GreenTech Metals and Anax Metals unveiled a nonexclusive memorandum of understanding (MoU) to assess the potential for a copper-focused base metals collaboration.
The MoU will consider the potential to treat ore from GreenTech’s Whuno deposit, near Karratha, at the fully permitted Whim Creek processing hub, which is about 100 km away.
“The alliance could be the catalyst that the West Pilbara needs to become a significant copper producer,” said GreenTech MD Tom Reddicliffe.
The proposed Whim Creek project, which is 80% owned by Anax and 20% by Develop Global, will consist of a new 400 000 t/y concentrator, and a refurbished heap leach facility.
Whim Creek has a potential production profile of 20 000 t/y to 30 000 t/y copper-equivalent over a more-than ten-year mine life.
The amalgamation of the Whim Creek and Whundo assets would result in a combined project resource base of 17.2-million tonnes of measured, indicated and inferred resources with more than 185 000 t of contained copper and 256 000 t of contained zinc.
Anax MD Geoff Laing said that the company was pleased to take these first steps towards creating an expanded Pilbara copper business and deliver a scalable asset with near-term energy metals production.