OZ Minerals secures all regulatory approvals for West Musgrave project

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Image credit: OZ Minerals

OZ Minerals has today announced that the Western Australian Government had awarded the company the third and final regulatory approval (the Mining Proposal under the WA Mining Act) needed to allow construction of the West Musgrave project.

Negotiations with the Ngaanyatjarra Council to finalise the Mining Agreement are well underway, with substantial progress made in recent months. Extensive time was spent on the ground with community people to ensure complete knowledge of the project’s impact, as well as at community meetings where the project received community support.

“West Musgrave is an exciting project, intended to be a modern mine, producing minerals in demand for a decarbonising world, providing value for all our stakeholders, particularly the Ngaanyatjarra community,” OZ Minerals Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Cole said.

In addition to completing the Mining Agreement with representatives of the traditional owners, OZ Minerals is completing numerous research components and continuing to evaluate the impact of cost inflation and the operational environment on project cost and schedule. 

Adertisement

The West Musgrave project is nearing the completion of its study phase. The plan is to mine copper and nickel from two ore bodies, Nebo and Babel, using shallow open pits. A pre-feasibility study update in December 2020 predicted average annual production of 32kt copper and 26kt nickel over a 26-year mine life. Around 80 per cent of the mine’s electricity will come from renewable resources, including a combination of wind and solar, with an emphasis on building a roadmap to 100 per cent renewables.