IGO Limited (ASX:IGO) has ended mining and processing at its Nova nickel operation in Western Australia, exceeding final production guidance for nickel, copper and cobalt after almost a decade of production.
The mine produced 21,340 tonnes of nickel, beating the upper end of its revised guidance of 20,000 tonnes by 7%. Copper output reached 9,517 tonnes, above the forecast range of 8,500 to 9,500 tonnes, while cobalt production totalled 765 tonnes against guidance of 650 to 750 tonnes, IGO said.
“Nova has been a high-quality, low-cost operation for almost a decade, and it has finished as strongly as it started,” IGO managing director and CEO Ivan Vella said. “Delivering this in the final stages of a mine’s life, when operations are often at their hardest, reflects the capability and commitment of the Nova team.”
The closure marks the end of nickel production at Nova but sets the stage for the site’s transition to lithium processing. IGO expects to complete the sale of the operation to Global Lithium Resources (ASX:GL1) in the coming weeks, allowing the buyer to repurpose its processing plant and infrastructure for the Manna lithium project.
Underground legacy
Mining contractor Barminco, which established Nova’s underground mine in 2015, hauled the final ore to surface, bringing more than a decade of underground operations to a close.
Over 11 years, Barminco completed more than 52 km of underground development, extracted over 14.5 million tonnes of ore and carried out more than 1.6 million metres of production drilling. Its haulage operations totalled over 59 million tonne-kilometres.
Vella thanked employees and contractors for maintaining performance through the mine’s final stages.
“I thank them and our contractors for their professionalism right through to the final tonne,” he said.
Lithium transition
The Nova team is completing site demobilization ahead of the planned ownership transfer.
Global Lithium intends to use Nova’s existing facilities to support development of Manna, shifting the site’s focus from nickel, copper and cobalt production to lithium.
The transaction remains subject to completion, with the expected handover providing the next step in Nova’s transition from a producing nickel mine to infrastructure supporting a new lithium project.
Source: https://www.mining.com/igos-nova-nickel-mine-bows-out-with-production-beat/
