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Australia

Nova Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Room-and-pillar
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Longhole stoping
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Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Nova Operation comprises the Nova underground nickel mine consisting of two orebodies, Nova and Bollinger, a processing operation which produces saleable concentrates containing nickel, copper, and cobalt, and associated non-processing infrastructure.

A major milestone was achieved in FY2025 by reaching net zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions at Nova through decarbonisation activities and the voluntary cancellation of Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs).

The Nova operation is due to reach the end of its operating life in late 2026, and IGO Ltd. intends to transition straight from operations into mine closure.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
IGO Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Nova Mine is owned by the IGO Ltd. through its wholly owned subsidiary, IGO Nova Pty Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic
  • Intrusion related

Summary:

The Nova Operation comprises an underground mine consisting of two orebodies, Nova and Bollinger. The Nova and Bollinger zones are now recognised as a single continuous deposit known as Nova-Bollinger.

Nova-Bollinger was discovered within the Mesoproterozoic age Fraser Zone (about 425km long by 50km wide) of the Albany-Fraser Orogen. The Fraser Zone is fault bound by the Biranup Zone to the northeast and the Nornalup Zone to the southeast. The Arid Basin sequence of rocks is the basement to the Fraser Zone, and the Snowys Dam Formation of the Arid Basin is the basement rock package in the Nova-Bollinger area. During the first phase of the Albany-Fraser Orogen at around 1.30 billion years ago, mafic, ultramafic and granitic intrusions were emplaced penecontemporaneously with the granulite facies metamorphism of the regional stratigraphy, which is interpreted to have occurred at crustal depths of 28 to 35km below surface. This zone is now characterised by gneissic fabrics, complex refolding and major mylonitic zones.

The rocks within the local Nova-Bollinger region are consistent with the geological literature’s descriptions of the Snowys Dam Formation and include pelitic to psammitic gneisses, a local carbonate unit, along with metamorphosed mafic-ultramafic (MUM) and volcaniclastic rocks. The NovaBollinger MUM sill complex that hosts Nova-Bollinger’s Ni+Cu+Co sulphide mineralisation is a doubly plunging synform, where a magnetite-bearing footwall gneiss has been identified as the cause of ‘The Eye’ magnetic feature. The MUM sill complex is a dish-shaped package about 2.4 by 1.2km in plan and up to 450 metres (m) in thickness. The rocks of the complex range in mineralogy from peridotite to pyroxenite, to gabbronorite and norite, with both sharp and gradational contacts between different intrusive phases. An upper and lower intrusion are recognised, with the lower ‘Nova Gabbro’ intrusion intimately associated with the Ni+Cu+Co sulphide mineralisation. The mine area is covered by an up to a 3m thick regolith and/or transported cover, with oxidation of sulphides in fresh rock down to depths of 20m in the western end of the Nova area.

Nova-Bollinger’s Ni+Cu+Co sulphide mineralisation is associated with the Nova Gabbro mafic magmatic conduit, from which the sulphide mineralisation is interpreted to have precipitated and accumulated within the conduit and the fracture zones surrounding this source ‘chonolith’ 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 Nova-Bollinger, ranging from massive sulphide accumulations, breccias, net-textured zones (comprising olivine crystals in sulphide matrix), stringer sulphides in metasediments, and disseminated and blebby textures in gabbroic units.

Nova-Bollinger’s massive sulphide mineralogy is dominated by the mineral pyrrhotite (80 to 85% by volume), with minor pentlandite (10 to 15%) and lesser chalcopyrite (5 to 10%). Concentrations of up to 5% magnetite also occur locally within more massive sulphide zones. 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. Copper is hosted by the chalcopyrite.

Dimensions:
- The Nova area mineralisation commences from 40m below surface and extends to 470m below surface.
- The Nova area extents are about 650m (northeast to southwest) and about 300m (northwest to southeast).
- The Bollinger mineralisation abuts the Nova zone and starts at about 360m below surface (highest point) and extends to about 425m below surface.
- Bollinger has areal extents of about 300m long (north) and ranges from 125m to 400m wide (east).
- The Nova and Bollinger zones are joined by an interpreted narrow east-west trending feeder ‘Mid’ zone that has a length of about 180m, thickness of 10 to 20m and north-south width of up to 80m.

Reserves

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Comminution

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Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnits202520242023202220212020201920182017
Nickel Payable metal kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2216
Nickel Metal in concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe31223.5
Copper Payable metal M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2819
Copper Metal in concentrate M lbs  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe30214.6
Cobalt Metal in concentrate t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,090740112
Nickel Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe227165
Copper Concentrate kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe4331
Cobalt Payable metal t  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe354238

Operational metrics

Metrics202520242023202220212020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,509,875 t1,511,920 t
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1,580,706 t1,427,072 t
Annual milling capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe1.5 Mt1.5 Mt1.5 Mt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits20252024202320222021202020192018
Credits (by-product) Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe -2.75 / lb   -3.13 / lb  
Total cash costs Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.07 / lb **   2.78 / lb **  
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Nickel AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 2.79 / lb **   4.51 / lb **  
** Net of By-Product.

Mine Financials

Units20252024202320222021202020192018
Capital expenditures M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 34.2   59.6  
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 501.9   348.8  
Pre-tax Income M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 95.4   35.6  
EBITDA M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 256.2   196  
Operating Cash Flow M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe 289.1   146.7  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
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Workforce

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Aerial view:

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