Final Environmental Authority, setting out licence conditions for the Dugald River project, was received from the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (DEHP) yesterday.
The Dugald River project is located in north-west Queensland, approximately 65 kilometres north-west of Cloncurry.
“We are delighted to receive the Environmental Authority for Dugald River, after working closely with government, local communities and other stakeholders on our environmental management plan over the past 18 months,” MMG’s Executive General Manager, Business Development Michael Nossal said.
“Receiving the final Environmental Authority is a major milestone for the Dugald River project which is due for Board consideration later this year.”
MMG continues to progress pre-commitment activities for the project including engineering design and finalisation of agreements for gas, power generation, access and infrastructure. The development of two exploration declines is advancing on schedule and MMG expects to intersect the main part of the ore body in the fourth quarter 2012.
Mr Nossal said that Dugald River was a significant zinc deposit on a global scale and would be an important new development in Queensland’s north-west minerals province.
“Dugald River is one of the world’s largest and highest grade lead-zinc-silver deposits with a Mineral Reserve of 39 million tonnes at 12.3% zinc, 1.9% lead and 42 grams per tonne silver,” he said.
“It has the capacity to add approximately 200,000 tonnes of zinc per year to MMG’s production profile, as well as 25,000 tonnes of lead and 900,000 ounces of silver in concentrate per year.”
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