Name of the Project
Al Hadeetha copper/gold project.

Location
Oman.

Client
Al Hadeetha Resources, a 70:30 joint venture between Alara Oman Operation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alara Resources, and Al Hadeetha Investment Services, a privately owned Omani Company.

Project Description
The Al Hadeetha project incorporates three exploration licences in Oman located east and south-east of Alara’s Daris project. The project has probable reserves of 9,7-million tonnes grading 0.88% copper and 0.22 g/t gold. Inferred resources are estimated 350 000 t grading 0.87% and 0.22 g/t.

The project is currently based around the Washihi copper/gold deposit.

The project could deliver 35 000 t/y of concentrate production and have a mine life of 10.4 years. Total tonnes of copper metal production has been estimated at 79 297 t while total gold production is estimated at 21 825 oz.

The process plant is designed to process one-million tonnes of copper- and gold-bearing mineralised material a year.

It includes primary crushing, grinding, hydrocyclones, rougher flotation, regrind and cleaner flotation, concentrate thickener, filtration and load-out, as well as tailings slurry pumping to a tailings dam.

The primary crusher will operate at 269 t/h.

The process plant will operate at a throughput rate of 142 t/h.

The availability of grinding and flotation circuits, as well as concentrate thickening, tailings thickening and tailings filtering, will be 90%.

Equipment will include a 110 kW/h jaw crusher, a 2 250 kW/h semiautogenous mill, a 1 600 k/h ball mill, a 90 kW/h cone crusher, rougher scavenger flotation cells, a 400 kW/h regrind ball mill, cleaner flotation cells, a concentrate thickener, a filtration unit and a dryer. Heavy-duty slurry pumps will be used for pumping tailings to the tailings dam.

The plant will also feature a modern computer network system, network communications with real-time monitoring, a top-of-the-range assay laboratory, reagent storage and mixing, workshops, a plant office, a safety shower and laundry facility.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project’s net present value has increased from $37.8-million in the March 20116 feasibility study and revised version of January 2017 to $90-million, and the internal rate of return has increased from 21% to 34%.

Value
Preproduction capital expenditure has increased from $49.39-million in the March 20116 feasibility study and revised version of January 2017 to $90-million.

Duration
The project is expected start production in the fourth quarter of 2019 and to close in 2030.

Latest Developments
With the mining licence for the project finalised in May, Alara is now focused on closing project financing to advance construction.

“The Al Hadeetha copper project is the first international mining joint venture to receive a copper mining licence in Oman, and it will not be the last. Alara and its joint venture partners will play a key role in Oman’s resurgent copper industry,” Alara CEO Justin Richard has said.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Alara Resources tel +61 8 9481 0389, +61 8 9463 6103 or email info@alararesources.com.