The Murrin Murrin Mine is a major nickel-cobalt mining operation being conducted in the
North Eastern Goldfields, approximately 45 km east of
Leonora, Western Australia
Leonora is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, located northeast of the state capital, Perth, and north of the city of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, Kalgoorlie.
History
The first European explorer to visit the ar ...
. The project was initiated as a 60/40
joint venture
A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...
between Murrin Murrin Holdings, a subsidiary of
Anaconda Nickel and Glenmurrin, a subsidiary of
Glencore
Glencore plc is an Anglo-Swiss Multinational corporation, multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland, Baar, Switzerland. Glencore's oil and gas headquarters are in London, London, England as well a ...
. In 2003 Anaconda changed its name to Minara Resources. In November 2011, Minara Resources was acquired by Glencore. The mine opened in 1999.
[''The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition'', page: 39]
Geology
Murrin Murrin mines a
laterite nickel ore formed by deep weathering of a
peridotite
Peridotite ( ) is a dense, coarse-grained igneous rock consisting mostly of the silicate minerals olivine and pyroxene. Peridotite is ultramafic, as the rock contains less than 45% silica. It is high in magnesium (Mg2+), reflecting the high pr ...
ultramafic rock
Ultramafic rocks (also referred to as ultrabasic rocks, although the terms are not wholly equivalent) are igneous and meta-igneous rocks with a very low silica content (less than 45%), generally >18% MgO, high FeO, low potassium, and are usua ...
.
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 $155 million in an out-of-court settlement. It was the 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 $1.6 billion. In December 1998, Anaconda Nickel terminated Henry Walker as mining contractor.
Clarification - Operations at Murrin Murrin
Henry Walker 4 December 1998
Production
Production of the mine:
References
External links
Murrin Murrin Deposit Summary ReportMurrin Murrin North (GME) Deposit Summary ReportMurrin Murrin East Deposit Summary ReportMinara, Murrin MurrinMINEDEX website: Murrin Murrin / Minara
Database of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation & Safety
The Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety is a department of the Government of Western Australia. The department was formed on 1 July 2017, out of the former Department of Mines & Petroleum and Department of Commerce.
A ...
{{Nickel mining in Western Australia, state=collapsed
Nickel mines in Western Australia
Cobalt mines in Western Australia
Cobalt mining companies
Shire of Laverton
Surface mines in Australia
Glencore
1999 establishments in Australia