Overview

Mine Type	Open Pit
Status	Active
Commodities	Lithium Spodumene
Mining Method	Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start	...
Mine Life	...
Snapshot	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.

Deposit type

• Pegmatite

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 wholly reporting in spodumene and muscovite respectively) with relatively low values for tin and tantalum or other associated minerals.

Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

Commodity	Units	2022	2020	2019
Spodumene	kt	....	....	96

Operational metrics

Metrics	2023	2022	2020	2019
Annual processing capacity	....	....
Annual production capacity	....	....	....	220,000 t of spodumene concentrate
Stripping / waste ratio	....	....	....	3.9
Ore tonnes mined	....	....	....	1,517,284 wmt
Waste	....	....	....	5,976,826 wmt
Total tonnes mined	....	....	....	2,549,544 bcm
Tonnes processed	....	....	....	944,052 wmt

Personnel

Job Title	Name	Phone	Email	Profile	Ref. Date
.......................	.......................				Nov 30, 2023
.......................	.......................				Nov 30, 2023
.......................	.......................	...........	...........		Nov 30, 2023
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.......................	.......................				Feb 19, 2024