NEPEAN AND SAINTS SCOPING STUDIES UNDERWAY
Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) (Auroch or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has commenced scoping studies at both its Nepean Nickel Project (Auroch Minerals 80%) (Nepean) and Saints Nickel Project (Saints), in Western Australia. Highlights Scoping studies have commenced for the Saints and Nepean nickel projects in Western Australia and are being managed …
- Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) (Auroch or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has commenced scoping studies at both its Nepean Nickel Project (Auroch Minerals 80%) (Nepean) and Saints Nickel Project (Saints), in Western Australia.
Highlights
- Scoping studies have commenced for the Saints and Nepean nickel projects in Western Australia and are being managed by experienced P1 Australasia Pty Ltd in conjunction with the Auroch team
- The studies will assess the viability of an open-pit mining scenario at Nepean, as well as potential underground mining scenarios at both Nepean and Saints
- The studies have been initiated as the Company looks to build upon the existing Saints offtake agreement with BHP Nickel West and move towards possible near-term nickel sulphide production and cash flow
- Auroch currently has a high-grade JORC(2012) Resource of 1.05Mt @ 2 %Ni & 0.2% Cu for over 21kt of contained nickel at Saints1 , as well as historic high-grade nickel sulphide resources at Nepean
- The high-impact diamond drill programme at the Nepean Deeps target continues onschedule with first drill-hole NPDD008 currently at a depth of 400m
Auroch Minerals Limited (ASX:AOU) (Auroch or the Company) is pleased to announce that it has commenced scoping studies at both its Nepean Nickel Project (Auroch Minerals 80%) (Nepean) and Saints Nickel Project (Saints), in Western Australia
The studies will evaluate the economic viability of several mining scenarios at Nepean, including an initial open-pit mine of the known shallow high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation which could generate significant cash flow in the short to medium term, as well as potential underground mining scenarios of the known high-grade nickel sulphide mineralisation.
A scoping study of potential underground mining scenarios at the high-grade Saints Nickel Project will be run in parallel to the studies at Nepean, taking advantage of synergies between the projects to reduce the overall costs of the studies. Saints currently hosts a high-grade JORC(2012) Resource of 1.05Mt @ 2 %Ni & 0.2% Cu for over 21kt of contained nickel1 .
Auroch has an existing offtake agreement in place for Saints with BHP Nickel West (ASX:BHP), whilst high-grade ore from the historic nickel mine at Nepean, when in production, was processed at the Kambalda Nickel Operations (KNO) that BHP is currently preparing to re-start early next year.
The Company has initiated the scoping studies to build upon the existing relationships with BHP and evaluate the viability of several mining scenarios that may lead to nickel sulphide production and cash flow in the medium term. Experienced P1 Australasia Pty Ltd wasselected to manage the studies in conjunction with the Auroch team.
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