The Odysseus nickel sulphide venture is a part of the Cosmos venture situated in Western Australia (WA).
Found in 2010, the mine is 100% owned by IGO. It was beforehand developed by Western Areas, which was acquired by IGO in 2022.
A definitive feasibility examine (DFS) for the venture was accomplished in October 2018, confirming a mine lifetime of ten years with a complete manufacturing of as much as 130,000t of nickel focus.
The redevelopment venture together with the event of an underground mine at Odysseus commenced in January 2019 with an estimated funding of $338m.
IGO commenced a complete evaluation of the venture in mid-2023 to evaluate the dangers and alternatives to optimise the mine plan and schedule.
In January 2024, IGO introduced that the outcomes of the evaluation indicated a discount in mine life and delays in bringing the mine to full capability. Moreover, the evaluation confirmed a rise in working prices whereas commodity costs deteriorated. IGO positioned the venture underneath care and upkeep, following the evaluation.
A brand new examine to evaluate the venture’s future viability underneath numerous possible nickel value eventualities will start in This autumn 2024.
Odysseus mine location
The Odysseus venture is located on a granted mining lease within the Cosmos Nickel Advanced, which is 30km away from Leinster, WA.
The Cosmos complicated lies within the Leinster-Wiluna nickel camp, which contains deposits reminiscent of Cliffs, Mt Keith, Perseverance, and Honeymoon Properly.
Odysseus venture reserves
The confirmed and possible reserves of Odysseus mine are estimated to be 8.1 million tonnes (mt) grading at 2.02% and Ni containing 164.5 kilotonnes (kt) as of June 2022.
Odysseus mine geology
The Odysseus deposits are located 1,000m-1,100m beneath the bottom. The Odysseus south orebody extends 360m in strike size with a mean thickness of 62m whereas the Odysseus north orebody lies 100m north of the south orebody and at a depth of 1,000m-1,075m beneath the floor.
Each the orebodies happen in the identical mineralised pattern much like that of the mine’s Alec Mairs 5 (AM5) and AM6 deposits. The whole mine’s mineralogical properties are an identical to that of AM5.
The Odysseus Huge deposit contains stringer to giant sulphide veins situated slightly below the Odysseus north. It consists of a number of distinct lenses with the biggest being 100m in strike size.
Mining at Odysseus
The first mining technique on the venture employs single-lift long-hole open stoping. The paste fill is accessed by means of transverse ore drives on a cross-cut spacing of 50m.
Mining of the north and south orebodies is carried out in a top-down, centre-out sequence. The highest-down method together with faster ramp entry permits early entry to the ore.
A brand new single ramp decline starting from the AM5/6 decline growth gives entry to Odysseus.
The venture employs the most recent expertise to additional enhance security and operational effectivity whereas decreasing prices. A fibre-optic community is integrated to supply a Wi-Fi connection for controlling semi-autonomous and absolutely autonomous loaders, manufacturing drills and associated gear.
A mine management room is about as much as monitor and management pumping, paste filling, refrigeration, air flow, and cellular fleet exercise. It additionally supervises the situation of personnel and gear, in addition to sends real-time suggestions to the air flow on demand (VOD) system. The information is used to optimise the ability provide and make sure the circulation of chilled air within the applicable areas. Moreover, the mine management room displays and remotely controls the shaft programs and associated supplies dealing with programs.
Processing particulars
The present Cosmos processing plant was revamped to extend the mill throughput from 450ktpa to 900ktpa to allow the processing of ore from the Odysseus deposits. The plant is predicted to achieve a capability of 1mtpa with additional debottlenecking.
The plant enlargement entails the set up of a secondary crusher and new conveyors. The present grinding mills have been reconfigured and flotation capability was additionally elevated.
The Cosmos plant’s design entails a traditional sulphide processing route utilising a conventional grinding and flotation expertise for producing focus.
The mined ore is fed by means of a conveyor from the manufacturing shaft head body to the floor stockpile. The ore is then transported to the run-of-mine (ROM) bin through a front-end loader and fed to the mill.
The nickel focus is both trucked to the native smelter or exported through the Port of Geraldton in WA.
Odysseus venture infrastructure
Present infrastructure on the website consists of website buildings and workplaces, a 520-room lodging village, entry roads, airstrip, energy strains, communications and water provide infrastructure.
The Cosmos early works programme consists of the partial refurbishment of the lodging village, security infrastructure upgrades, refurbishment of present water administration ponds and waste dump dam, together with the design and development of latest water administration ponds. A dewatering piping community provide was put in and a brief diesel energy station was additionally arrange.
Development of the dual declines began in September 2020. Growth of the mid-shaft entry decline was accomplished. Accomplished works embody pilot gap drilling for 2 new vent rises. The mine growth additionally has the supply for a refrigeration plant.
A concrete batch plant facility was commissioned within the first half of 2020 to supply concrete for civil works on the venture website.
The positioning is predicted to obtain energy from a third-party energy provider and gas from Western Areas. A brand new 13km lateral fuel spur line is predicted to be constructed adjoining to the present lateral spur line, which hyperlinks the Cosmos energy plant and the Goldfields fuel pipeline (GGP).
Contractors concerned
GR Engineering Companies gained a contract to supply the design and engineering works for the enlargement of the plant.
Barminco was awarded an A$200m ($145.6m) growth and manufacturing contract in September 2020. It beforehand accomplished rehabilitation works on the mine.
Piran Mining was contracted for mine planning and optimisation. SRK Consulting is the supplier of geological mannequin providers.
KCSA Geomechanics and Golders are answerable for geotechnical engineering providers whereas Itasca Australia gained a contract to conduct geotechnical modelling and geotechnical peer evaluation.
The Odysseus venture group additionally consists of Dempers & Seymour (mining rock mass modelling), RSV (shaft engineering and design), and Outotec (paste fill engineering, plant design and testing works).
OZ Vent is answerable for air flow works and ALS Metallurgical Companies is conducting metallurgical check work.
IGO awarded the Cosmos electrification examine to Perenti and ABB in June 2023. The joint group was answerable for conducting a examine for the total underground electrification of the mine utilizing Perenti’s experience and ABB’s eMine™ framework for electrification and automation.