The Project
Lodestone Mines is committed to developing a mining, mineral processing and multi-user infrastructure solution for the Braemar region of South Australia.
Lodestone Mines through subsidiary Braemar Infrastructure is proposing to develop multi-purpose infrastructure corridors that will provide a low cost – high volume export solution for iron ore mined in the Braemar Region. The ore from the first project from this group of companies will be from the ‘Olary Flats’ Project. The infrastructure includes roads, electricity and water to support and facilitate mining in the Braemar Region. The Olary Flats and Braemar Infrastructure Projects are a major investment in South Australia.
The assessment and analysis in a business case undertaken by the SA Govt Resources Infrastructure Task Force (RIT) (Solutions to bulk mineral export infrastructure on Spencer Gulf) lead the RIT to suggest that the Braemar Infrastructure Project port locations are most likely to meet future demand for bulk export in the Spencer Gulf region on the eastern shore.
This business case can be viewed here: https://rit.statedevelopment.sa.gov.au/
The project will receive iron ore concentrate produced by iron ore mines located in the Braemar Region in north-east South Australia and deliver it to storage and ship loading facilities located in the Spencer Gulf, where it will be loaded into ships for export.
The project could eventually have a capacity of up to 100 million tonnes per year (million tpy). The project will be developed in stages, with the first stage port expected to have a capacity of up to 25 million tpy. Production of 100 million tpy of iron ore concentrate represents an eight fold increase in the amount of iron ore currently being exported from South Australia.
The project involves:
-
both railroad and slurry pipeline transportation systems from mines in the Braemar Region to export facilities located in Spencer Gulf;
-
one or more Processing, Storage and Ship Loading facilities, located in Spencer Gulf, where large export vessels (i.e. greater than 180,000 dwt) can receive the iron ore concentrate for export;
-
a transmission line from the existing electricity network to the Braemar Region;
-
a process water supply network for process plants treating ores from the Braemar Iron formation;
-
associated support and service facilities, including slurry pipeline systems; rail car loading and unloading stations; offshore product storage and ship loading facilities as well as any other materials handling equipment required;
-
a control, maintenance and operations base in country SA; and
-
a marine supply base in proximity to the Ports
The geographical spread of the infrastructure is approximately +300km from export ship loading facilities in Spencer Gulf to the Town of Olary. From Olary it can be extended across the NSW border to Broken Hill if required.
Lodestone is committed to the implementation of innovative responsible practices throughout all facets of our organisation, taking genuine care for the environment, and the community and responsible husbanding of the earths resources. Lodestone considers integrating responsible development principles with project engineering as essential to its success. The project management team has applied these responsible principles throughout the planning and scoping phases of the project, and the application of these principles will continue throughout the engineering, construction, operation and decommissioning phases.
It is a goal of Lodestone to ensure the Olary Flats Project maximises its positive social, environmental and economic impacts.