Graphite mine proposed for Eyre Peninsula
Mining of a high grade graphite deposit near Cleve on Eyre Peninsula would create 40 permanent jobs and could be operating within a year, according to a mining proposal lodged by Archer Exploration with the ASX today.
The proposed open cut mine aims to produce around 10,00 tonnes a year of graphite of a quality that the CSIRO last week described as suitable for the burgeoning global market for lithium-ion batteries used in devices like mobile phones and tablets.
In its announcement, the Adelaide-based company stressed that it would source the 40 permanent mining and processing jobs from the local area.
Archer estimated a further 135 employment opportunities would be created by the Campoona mine development which will see processing and refining of the 140,000 tonnes of extracted graphite ore occur 15 kilometres away on another part of the company’s project site.
The graphite concentrate will be trucked to Port Adelaide for export.
Archer managing director Gerard Anderson described the ability to process the graphite within the company’s broader mining and development project boundaries as “a stand-out feature” of the development.
“This provides a cost and quality control advantage at a time the ultra-high graphite grades from Campoona will be able to attract a price premium,” Anderson said.
Operating on a six day a week, daytime shift only roster, the Campoona mine is expected to have an initial life of 14 years.
Archer told the ASX that the Campoona project “will be operated on a residential basis”.
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“Archer plans to source workers locally (and) the company will buy locally and source services locally where ever it makes commercial sense to do so,” Archer said.
Archer says it “has at least a further eight high value graphite targets” in another tenement adjoining the northern boundary of the Campoona site.
The Mining Lease Proposal will now be reviewed by the State Government following which Archer will finalise and submit a formal mining application that will initiate a public consultation and assessment process.
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