JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Australian strategic metals company TNG has completed all field-related activities required for the completion of additional studies to be included in the submission of the supplement for the environmental impact statement (EIS) for its 100%-owned Mt Peake vanadium-titanium-iron project in the Northern Territory.

The field, water and ecological work was completed by TNG’s environmental consultants, GHD, with the assistance of several local Aboriginal rangers sourced from Ti-Tree township through the Central Land Council.

A number of new matters were addressed during this work including targeted searches for specific rare, endangered or vulnerable species in areas of planned ground disturbance; and vegetation surveys along the transport corridor and within the bore-field area.

Additional water bore drilling and pump testing has also been completed to provide greater certainty in the calculation of sustainable yield from the aquifer to provide water to the mine and associated infrastructure at Mt Peake.

Data is being collated and GHD will provide a reworked model of the aquifer system. GHD will then refine the design of the production holes in the bore-field and pipeline to the mine.

A final aquifer study and water supply and design report will be provided to TNG by GHD in early 2017.

Further, a surface water study was completed in September, which used newly acquired high-resolution topographic data. This work modelled the 10-, 20-, 50-, and 100-year average recurrence interval (ARI) 72-hour storm events for both the Murray Creek, near the mine site, and Hanson River – a crossing required on the access road from the Stuart highway.

The 100-year ARI rainfall event could result in flooding into the pit, but this will be mitigated by a low levee bank constructed along a section of the eastern side of the pit. The recommendations of this work have been incorporated in mining construction and design plans.

Significant testwork has also been conducted during the year to address acid mine drainage (AMD) questions raised from the draft EIS. A total of 409 ore, waste and tailings samples have now been analysed for metals content and a number of static and kinetic AMD-related factors and results have been assessed by GHD consultants.

This report, completed in November, concludes that there is a general lack of sulphide material in the ore and waste rock, and the risk of acid leachate generation is very low.

All net acid producing potential results were negative, indicating that the material is either acid-consuming or non-acid forming. Kinetic net acid generation and acid buffering characterisation curve testwork results, on selected higher sulphide samples, indicate that all materials have adequate acid neutralising capacity.

TNG MD Paul Burton said the company’s development team was continuing to make good progress with the permitting and environmental approvals for the Mt Peake project, with all work now completed ahead of the submission of the supplement to the EIS in the first quarter of next year.

“The submission of the final EIS document will make another key milestone as the permitting process nears its completion. We are also making good progress in our discussions with the traditional owner groups, with a view to finalising our mining agreement in the first quarter of next year. That should pave the way for the grant of the Mt Peake mining lease.

“Work has also commenced on the EIS for the Darwin downstream processing plant site, the location for the Tivan refinery, and that will progress in the early part of the new year,” he said.