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plained. “That is not high capital intensity of increasing the 156mt @ 0.6% copper
work, it is more normal, everyday mining- equivalent resource. Cole said lifting Suc-
type activity. coth into indicated status would add op-
“If we go ahead with West Musgrave the tions to the development plan for the main
bulk of the spend will be 2022 to 2024, so Nebo-Babel nickel-copper project.
they are not necessarily large overlapping “That is a fair-sized deposit and we be-
capital projects. The spend would be West lieve if we take half of it into indicated there
Musgrave predominantly first and the is the potential to put a production target
block cave second.” around it to either extend mine life beyond
Chief financial officer Warrick Ran- the current 26 years, or increase through-
son said the Oz workforce was also well put,” he said. “It also gives us a mecha-
equipped to handle the two major devel- nism to de-risk nickel pricing by increasing
opments. the copper content of the entire project.
“They are different skills set; plant and So, for $12 million it gives us optionality
surface and the other underground mining and changes the scope of the project.”
development,” Ranson said. Attained as the jewel in the crown of its
West Musgrave was acquired with its acquisition of Cassini Resources, Nebo-
nickel content in mind. However, given re- Babel (253mt @ 0.35% copper and 0.32%
cent market and geological developments, nickel reserves) represents Oz’s first foray
Oz is happy to increase the copper inten- into nickel. Despite the current focus on
sity on the remote WA project. Succoth, Cole’s belief in the decision con-
This month will see a resource upgrade tinues to grow.
drilling programme launched at the satel- “We don’t have a magic number on
lite Succoth orebody with the intention nickel we are trying to keep under or over

aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT JUNe 2021 Page 25