Iron Road powers
into final study phase
ANDREW STOCKS
MANAGING DIRECTOR
IRON ROAD LIMITED
Fresh with a major cash injection in hand, Iron Road is now entering the final study
phase at its flagship Central Eyre iron project. A definitive feasibility study for the
project is evaluating a 20 million tonne per annum iron export operation, located on
the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. With the support of major private equity group,
The Sentient Group, $40 million was recently raised to continue study progress.
Iron Road Managing Director Andrew Stocks said the funding would allow Iron
Road to continue the hectic pace of development for the Central Eyre iron project.
“
Iron Road has significantly stepped up a gear, as we get to the business-end
of all our planning and preparation to build the Central Eyre iron project,” said Mr
Stocks. “In Adelaide we now employ over 25 professionals on our owner’s team,
covering areas as diverse as infrastructure, mining, geology, metallurgy and
community relations.”
At time of publication, Iron Road has appointed engineering and design service
providers for mining, process plant, tailings and infrastructure packages alongside a
number of other smaller related studies. Appointments for partners to design water
supply, airport upgrades and planning for accommodation camps are expected to
come in the short-term.
“
Alongside the demanding technical work, we are also very busy in the field with
activities at the proposed mine site and the proposed export route,” said Mr Stocks.
“
We have resource drillers working on the main ore body at the proposed mine site,
as well as crews undertaking geotechnical examination along our proposed export
route to ensure we have suitable ground conditions.
“
This will lead us to delivering an upgrade to the already 2.1 billion tonnes in
resources present at the project. We will also commence field work this year to
confirm potential influences on the regional water supply, so we remain very active
out in the field.”
Alongside the much larger Central Eyre iron project, Iron Road also intends to
devote resources to the smaller Gawler iron project.
“
Gawler is more modest than the considerable size of the Central Eyre iron project
but with that, comes the ability to potentially develop and move into production much
more quickly and with a more modest capital spend,” said Mr Stocks.
“
Gawler could be a fast-track; early start-up project for us, so completing a scoping
study to define potential timelines and costs is a high priority.”
Iron Road has significantly stepped up
a gear, as we get to the business-end
of all our planning and preparation to
build the Central Eyre iron project.
Drill core at Central Eyre iron project
Geotechnical drilling in a road reserve at the
Central Eyre iron project
MINESITE 2012
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