The RNO deposits are characteristic of nickel laterite deposits formed in tropical conditions (high rainfall and warm temperatures) of weathered and serpentinised olivine rich ultramafic rocks over long periods of time (greater than 1 million years - Golichtly, 1981). The high rain fall and warm temperatures increase the kinetics of the weathering process. The primary Ni content of these rocks is typically between 0.2 and 0.4%.

The Bandalup Ultramafics dominate the RNO area with a strike length of approximately 45 km and are typically between 500 m to 3000 m wide. The host rocks are comprised of a serpentinised (greenschist facies metamorphism) komatiite complex with rare interflow sedimentary units; the primary ultramafic rock was dunitic in composition. The serpentinite typically exhibits pseudomorphs of mesocumulate to accumulate olivine textures and secondary magnetite. The sequence has been altered in areas with overprinting carbonate rich rocks, mostly in the saprolite. The serpentinite sequence dips at about 50 degrees to the west. The Bandalup sequence is in turn bound by:
- Metabasalt and metadolerite members of the Maydon basalt; and
- Gneissic granitoids of monzogranodiorite to granodiorite composition.

The Shoemaker-Levy and Hale-Bopp Archean strata have been intruded by a series of stacked typically northeast trending sub-vertical Proterozoic dolerite dykes. The dykes are often associated with faulting. Late stage cross cutting dyk ........

All planned mining activities take place in the three mining areas with the bulk of the remaining mining scheduled in Shoemaker-Levy. The current mining activities in the Shoemaker-Levy and Halleys deposits are conducted in the form of a conventional Drill/Blast and Load/Haul operation.

FQM has contracted Mining and Civil Australia (MACA), a mining contracting company based in Western
Australia, to undertake ore and waste mining at RNO under a five year, bcm rate based contract which includes drill and blast activities and management of the explosives supply. The contract has an option for extension however, FQM is also undertaking operational reviews that consider alternative mining methods and owner mining.

Mining and crushing operations at RNO recommenced under FQM ownership at Halley’s in May 2011 with average daily production targets of 10 Kt per day of saprolite and 17 Kt per day of limonite being delivered to the crushers. Limonite delivery capacity has since been increased up to 20 Kt per day.

In 2017 mining operations moved to Hale-Bopp and in 2021 mining commenced in Shoemaker-Levy with ore now being transferred back to the process facility via a 12 km long conveyor that crosses the South Coast highway.

The current state of development at each mining area is:
- Halley’s: Mostly saprolite left in HY 21, HY 41, and HY 43. All other pits have been completed and are available for backfill;
- Hale-Bopp: Mini ........

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Processing at RNO can be viewed as involving the following four general stages:
1. Initially the ore is beneficiated (increase the nickel grade and reduce the mass) via a scrubber and a series of screens and cyclones. The nickel and cobalt values are enriched in the fines fractions of both the limonite and Saprolite ores.

2. The beneficiated product is then processed to extract the contained nickel and cobalt into solution via two hydrometallurgical processing methods, high pressure acid leach (HPAL) and atmospheric leach (AL).

3. Precipitation and removal of impurities such as iron, aluminium, and chromium from solution.

4. Precipitation of nickel and cobalt into a mixed hydroxide product (MHP)

Beneficiation
This beneficiation process is designed to reject the principally siliceous barren coarse fractions. Typical mass rejections of 60-70% are achieved at a nominal nickel recovery of 60-65%. The increases in nickel grade in the ........