Chalice Mining is rapidly expanding its blueprint to become a prominent global producer of platinum group metals, nickel, and copper through the Gonneville project in WA.
Chalice managing director Alex Dorch told the Diggers ‘n’ Dealers conference in WA that the company now has two open pit development scenarios based on March’s resource data. These scenarios are under review through a scoping study set to conclude this year’s third quarter.
Additionally, Dorch confirmed that Chalice was on the hunt for strategic partnerships for the project’s development, with talks underway with established technology leaders and end-users.
Recent deep drilling uncovered grades up to four times higher than those in the perceived open cut, and Dorsch said Chalice was now advancing a concept for a decline mine development from within the pit.
Chalice also acquired vast vacant land, including farmland, with exploration potential. The mineral-rich structure extending 20 kilometres near Gonneville yielded positive results in initial exploration of the first 10 kilometres.
Dorch highlighted Gonneville’s significance among global mineral discoveries, raising concerns about reliance on platinum group metal providers in Russia and South Africa, and Indonesia’s role in nickel production.
Gonneville ranks as Australia’s second-largest nickel sulfide deposit, after BHP’s Musgrave Range project.
Chalice aims to concentrate platinum group metals and copper into a copper concentrate, with around 25 per cent copper content and 100 to 150 grams per ton of platinum group elements.
The mineral resource estimate is 560 million tonnes grading 0.88 grams per ton of platinum group metals.