Hengjaya mine moves to Top 10 global nickel resources
Australian miner Nickel Industries said that based on an updated JORC-compliant mineral resource, its Hengjaya mine in Indonesia is “amongst the top 10 global nickel resources.”
Nickel Industries commissioned PT Danmar Explorindo to update the mineral resource based on data incorporating 529 kilometres of Ultra Ground Penetrating Radar survey, 4,657 drill holes and 111,643 sample assays from drill cores taken from a 3,000-hectare area at the mine.
“We are delighted to deliver a significant increase in our resource at the Hengjaya mine from 2.4 million tonnes to 3.7 million tonnes of contained nickel metal representing a 56% increase, with further upside remaining,” said Managing Director Justin Werner.
Since the last resource estimate in June 2020, measured resources have increased 333%, indicated resources by 20% and inferred resources by 53%, delivering a significant conversion of inferred and indicated to measured resources.
Separately, the miner has received environmental approval to complete construction of a 16-km haul road that will link Hengjaya to the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park. Nickel Industries expects the road to be completed by the second quarter of 2023.
“Once completed, the haul road will allow the Hengjaya mine to ramp up supply to approximately 10 million wmt per annum of saprolite and limonite to the company’s RKEF lines and to the high-pressure acid leach plants, which are currently operating within IMIP,” said Werner.
The Hengjaya Mine is located in the Morowali Regency of the east coast province of Central Sulawesi, Indonesia.