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Australia

Nifty Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusCare and Maintenance
Commodities
  • Copper
Mining Method
  • Open stoping
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Nifty Copper Project is in a state of readiness so that at the completion of the finance process, there is an effective and efficient transition from care and maintenance to full construction and then commissioning to production.

The re-start opportunity for Nifty:
– The oxide open pit was stopped prematurely to access the underground sulphide ore to produce a low impurity copper concentrate to feed Aditya Birla Minerals India-based smelters.
– Cyprium will restart the open pit oxide mine and re-treat the existing heap leach pads in Phase 1 of the Nifty Copper Project restart.
– Phase 2 will continue the open pit into the sulphide portion of the orebody for a +20 year mine life.
Related AssetNifty OP

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Nifty Copper Pty Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Cyprium Metals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
Paterson Copper Pty Ltd holds the Nifty Copper Operation through its 100%-owned subsidiary Nifty Copper Pty Ltd.

In March 2021, Cyprium acquired 100% of the shares on issue held by Metals X Limited (“Metals X”) in Paterson Copper Pty Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Sediment-hosted

Summary:

The Nifty copper deposit is a sediment hosted copper deposit hosted within the Neoproterozoic sub greenschist facies of the Paterson Orogen, immediately to the east of the Archaean Pilbara Craton.

Copper mineralisation occurred/s as both supergene oxide, sulphide, and transitional mineralisation to a depth of approximately 300m and as stratabound hypogene sulphides hosted by carbonaceous and dolomitic shales, principally within the Nifty carbonate member, to a depth of approximately 600m. The mineralisation is a structurally controlled, chalcopyrite-quartz-dolomite replacement of carbonaceous and dolomitic shale within a folded sequence. The copper mineralisation is largely confined to the northern limb and keel of a significant syncline.

Weathering has altered the mineralisation to a depth of about 200m and therefore three main styles of copper mineralisation occur at Nifty:
1. Oxide dominated mineralisation consisting of malachite, azurite, cuprite, and native copper which extends to depths of up to 100m below the surface.
2. Supergene secondary sulphide mineralisation occurs overlying the base of oxidation. This style of mineralisation is dominated by chalcocite and occurs typically between 100m and 200m below the surface.
3. Primary sulphides occur in quartz-dolomite altered carbonates and shales. The primary copper mineral is chalcopyrite with minor covellite and bornite. Pyrite is a common gangue mineral but only occurs with chalcopyrite on the margins of the deposit. The primary sulphide mineralisation is located mainly in the keel of the syncline.

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

CommodityUnits2020201920182017
Copper t  ....  Subscribe16,91316,77423,264
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics2020201920182017
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe1,321,032 t1,361,019 t1,390,007 t
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe1,254,879 t1,361,371 t1,397,534 t
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe2.5 Mt2.5 Mt2.5 Mt

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2020201920182017
All-in sustaining costs (AISC) Copper AUD  ....  Subscribe 9,838 / t **   9,538 / t **   7,345 / t **  
C1 cash costs Copper AUD  ....  Subscribe 7,802 / t **   8,471 / t **   5,345 / t **  
All-in costs Copper AUD  ....  Subscribe 11,147 / t **   9,707 / t **   7,409 / t **  
** Net of By-Product.

Financials

Units2020201920182017
Sustaining costs M AUD  ....  Subscribe 19.6   10.4  
Capital expenditures M AUD  ....  Subscribe 39.6   12.3   9.4  
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe 119.4   128   180.1  
Gross profit M AUD  ....  Subscribe -115.6  

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 16, 2024
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Aerial view:

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