[ferro-alloys.com]BHP’s Nickel West division has pushed the button on the first of a pipeline of new mining developments in the northern Goldfields after the State Government signed off on its Venus underground nickel mine near Leinster.

The multimillion-dollar development is expected to create 150 jobs during its construction phase and 200 once operations begin, as BHP begins its program to revitalise its once-ailing nickel business in line with moves to supply a new market in the battery industry.

A Nickel West spokeswoman said Venus, which boasts high grade nickel sulphides and a mine life of about eight years, will enter production next year after receiving its final sign-off yesterday.

Discovered in 2012, the 200,000-tonne Venus ore body grades as high as 6 per cent nickel in parts and will provide feed for the starved Leinster concentrator.

“This completes all necessary approvals required for the Venus deposit and our team at Leinster has started developing access drives to the site,” the spokeswoman said.

“High-grade material has been identified at the deposit and continued drilling over the coming months will better define the resource.

“We expect first stoping production early next year.”

The announcement of the Venus development caps a remarkable turnaround for the Leinster operations and their connected township, which seemed doomed when an earthquake resulted in the premature closure of the Perseverance nickel mine in 2013.

Venus is the first of three new mines at the Leinster and Mt Keith operations to get the go-ahead, with BHP’s Mt Keith satellite deposits and Leinster B-11 block cave both expected to boost Nickel West’s production base and workforce over the next two years.

The suite of new mining fronts will be used to bolster BHP’s move to develop a nickel sulphate plant at its Kwinana Refinery to supply nickel for the battery industry.

Eddy Haegel told the Diggers and Dealers Forum in August this year BHP aims to extend the business’ life to 2040, four years after low nickel prices and its failure to sell the assets almost spelt the end for its nickel empire.

CIMIC-owned mining contractor Thiess has a $190 million, two-year contract for services at Venus and the Leinster underground mine, and already operates BHP’s Rocky’s Reward open pit.

Work to access Venus began in 2016, when Nickel West commissioned a 2000m underground drive from the Leinster underground mine to the new discovery.

(The West Australian)

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