Jervois copper project receives environmental nod from NT EPA

The Northern Territory Environment Protection Authority (NT EPA) has completed the environmental impact assessment of KGL Resources’ 100% owned Jervois Copper Project.

It has recommended the NT Government’s approval for the project and concluded that KGL can proceed in an environmentally acceptable manner, provided the recommendations made in ‘Assessment Report 90’ are implemented.

KGL plans to develop and operate the Jervois project on mineral leases on the Jervois and Lucy Creek pastoral stations, located 270km north-east of Alice Springs and 18km north-east of Orrtipa-Thurra community.

KGL Resources chairman Denis Wood said: “The company is now firmly focused on completing all preliminary processes to enable mine construction to start in the second quarter of 2020.

“To achieve this timetable, intensive drilling continues at Jervois. The drilling programme is designed to increase and upgrade resources ahead of mining, and to support Macmahon Contractors in optimising the mine design and schedule which is aimed for completion by the end of this year.”

The proposed mine is a brownfield site, which has been previously mined for copper, lead and zinc.

KGL’s proposal comprises a base metals mine and includes a processing plant, a tailings storage facility, as well as water supply borefield and pipeline.

The plan also consists of water dams and an accommodation village spread across a footprint of 402ha.

Mine life for the proposed project is ten years.

NT EPA chairman Paul Vogel said: “Implementation of robust monitoring programmes and an appropriate adaptive management framework, will enable identification of changes in environmental conditions and management to adapt and respond to these changes with appropriate mitigation and contingency measures.”

In March 2017, the NT government awarded Major Project status to Jervois project.