Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Kumpupintil Lake Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Potash
  • Sulfate of potash (SOP)
Mining Method
  • Brine mining
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Kumpupintil Lake Potash Project (KP) is the world’s largest SOP brine project outside of China.

State environmental approval was achieved in June 2020.

Commonwealth environmental approval under the EPBC Act is entering its final phase.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Reward Minerals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Reward’s flagship project is its 100% owned LD SOP Project, located 340 km east of Newman in the Little Sandy Desert of north-western Western Australia.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary
  • Brine

Summary:

The Little Sandy Desert region, within which the LD Project is located, is underlain by the Savory Basin.

The shallow sediments of the Savory and southwestern Yeneena Basins generally comprise gently eastdipping medium to coarse-grained sandstone and pebbly conglomerate. The underlying bedrock outcrops infrequently: more than 90% of the basin is covered by unconsolidated or semi-consolidated Cainozoic deposits, consisting largely of windblown sands in the form of dunes and sandplains (Williams, 1992). The sand is composed of medium to medium-coarse quartz grains, with occasional ferruginised grains or ironstone pebbles. The wide-spread longitudinal dunes that occur throughout the Savory Basin are thought to have formed during the intensely arid conditions that prevailed during the last glacial maximum. Colluvial deposits occur to a limited extent in the Basin and are mostly located adjacent to infrequent rocky outcrops. Alluvial deposits of unconsolidated silt, sand and gravel are also relatively uncommon and are restricted mostly to drainage lines and to the terminal Lake Disappointment playa.

The superficial sequences are underlain at variable depth by members of the Neoproterozoic Tarcunyah Group, which comprises an interbedded sequence of sandstone, siltstone and shale deposited around 800 Ma. These bedrock materials outcrop locally to the east and the south-west of LD.

The stratigraphy beneath and adjacent to LD reported in published literature has been generally confirmed by Reward’s explorations programs. Subsurface conditions beneath the playa comprise windblown silty or clayey sands, interspersed with – and underlain by – clayey / silty lake sediment (lacustrine) deposits, with occasional sandy lenses.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Potash Mt 0.49
All production numbers are expressed as sulphate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual brine extraction 63 GL *
* According to 2018 study.

Production Costs

CommodityAverage
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Potash 394 / t *  AUD
C1 cash costs Potash 362 / t *  AUD
C2 total cash costs Potash 408 / t *  AUD
C3 fully allocated costs Potash 433 / t *  AUD
Assumed price Potash 500 / t *  USD
* According to 2018 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
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EBITDA (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
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Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
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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 Feb 6, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2018

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