Overview
Stage | Feasibility |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
- Flotation
- Magnetic separation
|
Mine Life | 25 years (as of Jan 1, 2022) |
The Lake Giles Iron Project (comprising the Moonshine Magnetite Project and the Ularring Hematite Project).
The Lake Giles Project consists of a series of Banded Iron Formation (BIF) hematite and magnetite prospects. The NI43-101 Technical Report (announced on October 1, 2020) covers the mineral resource and preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the magnetite mineralisation of the Moonshine and Moonshine North prospects, completed by Snowden and the hematite resources of the Ularring project completed by CSA Global.
The resources of the Ularring Hematite Project and Moonshine Magnetite project were previously reported as stand-alone projects. A Pre-Feasibility Study was completed for the Ularring Hematite Project (CSA, 2012) and a preliminary economic assessment was completed for the Moonshine Magnetite Project (Snowden, 2011). The Lake Giles Project is a combined magnetite and hematite operation of smaller scale. |
Latest News | Macarthur Minerals Ltd.: Technical Report for Lake Giles Iron Project Feasibility Study April 11, 2022 |
Source:
p. 11
The Lake Giles Project area comprises 15 Mining Leases which are all held by Macarthur Iron Ore Pty Ltd (MIO), a 100% owned subsidiary of Macarthur Minerals Limited (MMS).
Summary:
Macarthur’s tenements cover a portion of the Yerilgee Greenstone Belt which is over 80 km in length and up to 10 km wide and lies within the Southern Cross Province of the Yilgarn Craton. The Yilgarn Craton consists of multiple lenticular greenstone belts surrounded by variably foliated gneissic granitoids.
The greenstone belts consist of metamorphosed ultramafic, mafic and sediments, including BIF which are Archean in age and are commonly intruded by mafic, intermediate and granitic rocks.
The parts of the north-northwest trending Yerilgee greenstone belt covered by the Project tenements comprise a layered succession of Archean rocks. At the interpreted base of the succession is a sequence of high-magnesium basalt flows more than 1 km thick overlain by komatiitic ultramafic volcanic rocks with narrow interflow BIFs and in some cases, other sedimentary rocks. High-magnesium basalt lavas with occasional interflow BIFs overlain, possibly unconformably, by sedimentary rocks (cherty, silicified, pyritic and graphitic) are interpreted to form the top of this sequence. In places, gabbroic sills interpreted to be co-magmatic with the upper high-magnesium basalts, have been intruded into the lower mafic and ultramafic lavas. The elongated lens shaped Yerilgee belt is bounded by major north-northwest trending fault/shear zones. The iron ore mineralisation consists of secondary pisolite mineralization, primary magnetite mineralization associated with un-oxidized BIF and ultramafic rocks, and goethite-hematite mineralization associated with oxidized BIF.
Summary:
The Moonshine and Moonshine North pits will be mined using conventional open pit mining methods based on 350-400 t class hydraulic excavators loading 180 t class rear dump trucks. The operation is proposed using experienced mining contractors with Macarthur (the Owner) maintaining orebody definition, quality control and medium to long term mine planning functions and management. The mining services include:
• Supply of personnel, equipment and mining infrastructure required for the mining services excluding diesel fuel which is to be supplied by the Owner.
• Mobilisation of buildings, equipment, and personnel.
• Clearing and stripping of suitable material from all disturbed areas into discrete stockpiles.
• Construction of haul roads and light vehicle service roads in the mine area and ongoing maintenance of haulroads.
• Construction of the Run-of-Mine (ROM) pad and skyway using bulk waste. • Grade control drilling. • Drilling and blasting of ore and waste on 10 m benches.
• Load and Haul utilising 350-400 t class excavators and 180 t class haul trucks mining on 5 m high flitches.
• Hauling waste to external waste dumps.
• Hauling ore to the ROM pad where it will be direct fed to the crusher ore placed onto a finger from skyway of stockpile adjacent to the ROM pad.
• Rehandle of ore from ROM fingers or adjacent stockpiles.
• Ongoing pit dewatering from in-pit sumps.
The design process provides a practical solution to the Whittle shells by adding an arrangement of benches,
berms, roads and ramp systems. Dual lane ramps of 29 m and 10% gradient were designed to accommodate
Caterpillar 798D trucks.
• Rehabilitation of waste dumps and roads.
Flow Sheet:
Crusher / Mill Type | Model | Size | Power | Quantity |
Gyratory crusher
|
|
|
|
1
|
Cone crusher
|
|
|
|
1
|
High Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR)
|
|
|
|
1
|
Ball mill
|
|
|
|
2
|
Vertical mill / Tower
|
|
|
|
2
|
Summary:
In order to produce 3.0 Mtpa (dry basis) of concentrate, assuming a weight recovery of 31%, 10 Mtpa of
feed to the process would be required. Two stages of conventional crushing would crush the ore to a size
suitable for feed to a High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) unit. The fine ore grinding section contains two
streams in parallel each containing two stages of mills, with Low Intensity Magnetic Separation (LIMS) units
after each stage. This is followed by reverse flotation and a final LIMS stage. The final concentrate moisture
is reduced by pressure filtration allowing stockpiling and transport by truck.
Processing
- Flotation
- Magnetic separation
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
In order to produce 3.0 Mtpa (dry basis) of concentrate, assuming a weight recovery of 31%, 10 Mtpa of feed to the process would be required. Two stages of conventional crushing would crush the ore to a size suitable for feed to a High-Pressure Grinding Rolls (HPGR) unit. The fine ore grinding section contains two streams in parallel each containing two stages of mills, with Low Intensity Magnetic Separation (LIMS) units after each stage. This is followed by reverse flotation and a final LIMS stage. The final concentrate moisture is reduced by pressure filtration allowing stockpiling and transport by truck.
Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Iron
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 31 |
Iron
|
Concentrate Grade, %
| 66.1 |
Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Iron
|
kt
| 3,000 | 74,000 |
All production numbers are expressed as concentrate.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Stripping / waste ratio
| ......  |
Waste tonnes, LOM
| ......  |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| ......  |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| ......  |
Annual processing capacity
| ......  |
* According to 2022 study.
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Reserves at April 11, 2022:
A Davis Tube Mass Recovery (DTR MR) cut-off grade of 15% was applied prior to scheduling for 2022 reserves estimate.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Proven
|
51.9 Mt
|
Iron
|
30.6 %
|
Probable
|
184.7 Mt
|
Iron
|
184.7 %
|
Proven & Probable
|
236.6 Mt
|
Iron
|
236.6 %
|
Measured
|
53.9 Mt
|
Iron
|
30.8 %
|
Indicated
|
218.7 Mt
|
Iron
|
27.5 %
|
Measured & Indicated
|
272.5 Mt
|
Iron
|
28.1 %
|
Inferred
|
449.1 Mt
|
Iron
|
27.1 %
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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News:
News | Date |
Macarthur Minerals Ltd.: Technical Report for Lake Giles Iron Project Feasibility Study
|
April 11, 2022
|
Macarthur Minerals Closed AUD$7.5 Million Private Placement
|
April 5, 2022
|
Positive Feasibility Study Results for Lake Giles Iron Project
|
March 21, 2022
|
Maiden Ore Reserve for Lake Giles Magnetite Project Totals 237 Million Tonnes - Supporting a 25 Year Mine Life
|
March 15, 2022
|
Macarthur Minerals Ltd.: Technical Report for Lake Giles Magnetite Mineral Resource
|
October 1, 2020
|
Macarthur Minerals Ltd.: Moonshine Magnetite Resource Upgrade
|
August 11, 2020
|
Assays completed for infill drilling of the Lake Giles Iron Project
|
May 5, 2020
|
Macarthur Minerals: Major intersections of magnetite mineralisation confirmed at Lake Giles Iron Project
|
January 16, 2020
|
Macarthur Minerals Secures Access to Land for Infrastructure at Its Lake Giles Iron Project in Western Australia
|
December 23, 2019
|
Macarthur Minerals Intersects High Grade Magnetite at Its Lake Giles Iron Project in Western Australia
|
December 10, 2019
|
Macarthur Files Technical Report for Lake Giles Iron Ore Project
|
June 17, 2019
|
Macarthur Minerals Limited: Drilling Contractor Appointed to Commence Drilling at the Moonshine Magnetite Project at Lake Giles
|
April 18, 2019
|
Macarthur Minerals Signs 10 Year Iron Ore Off-Take Agreement for the Lake Giles Iron Project in Australia With Glencore International A.G.
|
March 21, 2019
|
Aerial view:
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