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BROKEN HILL, NSW - A senior South Australian Government executive and chief executiveof the Olympic Dam Taskforce, Paul Heithersay, gave the doubtingAustralian mining sector hope that the multi billion dollarexpansion of the Olympic Dam copper-uranium-gold mine will proceed. Heithersay, who is also deputy chief executive Resources &Energy of South Australia's Department for Manufacturing,Innovation, Trade, Resources & Energy, told the Resources &Energy Symposium in Broken Hill that BHP Billiton has already spentA$1.2 billion (US$1.19 billion) so far on the expansion programme. Doubts about Olympic Dam's potential A$20 billion (US$19.84billion) expansion proceeding were raised when BHPB chairman JacNasser indicated that rising costs, lower commodity prices andunion issues was putting up to A$80 billion in company projects inquestion. The protracted expansion moves for Olympic Dam, which involvecreating a massive open mine to tap a huge ore system that beginsaround 400 metres deep, saw the Australian media highlighting thisexpansion as one project that could be axed. Heithersay told the conference that the Olympic Dam expansion wasa project with a 100 year mining life, so a glitch this year wasunlikely to sway a company that thinks well ahead. He said, as thecompany announced last week, that a final decision on Olympic Dam'sexpansion would be made late this year. He said the company has already cleared a substantial amount ofsand cover, has ordered a significant amount of long lead-timemachinery and equipment and has begun planning for the majorvillage expansion - for 10,000 people -- and begun building a newairstrip capable of handling 737 aircraft The expansion will see a 270 kilometre long electricitytransmission line, a 400 km pipeline, a large desalinator plant, a105 km long railway link from Pimba to Olympic Dam. The proposed expansion would lift the amount of ore mined from 12million tonnes per annum to 72 Mtpa and see copper concentrateproduction lifted from 600,000 tpa to 2.4 Mtpa lifting refinedcopper from 235,000 tpa to 750,000 tpa and uranium oxide would lifefrom 4,500 tpa to 19,000 tpa. Gold bullion would life from 100,000ounces to 800,000 oz and silver would life from 800,000 oz pa to2.9 M oz pa. Heithersay said that in its existing state, the Olympic Damunderground operations make it the largest underground mine inAustralia. SUBSCRIBE to Mineweb.com's free daily newsletter now. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Vag Diagnostic Equipment Manufacturer , China Elm Obd Interface, and more. For more , please visit Car Key Programer today!
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