South32: Hermosa project update
South32 Limited has provided an update following completion of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) for the Taylor Deposit, which is the first development option at its 100% owned Hermosa project located in Arizona, USA.
The PFS results support Taylor’s potential to be the first development of a multi-decade operation, establishing Hermosa as a globally significant producer of metals critical to a low carbon future, delivering attractive returns over multiple stages. An initial development case demonstrates a sustainable, highly productive zinc-lead-silver underground mine and conventional process plant, in the first quartile of the industry cost curve.
The Taylor Deposit will progress to a feasibility study, including work streams designed to unlock additional value by optimising operating and capital costs, extending the life of the resource and further assessing options identified to target a carbon neutral operation. Completion of the feasibility study and a final investment decision to construct Taylor are expected in mid CY23.
Separately, a scoping study [a] for the spatially linked Clark Deposit has confirmed the potential for a separate, integrated underground mining operation producing battery-grade manganese, as well as zinc and silver. Clark has the potential to underpin a second development stage at Hermosa, with future studies to consider the opportunity to integrate its development with Taylor, potentially unlocking further operating and capital efficiencies.
South32 Chief Executive Officer, Graham Kerr said: “The Taylor Deposit provides an important first development option for our Hermosa project in Arizona, USA. The project has the potential to sustainably produce the metals critical for a low carbon future across multiple decades from different deposits.
“We are designing the Taylor Deposit to be our first ‘next generation mine’, using automation and technology to minimise our impact on the environment and to target a carbon neutral operation in line with our goal of achieving net zero operational carbon emissions by 2050.
“The future development of Taylor provides a platform from which to realise Hermosa’s immense potential. It will further strengthen our portfolio and align with the already substantial growth in production of metals critical to a low carbon future that we have embedded in the portfolio over the past six months.”
HERMOSA PROJECT
Hermosa is a polymetallic development option located in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, and is 100% owned by South32. It comprises the zinc-lead-silver Taylor sulphide deposit (Taylor Deposit), the zinc-manganese-silver Clark oxide deposit (Clark Deposit) and an extensive, highly prospective land package with the potential for further polymetallic and copper mineralisation. Hermosa is well located with excellent access to skilled people, services and transport logistics.
South32 have completed a PFS for the Taylor Deposit, our first development option at Hermosa. The Taylor Deposit is a large, carbonate replacement massive sulphide deposit which extends to a depth of approximately 1,200m over an approximate strike length of 2,500m and width of 1,900m. The Mineral Resource estimate for the Taylor Deposit is 138Mt, averaging 3.82% zinc, 4.25% lead and 81 g/t silver. The deposit remains open at depth and laterally, offering further exploration potential.
The preferred mine design applied to the PFS is a dual shaft access mine which prioritises higher grade mineralisation early in the mine’s life. The mining method is longhole open stoping, with the geometry of the orebody enabling the operation of multiple concurrent mining areas. This supports the assumption of an initial 22 year resource life [footnote 5] with high mining productivity. Ramp up to nameplate capacity [c] of up to 4.3 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) is expected to be achieved in a single stage. The process design applies a conventional sulphide ore flotation circuit producing separate zinc and lead concentrates with substantial silver credits.
