Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Mt Marion Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Lithium
  • Spodumene
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotFollowing plant expansion works completed in June 2023, Mt Marion teams focused on commissioning and production ramp up during FY24.

During Q2 FY24, a diamond drilling program significantly increased confidence in the underground resource in the mine’s upper North Pit, which confirms significant opportunity for open pit extensions and underground potential.

Locally based underground development contractor commenced works in early 2024 to establish an exploration decline and assist with development of surface facilities that will support underground infrastructure and future mining activities.

Pending receipt of all necessary approvals, MinRes is targeting first development ore in mid-2025 and first production ore by the end of 2025.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Mineral Resources Ltd. (operator) 50 % Indirect
Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. 50 % Indirect
The Mt Marion lithium operation is jointly owned by MinRes (50 per cent) and Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd (50 per cent).

MinRes manages all mining operations at Mt Marion and transports product to the Port of Esperance for export.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Pegmatite

Summary:

The Mt Marion lithium mineralisation is hosted within a number of sub-parallel, northeast to northwest trending pegmatite intrusive bodies which dip at between 10° and 30° to the west. Individual pegmatites vary in strike length from approximately 300m to 1,500m and average 15m to 20m in thickness but vary locally from less than 2m to up to 35m thick. The pegmatites intrude the mafic volcanic host rocks of the surrounding greenstone belt.

Large intervals of spodumene-bearing pegmatite in the southwest intersected during the 2016 and 2020 drilling are interpreted to be part of a sub-vertical, northeast striking feeder zone. The feeder zone is interpreted to be around 40m to 70m wide, extending approximately 400m along strike and down to over 400m below surface, and is open at depth.

The lithium occurs as 5cm to 30cm long grey-white spodumene crystals within medium grained pegmatites comprising primarily of quartz, feldspar, spodumene and muscovite. The spodumene crystals are broadly oriented orthogonal to the pegmatite contacts. Some zoning of the pegmatites parallel to the contacts is observed, with higher concentrations of spodumene occurring close to the upper contact.

A diamond drilling program in late 2023 has significantly increased confidence in the underground resource in the mine’s upper North Pit.

Drilling confirmed the North Pit underground ore body is vertically dipping with a strike length of 500 metres and a thickness of 30 to 60 metres. Pegmatites were intercepted around 1.2 kilometres below surface.

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

CommodityUnits20242023202220212020201920182017
Spodumene kt  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe344 348 106 
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate. ^ Guidance / Forecast.

Operational metrics

Metrics20242023202220212020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe2,817 kwmt2,923 kwmt1,460 kwmt
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe21,453 kwmt22,539 kwmt7,044 kwmt
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2024202320222021
Cash costs Spodumene AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Total cash costs Spodumene AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Financials

Units2024202320222021
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
EBITDA M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 28, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 23, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Oct 28, 2024

EmployeesTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2022

Aerial view:

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