Spartan Resources has received all necessary regulatory approvals to commence underground mining and processing operations at its Dalgaranga gold project in Western Australia.
The approvals, granted by the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) and the Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER), is a significant step in the redevelopment of the high-grade gold operation.
The approvals enable Spartan to transition from development to full-scale mining and production of underground ores, following the completion of the Juniper exploration drill drive decline.
Some additions to the process plant have also been greenlit. These include the installation of a ball mill, pre-leach thickener, and a paste plant, the latter of which will utilise recovered tailings to provide backfill support for underground mining, enhancing ore recovery on each level.
Additional approvals include re-mining of tailings from the Gilbey’s tailings storage facility (TSF) and dewatering of the disused Gilbey’s open pit.
Existing approvals cover the Golden Wings in-pit TSF, which holds a remaining storage capacity of approximately 23 million cubic metres.
“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,” Spartan interim executive chair Simon Lawson 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.”
Lawson said all key parameters associated with the project are thoroughly understood and well managed, with the company progressing Dalgaranga to restart operations based on the 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 recommencement, in the process creating new jobs and boosting local communities in the Murchison region of Western Australia,” Lawson said.
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