Spartan set up for underground mining

Spartan Resources (ASX: SPR) has taken an important step towards the re-start of its Dalgaranga gold project (DGP) in WA following the receipt of all key regulatory approvals required to allow the mining and processing of underground ores to proceed.

Approvals have been received from both the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) and the WA Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER) for the mining and processing of underground ores at the DGP along with modifications to the mill.

Full approvals have been received to transition from development to full-scale mining and production activities of underground ores, following the completion of the current Juniper exploration drill drive decline development.

Installation and operation of a ball mill and pre-leach thickener at the existing DGP process plant has also been approved.

Spartan will also be able to install and operate a paste plant utilising recovered tailings as feedstock to provide back-fill support (paste-fill) to underground mining operations, maximising the quantity of ore available for mining on each underground level.

Spartan interim executive chair Simon Lawson comments on the approvals.

“On behalf of the Spartan team, I would like to thank the regulatory agencies for the efficient and pragmatic way in which they oversaw our pre-submission consultation period, clearing the way for a seamless and expedient approval process,” he said.

“The robust technical work undertaken by our in-house approvals and development team alongside our valued technical consultants has demonstrated low environmental risk associated with the Dalgaranga operation.

“All key parameters associated with the project are thoroughly understood and well managed, as we progress Dalgaranga to an operational re-start based on the still growing high-grade underground Never Never and Pepper gold deposits.

“With these final approvals now in hand, we are excited to move ahead with the next phase of development of the Dalgaranga project and advance systematically towards a production re-commencement, in the process creating new jobs and boosting local communities in the Murchison region of WA.”