Contract mining newbie Develop has been awarded work valued at around A$400 million ($298 million) at Bellevue Gold’s Bellevue Gold Mine in Western Australia.
The contract, which covers a period of almost four years, provides for Develop’s Underground Services division to undertake construction, development and production activities at the underground mine. The commencement date for the contract is in the June quarter.
Develop says it has established a highly experienced team of underground mining specialists led by Managing Director Bill Beament. Beament is the former Executive Chair of Northern Star Resources and was previously General Manager of Operations at major underground mining contractor Barminco.
The Develop Underground Services team also includes Norther Star alumni Paul Nilsson (Develop’s Manager Mining Underground) and Aaron Armstrong (Develop’s Maintenance Manager Underground).
DEVELOP, formerly Venturex Resources, only established the company’s Underground Services division in November. In addition to catering to its own requirements at the Sulphur Springs copper-zinc-silver project in Western Australia, it has also been working on exploration and development activities at its Woodlawn zinc-copper project in New South Wales, which it acquired earlier this year.
Develop has appointed Jordan Hall as Project Manager for the Bellevue contract. Hall spent 19 years working for Byrnecut, during which time he was employed predominantly in senior management roles at major Western Australia projects such as the Jundee gold mine and Golden Grove base metals project.
In addition, Develop has recently recruited a significant number of underground personnel and secured key equipment. This capability ensures Develop has ready-access to a deep pool of underground mining specialists and the latest machinery for use at Bellevue, it said.
Beament said Develop had established an exceptional team of highly experienced underground mining specialists.
“Our team is perfectly suited to the Bellevue project, with decades of underground development and production experience, particularly in Western Australian gold projects,” he said.
“We have access to an extensive pool of specialists across the required disciplines, many of whom are unquestionably world-class, and we are well-advanced in securing the latest equipment.
“Our business model has attracted extensive interest from industry people, we have strong track records of operational excellence on all levels and we are ready to deploy our skills and expertise.”
Beament said Bellevue’s strong commitments to ESG targets were aligned with Develop’s own core beliefs.
“This is an enormous opportunity for both companies,” he said. “Bellevue is an exceptional gold asset with a great production outlook and low all-in sustaining costs in the heart of Western Australia.
“It is one of the largest contracts in the Western Australian gold mining industry. It is also one of the most environmentally-ambitious projects, with the aim of producing Australia’s first carbon-neutral gold.
“I have no doubt that applying the combined skills and experience of the Bellevue and Develop teams to this exceptional asset will ensure strong returns for all stakeholders.”
Bellevue is forecasting production of 200,000 oz/y during years one to five at an all-in sustaining cost of A$922/oz at its operation. Its most recent feasibility study also outlined a 1 Mt/y asset with forecasted greenhouse gas intensity of 0.202 t CO2e/oz, with planned integration of renewable energy.
The Bellevue contract will be executed by Develop’s Underground Services division and conducted in parallel with Develop’s work at Woodlawn and Sulphur Springs.