Ardea Resources (ASX:ARL) is progressing a Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project-Goongarrie Hub in Western Australia, after completing resource definition, geotechnical, and hydrogeology drilling.
The DFS, which is being managed by privately held Kalgoorlie Nickel, aims to support the development of the KNP-Goongarrie Hub as a multi-decade, low operating cost nickel-cobalt producer.
Ardea, which has a market capitalisation of $65.89 million, says the DFS is on schedule for completion in the second half of this year.
Further, multiple contracts and work packages continue to be approved and awarded including several metallurgical testwork packages, water assessment works and pipeline layout, as well as the mining and tailings package.
Other contracts and awards include a hydrogeology technical supervision, data analysis and reporting, production bore drilling, and early contractor involvement.
The company will also provide an update in due course regarding the process plant and utilities.
Ardea notes the DFS will outline the potential viability of increasing the high pressure acid leach annual throughput from 3 million tonnes to 3.5 million tonnes per year, based on reducing the autoclave residence time from 70 minutes to 60 minutes.
The Kalgoorlie Nickel project and its sub-set Goongarrie Hub is a series of nickel-cobalt and critical mineral deposits which host 854 million tonnes @ 0.71% nickel and 0.045% cobalt for 6.1 million tonnes of contained nickel and 386,000 tonnes of contained cobalt.
Ardea Resources is a nickel developer in a joint venture with Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO:5713) and Mitsubishi Corporation (TYO:8058) to build, commission, and operate a more than 30,000-tonne-per-year multi-decade nickel operation.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Ardea Resources
