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- Andromeda Metals (ADN) has submitted an application for the Great White Kaolin Project with the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining
- Andromeda submitted the application on behalf of joint venture partner Minotaur Exploration (MEP) to secure a mining lease for the mine, as well as for its processing plant and support infrastructure
- The companies believe the lodgement represents a significant milestone in the project’s development, which is set to begin operations in February 2022
- The decision on the application from the Minister for Energy and Mining is expected to be received later this year
- Andromeda is up by 6.15 per cent, trading at 34.5 cents, while Minotaur is up 6.45 per cent, trading at 16.5 cents
Andromeda Metals (ADN) has submitted an application for the Great White Kaolin Project with the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining.
The Great White Kaolin Project is a joint venture between Andromeda and Minotaur Exploration (MEP), with ADN holding a 75 per cent equity interest.
Andromeda lodged applications on behalf of the joint venture for a mining lease and two miscellaneous purposes licences with the South Australian Department for Energy and Mining for the project.
The project is located near Poochera on the west coast of South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
The joint venture partners are proposing to develop the Great White Kaolin Deposit by seeking approval for a mining lease for the mine, processing plant and support infrastructure, a miscellaneous purposes licence for an access road to the mining lease, and a MPL for a water supply pipeline from Poochera to the lease.
The mining lease submission is founded on an operation to be developed in two stages.
Stage one will see the production of up to 600,000 dry tonnes per annum of direct shipping ore for toll processing overseas. Stage two will see processing take place on site for around 500,000 tonnes per annum of ore, to product up to 250,000 tonnes per year of refined halloysite-kaolin product, with the construction of a wet-processing plant, water pipeline and LPG generator.
The final project scope and configuration is currently being evaluated under the definitive feasibility study, due to be completed in the second quarter of 2021.
The lodgement of the application represents a significant milestone in the project’s development, which is focussed on the commencement of operations in February 2022.
The application outlines the proposed development of a shallow open pit mine, wet-processing plant and support infrastructure at the Great White Deposit, which is in line with the project’s pre-feasibility study.
The application was submitted along with a mining proposal and management plan, which includes assessments undertaken by independent experts to assess the environmental impacts of the project.
South Australia has a two-stage mining approval process. Once a mining lease is granted and the mining lease conditions are provided, a program for environment protection and rehabilitation (PEPR) must also be submitted, setting out the applicant’s methods and measurement criteria to ensure compliance with the conditions is achievable.
Construction activities or mining operations are not able to begin until the mining lease has been granted and an approved PEPR is in place.
The decision on the application from the Minister for Energy and Mining is expected to be received later this year.
Andromeda is up by 6.15 per cent, trading at 34.5 cents while Minotaur is up 6.45 per cent, trading at 16.5 cents at 10:37 am AEDT.
