Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Kalkaroo Project

Click for more information

Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Copper
  • Gold
  • Cobalt
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotKalkaroo is one of the largest undeveloped open pit copper deposits in Australia on a 0.89% CuEq Ore Reserve basis.

Contains 1.1 million tonnes of copper, 3.1 million ounces of gold and 23,200 tonnes of cobalt in Measured, Indicated and Inferred JORC Mineral Resources.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Havilah Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Kalkaroo Copper Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Kalkaroo Copper Pty Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Havilah Resources Ltd. Kalkaroo Copper Pty Ltd is an owner of the Kalkaroo copper-gold-cobalt project (100%).

Deposit type

  • Stratabound
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Kalkaroo consists of stratabound replacement and vein style copper-gold mineralisation within Willyama Supergroup rocks of the Curnamona Craton.

The stratabound mineralization is uniformly distributed along more than 3 km of strike that follows an arc around the 35 degree dipping northern nose of the Kalkaroo south dome. It is hosted by an 80m -120m thick mineralised horizon that is sandwiched between psammitic footwall rocks and a thick pelitic hangingwall sequence.

In part, the mineralization is associated with near-vertical, mineralised quartz vein breccia fracture/fault fillings, which probably formed channel ways for the mineralising fluids. Interference folding resulted in dome structures which probably acted as structural traps for the rising mineralising fluids carried by these vertical structures.

The mineralising events were associated with iron-rich and sodium-rich alteration fronts, which are manifest as widespread fine-grained magnetite in the lower sandy formations and as pervasive albite alteration.

Erosion in the Mesozoic and Tertiary period exposed the Kalkaroo deposit to prolonged and deep weathering. Consequently, the deposit shows typical supergene enrichment features in its upper part, caused by oxidation of the primary sulphides in the weathering zone, forming a soft clay rich rock called saprolite. This is manifest in a subhorizontal stratification of the ore minerals from top to bottom:

1. Supergene free gold in saprolite, with generally minor copper, recoverable by gravity and cyanide leaching methods.

2. Native copper and gold in saprolite, largely recoverable by gravity methods.

3. Chalcocite dominant with gold, recoverable by conventional flotation.

4. Chalcopyrite dominant with gold and locally rich molybdenum, recoverable by conventional flotation.

The Kalkaroo mineralisation exists around an arcuate domal structure which has been drilled more than 3km along strike. Copper-gold mineralisation is continuous throughout this strike length and is open at depth along its entire length and is open at both ends.

The true width of mineralisation ranges from 40-80 metres thick, while the plan width of mineralisation above cutoff varies from 50 to 200 metres.

Mineralisation generally has an upper bound 50 metres below the topography and at its deepest has been intersected in a single drillhole 500 metres below the topographic surface.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Copper M lbs 66864
Gold koz 72935
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual milling capacity 7 Mt *
Stripping / waste ratio 3.5 *
Waste tonnes, LOM 352 Mt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 100.2 Mt *
Total tonnes mined, LOM 452.2 Mt *
* According to 2019 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
C1 cash costs Copper Equivalent USD 1.67 / lb *  
C2 total cash costs Copper Equivalent USD 2.06 / lb *  
Assumed price Copper USD 2.89 / lb *  
Assumed price Gold USD 1,200 / oz *  
* According to 2019 study / presentation. Costs based on equivalent units of copper metal produced.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
OP mining costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
Processing costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
Total operating costs ($/t milled) AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2019 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total OpEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 5% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 7.5% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 5% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 7.5% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneEmailProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 10, 2024

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.