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Beverley

 

Resource:

Uranium (U3O8)

Company:

Heathgate Resources Ltd
www.heathgateresources.com.au (opens in new window)

Status:

Operating

Beverley North project: revised MARP approved

 SA map showing location of Beverley mine

Beverley is one of the largest, and most advanced, in situ leach (ISL) mines in the world.

ISL is the chemical process of extracting minerals from the host rock underground, or in situ. Where the ore exists in an underground aquifer — as is the case at Beverley — oxygen and a weak acid mining solution is pumped through the ore body to dissolve the uranium minerals. The dissolved uranium is then pumped to the surface, where it is taken out of solution and packaged for export.

The technology was conceived and developed during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and although widely used overseas, it was used for the first time in Australia at Beverley.

Production at Beverley commenced in 1999.

Production statistics May 2009

Total resource: 7.7 Mt at 0.27% U3O8
Contained commodity: 21 000 t U3O8
Annual production 2007–08 (mine gate): 719 t U3O8

Beverley Mine Extension

On 28 August 2008 the Commonwealth Minister for Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon. Peter Garrett, gave approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 (external site, opens in new window) for the Beverley Uranium Mine Extension.

More information about the Commonwealth decision (external site, opens in new window)

The application for the new Mineral Lease surrounded the existing Mineral Lease 6036, and Miscellaneous Purposes Licences 57, 58 and 59.

The new lease (ML6321) was granted on 16 September, 2008.

Beverley Mine Extension Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP)

The Beverley Mine Extension Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP) was approved by the Chief Inspector of Mines on 7 October 2008.

The Commonwealth Minister for Environment, Heritage and Arts is also required to approve sections of the MARP prior to commencement of mining as required under the conditions of the EPBC approval. These sections include the environmental monitoring program, the mine closure and completion plan, and the community engagement plan.

Work is not permitted to commence on the extended lease until the Commonwealth approval has been given.

Documents and Reports

Beverley North project approved revised MARP

Beverley North project field leach trial Mining and Rehabilitation Program November 2010 (.pdf 24.69Mb, opens in new window)

Mining and Rehabilitation Compliance Report (MARCR) 2009 (.pdf 10.4Mb, opens in new window)

Beverley Mine Mining and Rehabilitation Program (MARP) September 2008 (.pdf 48.0Mb, opens in new window)

Mining and Rehabilitation Compliance Report (MARCR) 2008 (.pdf 22.0Mb, opens in new window)

Annual Environment Report 2007 (.pdf 11.9Mb, opens in new window)

Other public documents

Other publicly available documents relevant to the project can be accessed via the South Australian Resources Information Geoserver (SARIG).

Open the application, go to Databases (top left grey navigation bar), select Publications and Reports from the drop-down list.

For a copy of the reports in an alternative format contact Customer Services:
Phone:  +61 8 8463 3000
Email: pirsa.customerservices@sa.gov.au

Uranium Incident Reports

South Australia's uranium mines and processing facilities are required to report incidents involving the unplanned release of radioactive process materials, radioactive liquids or radioactive wastes associated with the physical and chemical processing of uranium ores, following Standard criteria and procedures.