Hemerdon Mine

Wolf Minerals is advancing its development of the Hemerdon Ball Project in the UK.

About Hemerdon Mine

Hemerdon is one of the largest tungsten and tin resources in the western world. Hemerdon is located in the South West of England. The development of this project moves Wolf towards becoming a world class tungsten and tin producer.

Hemerdon Mine is near Plympton in Devon and lies to the north of the villages of Sparkwell and Hemerdon adjacent to large Imerys china clay pits.

The discovery of tungsten at Hemerdon dates back to 1867, before the First World War. Preparation of the site began in 1917 and mining operations started in 1919 – 16,000 tons of ore were mined before the mine closed. A new plant commenced production in October 1943 during the Second World War and ran until June 1944, when operations ceased due to the resumption of shipments of tungsten from overseas. More activity commenced in the mid-sixties when an entrepreneurial Canadian, W.A. Richardson, took out a lease on the property. In 1969, British Tungsten Limited submitted a planning application to re-open the mine, but this was later withdrawn before a decision could be made. In 1976, the lease was transferred to a new company – Hemerdon Mining and Smelting Ltd (HMSL). In the autumn of 1977, AMAX (an American mining company, based in Connecticut) and HMSL signed a joint venture agreement. Drilling took place in October 1977.

AMAX completed a comprehensive feasibility study in 1981 that included developing a 260m decline through the ore body to determine metallurgical recoveries and continuity of the ore body. AMAX constructed a pilot plant and undertook large scale test work, processing 6,670 tonnes of mineralized granite to establish metallurgical recoveries and preferred process route. Subsequently AMAX submitted a detailed planning application to the government to establish a mine. The planning application was called in by the Secretary of State and was the subject of a Public Enquiry. Permission was granted to develop the mine in 1986. This Planning Permission remains valid until 2021 and is based on a long life mining operation.

On December 5, 2007 Wolf announced that it had signed an option and lease agreement lasting 40 years for the mineral rights and the rights to mine the Hemerdon Ball tungsten and tin deposit. With estimated production of 3000 tpa of tungsten, this project will be one of the world’s largest tungsten mines.

Wolf considers that Hemerdon offers exceptional large scale, low risk, long life production as well as providing exploration opportunity, with the extent of mineralisation beneath the pit yet to be determined.

The mineralisation is characterised by sheeted greisen veining and stockworks containing wolframite and cassiterite. The vein system is hosted within a dyke like granite body. The mineralisation starts from the surface and is contained within the steeply dipping granite body flanked by metamorphosed sediments.

Feasibility Study

Following the acquisition of Hemerdon, the company has wasted little time in developing the project. In early 2008 Wolf commissioned SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd (SRK) to provide a resource based on the existing drilling data as defined by AMAX.

Wolf then commissioned scoping level studies to determine the capital cost of a processing plant and associated infrastructure, the cost per tonne to process ore, the mining costs as well as the cost of administration at the Hemerdon Ball mine.

These studies utilised information from the historic feasibility study conducted by AMAX in 1982 The outcomes of these studies were very positive and Wolf commenced a Definitive Feasability Study.

Table 1: Global resource estimate June 2010

The overall planned pit dimensions are 800m in length, 450m in width and 230m in depth.

Figure 1: Computer generated image looking north at the Hemerdon feasibility study pit showing resource oreblocks of tungsten mineralisation.

 

Planning approval

Planning approval for the Hemerdon Ball mine was granted in June 1986 and is valid until 2021. The planning approval was granted after a comprehensive public enquiry. Although the planning permission is current, Wolf is currently reviewing and updating the archaeological and ecological baseline study completed in 1979 to update the granted planning permission in line with best practice techniques. Wolf has appointed a UK based Mineral Planning consultant to implement the planning permission.