Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ...  |
Mine Life | 2043 |
The acquisition by Pilbara Minerals of the Ngungaju Plant (previously Altura plant) and associated tenure has opened immense exploration potential in the area. Being part of the same mineralised system, it provides the opportunity for Pilbara Minerals to potentially increase the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve inventory.
Since acquisition the Ngungaju Plant and associated tenure, production and financial results of Ngungaju have been included into the Pilgangoora Operation.
Pilbara Minerals commenced a staged recommissioning of the Ngungaju Plant during FY2022. The Ngungaju Plant was successfully ramped up to nameplate capacity with production in the range of 180,000 to 200,000 tpa of spodumene concentrate from the September Quarter 2022. |
Source:
p. 55,216
Ngungaju Lithium Operations Pty Ltd (Formerly Altura Lithium Operations Pty Ltd) was acquired by Pilbara Minerals Limited effective 20 January 2021.
Contractors
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Summary:
Altura’s Pilgangoora Lithium Project occurs at the southern end of a zone of pegmatite intrusive dykes within the synformal Pilgangoora greenstone belt. The pegmatites are hosted within amphibolites which have a mafic and ultramafic volcanic origin. A total of 13 mineralised pegmatites have been identified and these occur as a set of stacked lodes generally striking 010 030oNNE and dipping 25-40oESE. The dykes generally range from 8-14m thick however there are areas where the pegmatites form lenticular pods and are much thicker (up to 64m).
Based upon the completed drilling, the pegmatites appear to be confined to a NNE trending corridor which is approximately 1600 metres long (north to south), 550 metres wide (east to west) and 450m deep. Mineralisation is present at surface for some lodes with most mineralised lodes starting from within 10m of surface.
The mineralised pegmatites are located approximately 1km east of a granite contact. There are several barren pegmatites located in the zone between the granite contact and the mineralised pegmatite zone. The granite contact and barren pegmatites were identified via sterilisation drilling carried out for the proposed infrastructure and waste dump areas.
The reason for this structural and or geological control within the deposit area is not fully understood however the distance from the granite contact is such that mineralisation in the pegmatite is confined to lithium and rubidium (almost wholl ........

Summary:
Mining will be undertaken by conventional bulk mining methods utilising EX2500 hydraulic excavators, CAT785 dump trucks and drill and blast delivering ore to a ROM stockpile. Ore will be trucked directly from the blasted faces to the ROM stockpile and fed to the primary crusher using a Front-End Loader (FEL). There has been allowance made for blending from the ROM and external stockpiles. The mining operation is 12-hour shifts with crews working day shift and night shift once Stage 2 operations begin to ramp up.
The pits will be mined using 3m flitches for ore and waste. This height gives reasonable production efficiency while keeping dilution to a minimum. In waste, the flitch height could be increased to improve efficiency within the limits of the equipment size.
Pit Design Parameters:
- Bench Height - 6 m;
- Batter Angle - 75 Degrees;
- Stack Height - 12 m;
- Stack Berm Width - 10 m;
- Inter-ramp Angle (IRA) - 42.25 Degrees;
- Geotechnical Catch berm interval - 80 m;
- Catchment Berm Width - 15 m;
- Ramp Width - 24 m.
All haul roads used by mine equipment need to accommodate a Caterpillar 785, 130t dump trucks. The main ramps with an overall width of 3.5-4 times the truck width using a 10% gradient. This allows for safe passing of trucks inclusive of wall side drainage and pit side bunding. For the benches at the pit bottom (up to 40 metres overall height), a single lane ramp running width of 2.0 ti ........

Source:

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Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Production:
Commodity | Units | 2022 | 2020 | 2019 |
Spodumene
|
kt
| ......  | ......  | ......  |
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2023 | 2022 | 2020 | 2019 |
Annual processing capacity
| ......  | ......  | | |
Annual production capacity
| ......  | ......  | 220,000 t of spodumene concentrate | 220,000 t of spodumene concentrate |
Stripping / waste ratio
| ......  | ......  | 3.5 | 3.9 |
Ore tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 1,668,039 wmt | 1,517,284 wmt |
Waste
| ......  | ......  | 5,864,973 wmt | 5,976,826 wmt |
Total tonnes mined
| ......  | ......  | 2,622,508 bcm | 2,549,544 bcm |
Tonnes processed
| ......  | ......  | 1,423,251 wmt | 944,052 wmt |
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Reserves at June 30, 2019:
Mineral resource and ore reserve estimate at 0.30% Li2O cut-off grade.
A revised Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve Estimate for the Pilgangoora Altura Lithium Project whilst being prepared as a matter of routine business, was not released in 2020 due to the events initiated in late October 2020.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
7.2 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.22 %
|
87,000 t
|
Proven
|
7.2 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.4 %
|
|
Probable
|
30.5 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.05 %
|
320,000 t
|
Probable
|
30.5 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.29 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
37.6 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.08 %
|
407,000 t
|
Proven & Probable
|
37.6 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.31 %
|
|
Measured
|
7.4 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.23 %
|
91,000 t
|
Measured
|
7.4 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.38 %
|
|
Indicated
|
34.2 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.03 %
|
353,000 t
|
Indicated
|
34.2 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.29 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.07 %
|
444,000 t
|
Measured & Indicated
|
41.6 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.31 %
|
|
Inferred
|
4.1 Mt
|
Li2O
|
0.95 %
|
39,000 t
|
Inferred
|
4.1 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.41 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
45.7 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.06 %
|
483,000 t
|
Total Resource
|
45.7 Mt
|
Fe2O3
|
1.32 %
|
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | 2020 |
C1 cash costs
|
Spodumene
|
......
|
Financials:
| Units | 2020 | 2019 |
Revenue
|
M AUD
| ......  | ......  |
Gross profit
|
M AUD
| ......  | ......  |
Pre-tax Income
|
M AUD
| ......  | ......  |
After-tax Income
|
M AUD
| ......  | ......  |
Operating Cash Flow
|
M AUD
| ......  | ......  |
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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