary:

The plant included single stage crushing, with conveyors that deliver the ore to a coarse ore bin. Coarse ore is ground in a two stage grinding circuit that comprises a SAG and ball mill.


Processing

  • Flotation

Source: Subscription required

Summary:

the Nova Operation consists of a processing facility with nameplate production capacity of 1.5 million tonnes per annum that produces both nickel and copper concentrates.

The plant included single stage crushing, with conveyors that deliver the ore to a coarse ore bin. Coarse ore is ground in a two stage grinding circuit that comprises a SAG and ball mill. The ore/slurry from the grinding circuit is classified via the mill cyclones and the cyclone overflow undergoes differential flotation. The nickel and copper flotation circuits have dedicated regrind, cleaning and re-cleaning processes to optimise metal recovery in each circuit.

Plant tailings are pumped to a cemented paste back-fill plant with the paste product delivered underground via a borehole and underground distribution system, or plant tailings can be pumped to a tailing storage facility when paste fill is not required in the mine.

Recoveries & Grades:

CommodityParameter2021202020192018
Nickel Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Nickel Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.83
Copper Recovery Rate, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Copper Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required0.75
Cobalt Head Grade, %  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required0.06

Production:

CommodityProductUnits202220212020201920182017
Nickel Metal in concentrate t  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required22,2583,502
Copper Metal in concentrate t  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Cobalt Metal in concentrate t  ......  Subscription required ^  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Nickel Payable metal t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required15,586
Copper Payable metal t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
Cobalt Payable metal t  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required
^ Guidance / Forecast.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Operational Metrics:

Metrics20212020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1,509,875 t1,511,920 t
Tonnes milled  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1,580,706 t1,427,072 t
Annual processing capacity  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required1.5 Mt1.5 Mt1.5 Mt
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Reserves at December 31, 2020:
Ore Reserves: CY20 estimates reported using NSR cut-off grades of A$34/t for development, A$75/t incremental stoping and A$131/t for full stoping costs.
The CY20 Mineral Resource estimate is reported using a A$54.50/t NSR cut-off.
Some averages and sums are affected by rounding.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Proven & Probable 9 Mt Nickel 1.82 % 163 kt
Proven & Probable 9 Mt Copper 0.77 % 69 kt
Proven & Probable 9 Mt Cobalt 0.07 % 6 kt
Measured 10.4 Mt Nickel 1.88 % 196 kt
Measured 10.4 Mt Copper 0.75 % 79 kt
Measured 10.4 Mt Cobalt 0.06 % 6 kt
Indicated 1.3 Mt Nickel 0.81 % 10 kt
Indicated 1.3 Mt Copper 0.37 % 5 kt
Indicated 1.3 Mt Cobalt 0.03 % 1 kt
Inferred 0.1 Mt Nickel 1.26 % 1 kt
Inferred 0.1 Mt Copper 0.47 % 1 kt
Inferred 0.1 Mt Cobalt 0.04 % 1 kt
Total Resource 11.8 Mt Nickel 1.76 % 208 kt
Total Resource 11.8 Mt Copper 0.71 % 84 kt
Total Resource 11.8 Mt Cobalt 0.06 % 7 kt

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnits2021202020192018
Cash costs Nickel AUD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 2.78 / lb†
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Nickel AUD  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required†  ......  Subscription required† 4.51 / lb†
^ Guidance / Forecast.
† Net of By-Product.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Financials:

Units20222021202020192018
Capital expenditures (planned) M AUD  ......  Subscription required
Capital expenditures M AUD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required59.6  
Revenue M AUD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required348.8  
Pre-tax Income M AUD  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required  ......  Subscription required35.6  
Subscription required - Subscription is required


Heavy Mobile Equipment:

Mine Management:

Job TitleNameEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Sep 9, 2021
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2018

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2020
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
................................... Subscription required 2019
Annual Report 2018
Corporate Presentation 2018
Annual Report 2017
Fact Sheet 2016
Fact Sheet 2015
Press Release 2015
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Nova operation to reach its renewable Zenith January 28, 2022
IGO bolsters renewable energy supply at Nova November 11, 2021
Barminco secures $240m Nova contract with Independence October 25, 2018

Aerial view:

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

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