Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Savannah North Expansion Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusArchived Information
Commodities
  • Nickel
  • Copper
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe first stope from the Savannah Extension was successfully mined and the paste filled in the first quarter 2024. Infrastructure works were carried out in the Savannah Extension, allowing for a substation and underground chiller plant to be installed when required.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Panoramic Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Panoramic Resources Ltd. owns 100% interest in the Savannah North Project through it's wholly owned subsidiary Savannah Nickel Mines Pty Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Magmatic
  • MMS

Summary:

Savannah mineralisation.
The original Savannah sulphide rich nickel, copper and cobalt orebody is hosted by the layered mafic-ultramafic Savannah Intrusion which is enveloped by aluminous metasediments and para-gneisses of the Tickalara Metamorphics. The Savannah Orebody is mostly confined to a marginal norite unit up to 40 metres thick developed above the base of the intrusion. Areas of massive, matrix and disseminated sulphide mineralisation, dominated by pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, pentlandite and minor pyrite occur throughout the marginal norite unit.

Prior to the development of the Savannah Open Pit, the marginal norite unit outcropped as a prominent 250 metre long limonite-goethite gossan with fresh sulphide mineralisation developing approximately 20 metres below surface. At approximately 500 metres below the surface, a significant sub-horizontal fault, the 500 Fault, cuts the orebody and offsets it 200 metres to the northwest. A similar fault at approximately 900 metres below surface, the 900 Fault, offsets the orebody a further 250 metres to the northwest. Mineralisation above the 500 Fault is referred to as the “Upper Zone”, between the 500 and 900 faults as the “Lower Zone” and below the 900 Fault as the “sub 900 Fault Zone”.

Savannah North mineralisation.
The SNM (Savannah North mineralisation) is based on mining ore associated with the Savannah Intrusion; a palaeo-proterozoic mafic/ultramafic magma conduit. The Ni-Cu-Co rich massive sulphide mineralisation occurs as “classic” magmatic breccias developed about the more primitive, MgO rich basal parts of the conduit.

Magmatic Ni-Cu-Co sulphide Resources hosted by the Savannah North Intrusion (SNI) located to the north of the Savannah Mine.

The Savannah North mineralisation dips moderately (40- 45 degrees) to the north-west and comprises two main zones, the Upper Zone is developed on the basal contact of the North Olivine Gabbro, the second Lower Zone is a consistent remobilised zone of massive sulphide mineralisation, in part associated with the 500 Fault. Both zones are well defined by the drilling and the interpretation is considered sufficiently robust for resource modelling. Additional minor mineralised zones include 5 domains in the hanging wall position to the Upper Zone and a minor mineralized sub-vertical fault.

The Savannah North mineralisation has been defined over a strike length of approximately 1 kilometre with clear indications from geophysics it could extend over 2km. The Resource relates to an area with a strike length of 1,010m from 5,350mE to 6,360mE and extends from 750m to 1,750m below surface with an average domain thickness of approximately 5 metres.

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

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual (Projected)
Nickel t 9,072
Copper t 4,683
Cobalt t 676
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 3, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 3, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jul 28, 2020

Aerial view:

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