Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Federation Project

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StageConstruction
Commodities
  • Zinc
  • Lead
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Longitudinal retreat
  • Longhole stoping
  • Transverse stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotFederation Project is one of the highest-grade base metal development projects in Australia. The Federation deposit hosts high-grade zinc, lead, and gold mineralisation and remains open at depth.

On 10 October 2022, the Federation Mine Feasibility Study was released. In April 2023, the Aurelia Metals provided an update, which further refined the Feasibility Study and delivered an improved path to production, lower capital expenditure, along with an updated mine design to increase operational efficiency.

Project development will involve the underground mining of the Federation deposit for treatment through established processing circuits at Peak and Hera sites.

The Federation Project is currently under construction with development ore expected in 2024.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Aurelia Metals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Hera Resources Pty Ltd (operator) 100 % Direct
Hera Resources Pty Ltd ,a wholly owned subsidiary of Aurelia Metals Limited, owns and operates the Federation Project.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

The Federation deposit is located on the eastern margin of the Palaeozoic Cobar Basin, an intracratonic basin within the Lachlan Orogen. Mineralisation at Federation is epigenetic and structurally controlled with several steeply dipping vein breccia/massive sulphide lenses developed in the centre of a broad northeast-southwest striking corridor of quartz–sulphide vein stockwork mineralisation. The mineralisation is hosted by fine-grained sedimentary rocks and is best developed within open upright anticline closures in areas of strong rheology contrast imposed by early stratiform alteration.

Massive sulphide and sulphide breccia base metal mineralisation is typically zinc-rich and associated with intense cross-cutting black chlorite alteration in the lower parts of the known deposit, with silica-sulphide dominant infill in the upper parts. Late bedding-parallel faults have been identified that may have caused some brittle offset within the system. These structures possibly started as extensional faults and could have focused hydrothermal fluids during alteration and mineralisation.

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. AnnualLOM
Zinc kt 45310
Lead kt 26179
Gold koz 1596
Silver koz 39500
Copper kt 17
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual mining capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Assumed price Lead USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Zinc USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Gold USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

Currency2023
UG mining costs ($/t mined) AUD 91.9 *  
Total operating costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 7% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 15, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 15, 2023
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Nov 15, 2023

Aerial view:

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