Mount lindsay

The Mount Lindsay tin, tungsten, magnetite and copper mining project on the West Coast of Tasmania is located 15 kilometres north-west, and along strike, of the world class Renison Bell tin mine and directly south of the Savage River magnetite mine. It has been defined by its owner, Venture Minerals Limited, as being one of the world's largest undeveloped tin deposits. Venture Minerals Limited was incorporated in Western Australia in 2006, the same year it became listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).

The Mount Lindsay Project to Have a 10 Year Life of Mine

The Mount Lindsay mine is to be initially developed as an open pit mine that will later become an underground operation to allow access to the deeper sections of the ore zones. It is expected to have a life of mine for at least 10 years.

The Mount Lindsay project is situated about 37 kilometres west of the town of Tullah and 125 kilometres south west of Burnie. The mine is accessed off the Pieman Road that leads to the Reece Dam.

It is proposed to operate the Mount Lindsay mine as a 24 hour a day operation, each day of the year. The open pit is to be a single pit that will reach a depth of 220 metres and be confined to an area of 194 hectares. The mine is expected extract a total of 10.8 million tonnes of ore at a rate of 1.3 million tonnes each year over the 10 year period. Tin concentrate will be produced at a rate of 4,500 tonnes a year, copper concentrate 2,500 tonnes a year, tungsten concentrate 2,800 tonnes annually and magnetite concentrate 220,000 tonnes a year. Mine construction will take up to 18 months before production will be able to proceed.

Mount Lindsay Mine Dependant on Favourable Finding From The Federal Court Regarding the Adjacent Riley Mine

The adjacent Riley iron ore mine, that is owned by the same company, is ready for production to commence in the first half of 2014 but is currently on hold owing to its approval being challenged in the Federal Court by an environmental group, 'Save the Tarkine.' The court challenge is a test case, which, if it goes the way of the company will see production begin at Mount Lindsay within the next two years.

Mount Lindsay Open pit to be Developed Before the Underground Operation

It is proposed to use conventional open pit mining equipment at the Mount Lindsay operation, this will include 75 to 100 tonne trucks and 20 to 25 cubic metre capacity excavators. A rock storage area is to be established adjacent to the open pit.

The underground mine at Mount Lindsay will be accessed from within the open pit by way of a decline and level development where deemed necessary. Ventilation will be arranged through the decline and dedicated ventilation rises. All underground equipment is expected to be trackless, an industry innovation that uses drills, booms and rigs that are able to increase face advance by operating faster, more efficiently and with better safety than the manual systems. The underground mine will be developed near the end of the mine's life. The ore will be processed on-site and the concentrate exported out of the port of Burnie.