Mining company Barminco – a subsidiary of Perenti Group – has been awarded a $200 million development and production contract for Western Areas’ Odysseus mine that is located at the Cosmos Nickel Operation in Western Australia.
This contract award follows the completion of rehabilitation works at the mine, which was also undertaken by Barminco.
“We are excited to continue our relationship with the Western Areas team, which began in 2005 at Forrestania, and has now grown to include the Cosmos Nickel Operation. Odysseus is a significant project to bring on-stream, and the five-year term demonstrates the trust and confidence Western Areas has in Barminco to continuously improve and deliver for them,” Barminco Chief Executive Officer Paul Muller said.
“It is fantastic that Barminco and Western Areas have extended their 15-year relationship to at least 20 years. We are very appreciative of the opportunity and we look forward to delivering value and certainty for Western Areas at their new development,” Perenti Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mark Norwell said.
In addition, Western Areas has also provided an update that construction activities are now underway, and the development of Odysseus mine’s twin declines is in full swing.
According to Western Areas Managing Director Dan Lougher, development of the underground as well as surface infrastructure at the mine is progressing well, with minimal COVID-19 impacts.
“We have reached a critical milestone with the firing of the full-face development of the Odysseus decline, which is now heading across to the orebody. A significant amount of preparation and support work has been delivered across the site to reach this milestone. We now have our eye on the delivery of the first ore tonnes mined from underground in the first quarter of FY22,” Mr Lougher said.
The Cosmos Nickel Operation – which the Odysseus mine is part of – is located approximately 30 kilometres north of Leinster.
Western Areas acquired the Cosmos Nickel Operation in 2015 and the company began the redevelopment of the Odysseus mine in early 2019.
The Odysseus mine is Western Areas’ third nickel mine at the Cosmos operation.
Source: Perenti Group; Western Areas (1, 2); Australian Mining