Overview
Status | Temporary Suspension |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
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Mining Method |
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Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 2035 |
The Grants Operation is an open cut mine, and the starter operation at the Finniss Lithium Operation. BP33 is the second proposed mine.
Construction of the Finniss Operations was completed in early 2023 and the first concentrates produced in February 2023.
January 5, 2024 - In the light of the significant decline in spodumene concentrate pricing, Finniss Operations Core has decided to continue processing of established ore stockpiles and temporarily suspend mining operations in the Grants Open Pit. At 31 December 2023, approximately 280,000t of ore stockpiles were available for processing allowing for sufficient stocks to feed the concentrator until mid-2024 without any further mining. The Grants pit will be maintained to allow an orderly ramp up when market conditions improve.
The BP33 early works construction project was suspended at the onset of the wet season. The site will be placed in care and maintenance. Work continues on the BP33 updated feasibility study. |
Latest News | Core Lithium looks to the future February 28, 2024 |
Source:
p. 2
Core Lithium is the 100% owner and operator of the Finniss Lithium Operation.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Finniss Lithium Project (Grants and BP33 Lithium Deposits) is hosted within a rare element pegmatite that is a member of the Bynoe Pegmatite Field. The Bynoe Pegmatite Field is situated 15km south of Darwin and extends for up to 70km in length and 15 km in width. Over 100 pegmatites are known within clustered groups or as single bodies. Individual pegmatites vary in size from a few metres wide and tens of metres long up to larger bodies tens of metres wide and hundreds of metres long.
The pegmatites are predominantly hosted within the early Proterozoic metasedimentary lithologies of the Burrell Creek Formation and are usually conformable to the regional schistosity. The Bynoe pegmatites are classified as LCT (Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum) type and are believed to have been derived from the ~ 1845 Ma S-Type Two Sisters Granite which outcrops to the west.
Fresh pegmatite is composed of coarse spodumene, quartz, albite, microcline and muscovite (in decreasing order of abundance). Spodumene, a lithium-bearing pyroxene (LiAl(SiO3)2), is the predominant lithium- bearing phase and displays a diagnostic red- pink UV fluorescence. The pegmatite is not strongly zoned, apart from a thin (1-2m) quartz-mica-albitewall facies and some barren internal quartz veins.
The geological interpretation is considered robust due to the nature of the mineralisation. The mineralisation is hosted within the pegmatite. The locations of the hangingwall and footwall of the ........
Summary:
Stage 1 mine plan comprises open pit production from Grants and Hang Gong and underground at Grants, BP33 and Carlton prospects.
Mining commenced at the Grants open pit in September 2022 and the first parcel of Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) was produced in December 2022.
Grants Open Pit
Mining of Grants will be undertaken by a Mining Contractor using conventional open pit mining methods.
The pit will be mined in two stages; Stage 1 will target early ore by reducing the volume of pre-strip waste to be mined with Stage 2 a cutback out to the final pit limits.
Mining will predominately occur concurrently within both stages over a 9-month period to ensure continuity of ore supply to the crusher with Stage 1 anticipated to start only 2 months before Stage 2. First ore will be mined in Month 6 of the mine schedule, with mining activities continuing in Grants until Month 31.
Hang Gong Open Pit
The Hang Gong pit design was completed using the same design parameters as Grants with a combination of dual lane and single lane ramps utilised. The pit will be mined as a single phase.
Combined with Grants, the two open pits only contain 5% Inferred Resources & together they support 3 years and 45% of the contained metal of life of mine processing requirements.
Hang Gong Pre-strip commences in Month 60 (Year 5, Month 12) for 10 months before ore is exposed. Mining continues for an additional 19 months until ........
Flow Sheet:
Source:
On May 2, 2022, Core Lithium Ltd. announced the execution of a Crushing Services ContractwithCSI Mining Services (CSI) for the Finniss Lithium Project (Project) near Darwin in the Northern Territory.
Run of mine ore will be stockpiled prior to feeding into the CSI crusher circuit. The crushed ore will then be stockpiled before being processed by the Dense Media Separation plant to make spodumene concentrate for export.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
Source:
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Production:
The first concentrate was produced in February 2023.
Commodity | Product | Units | 2024 | 2023 | Avg. Annual (Projected) | LOM (Projected) |
Spodumene
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ...... ^ | ...... | 175 | 1,210 |
Li2O
|
Fines
|
t
| ...... ^ | ...... | | |
Reserves at June 30, 2023:
All resources are reported at a 0.5% Li2O cut-off.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Proven
|
Total
|
5.4 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.4 %
|
Probable
|
Total
|
5.2 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.3 %
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
10.6 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.3 %
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Measured
|
Total
|
6.98 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.44 %
|
Indicated
|
Total
|
14.8 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.37 %
|
Inferred
|
Total
|
9.2 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.18 %
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Total Resource
|
Total
|
31.1 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.33 %
|
HME Type | Model | Size | Quantity | Status | Leased or Contractor | Ref. Date | Source |
Dozer
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Existing
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Nov 16, 2023
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p.6
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Excavator
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Existing
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Nov 16, 2023
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p.6
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Excavator
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.......................
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Existing
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Nov 16, 2023
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p.6
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Truck (haul)
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100 t
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.......................
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Existing
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Nov 16, 2023
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p.6
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.......................
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.......................
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Required
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Jul 26, 2021
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p.11
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