Kambalda Nickel operation is 100% owned by Mincor Resources NL.
Mincor Resources NL was removed from the Official List at the close of trading on 25 July 2023 under Listing Rule 17.14, following compulsory acquisition of its remaining securities by Wyloo Consolidated Investments Pty Ltd.
Wyloo Metals’ acquisition of Mincor Resources makes Wyloo a producer of high-grade nickel sulphide from its acquired Cassini and Northern Operations mines.
Summary:
The key setting for all the nickel that has been mined historically at Kambalda district is at a contact zone between two rock types, with a younger overlaying volcanic rock.
The Mincor Nickel Operations (MNO) is expected to consist of Cassini and the Northern Operations (Long and Durkin North) at commencement, with the Miitel mine contributing in the back half of the project life.
Cassini
Cassini is located on the southern section of the Widgiemooltha Dome. The geology of the Widgiemooltha Dome and the area to the south consists of a thrust repeated sequence of basic ultramafic extrusive and intrusives, with intercalated sediments and acid volcanics with nickel sulphide orebodies found at the base of the ultramafic sequence.
The Cassini orebody as interpreted in the Mineral Resource is split into eight lodes, labelled CS2-CS9. From a mining perspective, the Mineral Resource has been delineated into two main areas based on spatial characteristics. These mining areas have been named by the dominant lode (CS2 or CS4). The CS2 Area (CS2, CS3, CS6, CS7 and portion of CS5 lodes) consists of east-west trending parallel lodes, mainly offset, dipping at ~45° to the south with thickness from ~1m to ~7m, averaging 3m.
The CS2 Area extends from ~260mRL (approx. 50mbs) to ~-240mRL (480m vertical extent). Grades and orebody thickness are inconsistent above ~75mRL.
The CS4 Area (CS4, CS8, CS9 and portion of CS5 Lodes) consists of parallel lodes striking northwest/southeast at ~125° and dipping at ~75-80° to the southwest. Average widths for the CS4, upper CS5 and CS9 lodes are 2-3m, with the CS5 lode thickening to 5-7m and up to 11m in parts below ~-250mRL (grades in this area also increase). The area extends from ~100mRL to -380mRL. Grades and thickness are inconsistent above ~10mRL.
Northern Operations
The Durkin North orebody (“Durkin North”) is an unmined nickel deposit located beneath and to the north of the historical Durkin mine workings, part of the Otter Juan (“Otter”) mine.
There are two mining areas in the Durkin North mine plan, being the D1/D2 area and the D3/D5 area. The D1/D2 area strikes predominantly east-west with a strike length of ~550m, extending from ~-85mRL (~420 mbs) to -260mRL (175m extent). This area gently plunges to the north resulting in a long strike over a relatively small vertical extent. The orebody in D1/D2 is generally narrow (1-3m), with one main lode and a small hangingwall splay in the southern area. The orebody dips to the north, with dips ranging from relatively shallow dipping (down to 45° in parts) up to 75°. The D3/D5 area strikes southeast/northwest with a strike length of ~380 m, extending from -270mRL to -450mRL (180 m extent). The plunge in this area tends to vertical. Dips are generally steeper than D1/D2, ranging from 65-80° to the north-east. The D3/D5 area contains several closely spaced economically extractable lodes in parallel, with widths 1-3m.
The Long Mineral Resource generally strikes northwest-southeast. The Mineral Resource is spread out over an extensive area. Ore pod strike lengths are variable, ranging from 20-30m to ~500m. Some areas dip steeply and continuously to the north-east at approximately 70-80°, while other ore pods are flat dipping at 15-25°. The orebody is generally less than 2m thick.
Miitel
In general, ore at Miitel is located at the steeply dipping contact between footwall basalt and a less competent hanging wall ultramafic unit.
The majority of the Miitel area consists of the N30 and N31 lodes. Both areas strike roughly north-south. The N31 has a strike length of ~180m, extending from ~-400m RL (~705mbs) to -300m RL (100m extent). The N30 has a strike length of ~450m, extending from ~-580m RL (~885mbs) to -430m RL (150m extent) and plunging gently to the south. Both areas consist of single lodes dipping sub-vertically (60-70°) to the east, with widths from 1-8m (N31) and 2-10m (N30).
There are two mining areas in the Burnett mine plan, being the B01 and B02 areas. Both areas strike at ~330-340°. The B01 has a strike length of ~260m, extending from ~-415m RL (~725mbs) to -290m RL (125m extent). The B02 has a strike length of ~340m, extending from ~-460m RL (~420mbs) to -310m RL (150m extent). Both areas consist of single lodes dipping sub-vertically (>80°) to the north-east, with widths ranging from 1-5m.