Carrapateena mine

Carrapateena mine
Location
Carrapateena mine
Carrapateena mine
South Australia
Country Australia
Coordinates 31°14′S 137°30′E / 31.24°S 137.50°E / -31.24; 137.50Coordinates: 31°14′S 137°30′E / 31.24°S 137.50°E / -31.24; 137.50
Production
Products Copper
Owner
Website www.ozminerals.com/operations/carrapateena-project/

The Carrapateena mine is a large copper mine under development 100 km southeast of Olympic Dam in South Australia's Far North region. Carrapateena represents one of the largest copper reserves in Australia and in the world having estimated reserves of 292 million tonnes of ore grading 1.31% copper and 3.64 million oz of gold.[1] It was discovered by explorer and metallurgist Rudie Gomez in 2005. The project was acquired by OZ Minerals in 2011,[2] and the project was referred to the EPBC Act for Federal environmental approval in 2012. As of 2016 the project is at pre-feasibility stage, with construction of a decline underway. The mining technique expected to be used to extract the ore is sub-level caving.[3]

The Tjati decline was officially opened in November 2016.[4] The company expects it will take two years to complete excavation of the decline[5] which will be 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) long and descend 600 metres (2,000 ft).[4] The mine owners also have a signed agreement with the traditional owners of the land, the Kokatha people.[5] The company announced board approval for continued development on 24 August 2017, expecting to spend A$916 million on development before the mine begins to produce ore in late 2019.[6]

Mine life is forecast to be about twenty years. During the construction time for the decline, which is expected to take until the end of 2019, surface construction is continuing. This includes an accommodation village and airstrip in 2017-2018. They will be followed by processing plant, access road and electricity infrastructure from mid-2018 and installation of underground materials handling. The mine site is on Pernatty Station with other infrastructure on Oakden Hills Station.[7]

The Program for Environment Protection and Rehabilitation (PEPR) for the mine was approved by the state government on 29 March 2018.[8] Downer EDI was then awarded the contract to take over from PYBAR Mining services to continue underground mining operations from 1 July 2018. Downer is also a joint venture partner in the engineering, procurement and construction of above ground facilities.[9]

References

  1. ↑ "Iron oxide deposits in the world" (PDF). ethesis.helsinki.fi. 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  2. ↑ Carrapateena project OZ Minerals (Accessed 2013-12-26)
  3. ↑ "Carrapateena | OZ Minerals". www.ozminerals.com. Retrieved 2016-11-03.
  4. 1 2 "Media Release - OZ Minerals opens its Carrapateena Decline". Regional Development Australia Far North. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Oz Minerals closes in on SA copper mine". Sky News. 4 November 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "Green-light for $900m mine just the start of copper boom, Govt declares". InDaily. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  7. ↑ "Carrapateena". OZ Minerals. Retrieved 10 November 2017.
  8. ↑ "Approved PEPRs". Government of South Australia, Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
  9. ↑ Green, Amy (18 April 2018). "Carrapateena contract awarded". The Transcontinental. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
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