Three-way partnership to drive gold and copper production in Tennant Creek

A new partnership wants to reactivate Tennant Creek’s proud gold and copper past. Read what’s planned.

Another plan has emerged to consolidate Tennant Creek’s gold and copper assets with a new strategic alliance between three industry players.

Emmerson Resources Limited, CuFe Limited and Tennant Minerals have formed a new partnership to develop their copper, gold and critical minerals assets at a single-use processing facility they want to develop.

The partnership would see the three businesses explore options around the viability of the processing plant, including best location, scheduling, infrastructure and environmental requirements and general logistics.

The agreement would mean upon completion of a scoping study, the partners undertake a pre-feasibility study on preferred options to developing deposits at and around Tennant Creek.

Work on the proposed consolidation is expected to begin within weeks.

Aerial images of the Orlando copper and gold mine near Tennant Creek.

Emmerson managing director Mike Dunbar said high-grade copper, gold and critical minerals deposits around Tennant began as “relatively small scale mines” and grow significantly after mining begins.

“With modern environmental, regulatory and financial hurdles, development of these modest sized deposits independently is now significantly harder than it was historically,” Mr Dunbar said.

“As a result, a collaborative approach of working together with like-minded ASX listed companies to investigate shared facilities to build the scale of operations needed for a modern development is, in my opinion, the best way of developing the field.

“I am pleased to be working with the Tennant Minerals and CuFe teams, as I believe this will lead to the best development option for each of the companies and the Tennant Creek community as a whole.”

AMEC chief executive Warren Pearce - Photo Supplied

CuFe executive director Mark Hancock said the company’s Orlando and Gecko gold and copper deposits were high-grade sites that would complement assets owned by Tennant Minerals and Emmerson.

“We are pleased to have signed a strategic alliance agreement to investigate the potential for a single multi-user processing facility for copper, gold and critical metals for our mineral resources and other recent high-grade exploration discoveries in the Tennant Creek region.”

The statement submitted to the ASX this week said the proposed shared facility would be similar to how the Tennant Creek mineral field historically operated.

“(With) centralised processing facilities from a number of the high-grade mines ‘feeding’ the processing facilities through a hub-and-spoke development and operational model.”

Warren Pearce, chief executive of Association of Mining and Exploration Companies, welcomed the partnership.

“It opens the door to further cost saving opportunities for other explorers and developers in the region,” Mr Pearce said.

“Tennant Creek’s mineralisation of gold, copper and critical minerals could support a single multi-user processing facility that will unlock the potential of the Barkly region.”

Tennant Creek’s gold and copper assets are attracting plenty of investor interest, with local company Tennant Minerals trying to consolidate a number of disused mines in the region including Nobles Nob.

In June the company revealed plans to relocate a gold processing plant from the Great Australia Mine in Cloncurry to the Nobles site, which the company also hoped could be used for copper processing.

Originally published as Three-way partnership to drive gold and copper production in Tennant Creek