BHP Billiton: Nickel West nickel salt plant delays production in the first half of 2021

Published: Sep 18, 2020 16:02
Source: SMM compilation

SMM9, March 18: BHP Billiton said in its annual report this week that the plant is scheduled to start production at 1H20, but is still under construction.

The plant, located at the Kwinana nickel refinery, is now ready for launch and production of the first batch of products sometime in the first half of 2021. In the first phase of the work, BHP Billiton set a target of 100000 tons of nickel sulfate per year.

Another reason for a year may be cost. Nickel West said it had exceeded its initial package price of $43 million in 2019, although officials did not update the facility's price tag at the time.

BHP Billiton also confirmed in its report that progress is being made in the construction of three new mines at, Nickel West. The Keith Mountain (Yakabindie) satellite mine was put into production in December 2019 and is now the main source of raw material for the Keith Mountain Concentrator.

The Venus underground mine transitioned to full production in September 2019. Its ore is hoisted to the Lester Concentrator. Leinster B11 is the first massive cave under the Leinster underground mine, and its development is in line with expectations, and its developed ore has also been hoisted to the Leinster concentrator.

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