Peelwood North Copper-Zinc Deposit
On the 20th August, 2009 ('0908_Peelwood_Mining Approval_001') the Board of Sultan Corporation announced its decision to develop the Peelwood North Copper/Zinc mine based on favorable results of the feasibility study. The following processes were undertaken prior to the Board making this decision:
- Geological assessment (including drilling);
- Resource model development;
- Mine optimisation and scheduling;
- Metallurgical testing;
- Environmental Assessments;
- Preliminary engineering and plant construction assessment; and
- Commercial analysis.
Sultan submitted an official request to the NSW Department of Planning for the Director-General’s requirements in relation to the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (E.I.S) for its proposed copper-zinc project at Peelwood North. Under NSW development approval processes, the size, scope and degree of environmental impact of the project indicate that this development should be assessed and approved by the local authority. As a result the approval process will occur in two stages which are a scoping of the development application by the NSW Department of Planning and a submission of a full development application including an E.I.S and Construction Details to the Upper Lachlan Shire Council.
An overview presentation was made to the Council of the Upper Lachlan Shire and feedback has been received from the NSW Department of Planning and the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECWW). Sultan continues to work in conjunction with NSW State Government agencies and the shire to ensure all criteria in relation to the formal submission are addressed. Sultan has engaged specialist consultants for various environmental and community aspects of the project.
Sultan has advanced the mine design, plant layout and equipment selection and is continuing the assessment and selection of mining contractors and optimal concentrate off-take options.
The DECCW requested that Sultan conduct a more detailed flora survey of the area covered by the Peelwood North project and Sultan commissioned Gingra Ecological Surveys (Gingra) to undertake this task. On the basis of this targeted survey and previous assessments of the area to be affected by the mining project, Gingra concluded that ‘there is a very low likelihood that the species occur on the land. The project will not involve impact on listed threatened flora’. The DECCW have also requested that Sultan complete a more detailed fauna assessment in addition to the preliminary survey conducted in May 2009. The assessment will be undertaken in late January 2010 by Dr. Martin Denny of Biodiversity Monitoring Services, the same consultancy that conducted the original survey.
Sultan's Corporate Presentation released to market titled '0909_Sultan_Peelwood North Mine Update_001' gives an overview of all apsects of the Peelwood North Mine development.
NB: Peelwood North was formerly known as the John Fardy deposit.
