Australian miner Mincor Resources is considering reopening its Miitel nickel mine in Kambalda, Western Australia given the rising prices for the steel alloy and the company's further discoveries in terms of nickel reserves, the company announced on April 8.
"We have just started a detailed study into the re-opening of Miitel, including timing, costs, operational structure, manning levels, the capital development implications of the new discoveries, and so on," Mincor managing director David Moore said, adding that the company is confident that it can be restarted quickly and profitably. He concluded that a further announcement would be made in May once the reopening study was complete.
Mincor suspended operations at its Miitel Mine in December 2008, and put the mine on care and maintenance. Recent exploration drill results at North and South Miitel confirmed high-grade nickel mineralization beyond the existing resource envelope.
The Miitel mine produced nearly 55,000 mt of nickel between 2001 and 2008.