Widgie Nickel’s Faraday lithium deposit is set to proceed with mining activities, following the finalisation of key approvals.
The Faraday lithium deposit is a part of the Mt Edwards project, which is located 75 kilometres south of the major regional centre of Kalgoorlie and is 40 kilometres south west of Kambalda in Western Australia.
The company has satisfied all the conditions necessary to begin mining activities following completion and lodgement of the Botanical Survey over the proposed mining footprint area and receipt of the final report on the Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Survey carried out on M15/102.
This follows the project’s operation receiving approval from the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) in August.
Widgie Nickel also announced that the confirmatory quality assurance and quality control (QAQC) test work instigated for the Faraday deposit has demonstrated that the assay method utilised for a drilling program, which was informed by the project’s mineral resource estimate (MRE), has underestimated the grade by up to 29 per cent.
In response, all samples from the drilling program will be re-assayed using the fusion assay method, with the results expected to feed into an updated MRE.
Widgie Nickel expects the updated MRE to increase through a higher grade at the Faraday deposit and the Trainline deposit – a lithium prospect also central to the Mt Edwards project.
“The company has now concluded within 12 months all the components necessary to commence a new lithium mine in Western Australia, this despite delays and a series of unforeseen hurdles,” Widgie Nickel managing director and chief executive officer Steve Norregaard said.
“While the assay methodology issue is unfortunate, I commend our team for identifying the issue and working diligently to rectify the situation. We will now progress the MRE revision that we expect will see the resource grade increase materially.
“With confirmed favourable metallurgy, an expected MRE increase and further potential growth at the Trainline prospect, we believe we have a successful foundation as we embark on our lithium journey.”