Murrin Murrin Joint Venture


The Murrin Murrin mine project is a major nickel-cobalt mining operation being conducted in the North Eastern Goldfields, approximately 45 km east of Leonora, Western Australia. The Project was initiated as a joint venture between Murrin Murrin Holdings Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Anaconda Nickel Limited and Glenmurrin Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Glencore International AG, which had a 40% share. In 2003 Anaconda changed its name to Minara Resources Limited. In November 2011, Minara Resources was fully acquired and is now wholly owned by Glencore International. The mine opened in 1999.

Geology

Murrin Murrin mines a laterite nickel ore formed by deep weathering of a peridotite ultramafic rock.

Problems with the process plant

Significant problems and delays were encountered in the design, construction and commissioning of the ore process plant at Murrin Murrin.
The designers, Fluor Daniel eventually had to pay the joint venture partners A$155 million in an out of court settlement. It was their second successful claim against Fluor, Murrin Murrin owners having been awarded $147 million from the first phase of their claim against Fluor, a sum which ultimately was reduced to $39.8 million. The Murrin Murrin project's original cost estimate of $1 billion had blown out $1.6 billion.

Production

Production of the mine:
YearNickelCobalt
200013,027 t904 t
200125,991 t1,253 t
200230,009 t1,838 t
200328,147 t2,309 t
200427,950 t1,982 t
200528,240 t1,750 t
200631,524 t2,096 t
200727,585 t1,884 t
200830,514 t2,018 t
200932,977 t3,250 t
201028,500 t1,900 t
201128,500 t1,900 t
201233,410 t2,390 t
201340,000 t2,700 t
201436,400 t2,700 t
201537,500 t2,800t
201635,300 t2,800 t
201734,700 t2,700 t
201835,500 t2,900 t