MRM commenced mining

1995

Open pit development approval

October 2006

Development cost

$110 million

Mine life

Estimated 21 to 25 years

Resource to be mined

43 million tonnes
Grade – 10.2% zinc, 4.4% lead, 45g/t silver (as at 30 June 2005)

Production rate

2.1 million tonnes of ore per annum
166,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate

Product

358,000 dmt (dry metric tonnes) per annum

Mining

Open pit mine using conventional drilling, blasting, horizontal bench scraping, loading and haulage methods

Processing

Flotation process producing zinc-lead concentrates

Transport

Trucked to Bing Bong loading facility, transferred to barge, then offshore loading onto ships within a designated Offshore Transfer Zone

Export markets

Poland, Japan, China

Economic benefits – Northern Territory
(Annual forecast)

$175 million contribution to Gross State Product
$329 million economic output of all industries
610 direct and indirect jobs in operation

Economic benefits – Australia
(Annual forecast)

$271 million contribution to Gross Domestic Product
$523 million economic output of all industries
1,700 direct and indirect jobs in operation

Workforce

203 permanent employees
76 contractors

Open pit

Current
Length – 1.3 kilometres
Width – 500 metres
Depth – 104 metres
Overall footprint – 86.2 hectares

At completion
Length – 1.5 kilometres
Width – 800 metres
Depth – 210 metres
Overall footprint – 103 hectares

McArthur River rechannelling

Length – 5.5 kilometres
Width – 15 to 28 metres
Depth – up to 18 metres

Barney Creek rechannelling

Length – 3 kilometres
Width – 30 to 50 metres
Depth – up to 17 metres

Flood protection bund

Maximum height – 24 metres
Length – 7.5 kilometres
Flood protection – 1:500 year event

Overburden (North OEF)
(At completion)

Footprint – 255 hectares
Height – 50 metres
Total capacity – 185 million tonnes

Tailings Storage Facility
(At completion)

Total surface area – 210 hectares
Total volume – 23 million cubic metres
Maximum height – 30 metres
Flood protection – 1:500 years

MV Aburri barge

Length – 80 metres
Width – 18.5 metres
Draft – 3.5 metres
Capacity – 3,200 tonnes
Loading and discharge rate – 900-1,000 tonnes per hour