Tag Archives: Micon International

Hatch, ERCOSPLAN, K-UTEC on board for South Harz’s Ohmgebirge potash PFS

Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , , , , , ,

South Harz Potash Limited has appointed its specialist team to deliver the prefeasibility study for its 100%-owned Ohmgebirge potash development project in Thuringia, Germany.

Hatch is, South Harz Potash says, a recognised leader in the development and implementation of potash projects globally and has worked on projects in Europe, North America and beyond.

ERCOSPLAN and K-UTEC, both part of this team, have a long tradition in the development of potash projects in many parts of the world, and both are particularly experienced in the Thuringian “hartsalz” typical of the region, according to the company. Micon, meanwhile, will continue to provide geological support and will be responsible for the mineral resource estimate.

The PFS is set to further refine the engineering, design and cost estimates (to +/-20%) for the Ohmgebirge development, following the scoping study completed in August 2022. Key workstreams have already commenced with overall PFS completion scheduled for January 2024.

South Harz Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Berthelet, said: “We are very pleased to be working with global industry leaders, Hatch, and premier German mine and process engineering teams, ERCOSPLAN and K-UTEC, to advance our flagship Ohmgebirge Development. Coupled with our geology partner, Micon, the external team will deploy its experience alongside our owner’s team to advance the project through the PFS workstreams and will provide essential support to the Environmental Impact Assessment and permitting processes announced earlier this month.”

The team will be under the in-house leadership of South Harz, Chief Operating Officer, Lawrence Berthelet, with key PFS specialist discipline engineering responsibilities.

Hatch will act as the lead consultant and study manager (external), with Owner’s Engineer responsibility. It will also carry out the infrastructure engineering and design, including all energy trade-off studies, plus capital and operating cost estimates.

ERCOSPLAN is the specialist engineering consultant responsible for mine planning, geological risk assessment, geotechnical modelling, shaft hoisting and underground backfill technology engineering.

K-UTEC AG Salt Technologies has responsibility for process flowsheet design, backfill technical and constituent engineering.

Mining consultant, Micon International, will provide continuity in geological modelling, Competent Person and mineral resource update provision.

The South Harz project hosts a globally large-scale potash JORC (2012) mineral resource estimate of 5,000 Mt at 10.6% K2O of inferred resources and 258 Mt at 13.5% K2O of indicated resources across four wholly-owned project areas within central Europe. This comprises three perpetual potash mining licences, Ohmgebirge, Ebeleben and Mühlhausen-Nohra, and two potash exploration licences, Küllstedt and Gräfentonna, covering a total area of approximately 659 sq.km.

The August 2022 scoping study outlined a 4.5 Mt/y run-of-mine project with a K2O head grade of 13.5% over a 21-year life.

Micon to complete South West PEA at Moneta’s Golden Highway project

Mineral exploration, Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

Moneta Porcupine Mines has contracted Micon International to complete a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on the South West deposit within its Golden Highway project, in Ontario, Canada.

The results of the PEA are due to be delivered later in 2020, with the study set to review several development scenarios for the deposit, the company said.

The South West deposit was recently the subject of a resource update, which resulted in a 58% increase in indicated resources to 472,000 oz within 3.24 Mt at a grade of 4.53 g/t Au, and a 40% increase in inferred resources to 1.06 Moz within 7.3 Mt at 4.37 g/t Au. This assumed underground extraction using a 3 g/t Au cutoff grade.

The company recently completed its 2019/2020 winter drill program early at Golden Highway in order to maintain a healthy and safe work environment for its employees and contractors, in support of efforts to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. A total of 36 holes will have been completed, it said.

Drilling was scheduled to be completed by mid-April and has been successful in testing the resource extensions of the Windjammer South, West Block and 55 deposits as well as intersecting new mineralisation at the Westaway and Halfway targets, according to the company. The core will now be processed in isolation and the results will be released as they become available, Moneta said.

The data and assays from this program will be used for new resource updates for Windjammer South, South West and 55 deposits, plus an initial mineral resource estimate at Westaway.

Gary O’Connor, CEO and Chief Geologist, said: “We will continue the new resource expansion work, however at a slightly slower pace due to the physical distancing of employees.”

The Golden Highway project covers 12 km of prospective ground along the Destor-Porcupine Fault Zone in the Timmins Gold Camp, of which 4 km hosts the current NI 43-101 mineral resource.