Hawsons Iron Ltd (HIO) says it has engaged global specialists to examine optimum infrastructure pathways, process engineering design and decarbonisation opportunities to improve the economics and Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) outcomes for its Hawsons Iron Project. Worley has signed a feasibility services agreement with HIO to undertake, together with its subcontractor Mineral Technologies, the metallurgical and process engineering for the process plant test work program and mine engineering design to deliver the most cost-effective solution for the Hawsons Iron Project.

The Hawsons Iron Project is a significant magnetite iron ore asset located 60 km southwest of Broken Hill in the Braemar Iron province near the South Australian border. A full Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for the Hawsons Iron Project is now underway and scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. The Hawsons orebody’s softness, relative to ‘hard rock’ magnetite orebodies found in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, offers clear commercial advantage. It requires less energy during crushing and grinding to extract the magnetite concentrate, while a higher, 70% Fe grade is achieved because the ore is easily separated from impurities and waste. The company has defined a 2012 JORC Code and Guidelines compliant resource of 3.06 billion tonnes at 13.1% Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) at a 6% cut off for 400 Mt of concentrate with a planned production rate of 10-20 Mt/y over a 20+ year minelife.

Worley’s Advisian consulting business has also been engaged to identify and analyse an ideal energy balance and decarbonisation opportunities to improve environment, social and governance (ESG) outcomes and broader sustainability opportunities for the project. Slurry pipeline specialist Fortin Pipelines has been appointed to examine an underground, cross country direct-to-port slurry pipeline, while port infrastructure expert Royal HaskoningDHV has been appointed to examine port options, as part of the extended BFS studies to incorporate a 20 Mt/y production option. Fortin Pipelines, with experience in the design and implementation of over 20 long-distance slurry pipelines across 15 countries, including major long-distance slurry pipeline assets in Brazil, India, Peru, and Australia, will assess the Project’s direct to port pipeline design and system selection.

Port infrastructure expert Royal HaskoningDHV will investigate optimal port export sites and facility design and operational performance outcomes capable of yielding sustainable benefits, measurable against United Nations Sustainability Development Goals. Global environmental advisory firm, SLR Consulting, recently appointed as Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Consultant to lead environmental approvals in NSW will also manage the project’s environmental approvals in South Australia.

Hawsons Iron Executive Chairman Bryan Granzien said the appointments are critical to advancing the project’s BFS, which will deliver a sound platform to finance the detailed design, construction and commissioning of the Hawsons Iron Project. He said the appointments and progress of the Project’s BFS were taking the company closer to answering the world’s call for high-grade iron ore products essential to decarbonising the steel industry. “No one else we know has an orebody like ours, and we can be leaders towards zero emissions mining,” he said. “These companies are global mining specialists with the necessary big project expertise to deliver the most innovative and sustainable design to maximise production, commercial returns and ESG outcomes for our Hawsons Iron Project. Through the BFS we have the opportunity to maximise the value of the Hawsons Iron Project. I’ve said before, we’re leaving no stone unturned to unlock the full potential of this world-class and large-scale iron ore resource and we’re doing it by engaging the very best in their fields.”