Client

Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd

Location

Chichester Ranges, Western Australia

Key Services

Assessment and Approvals

Outcome

The Mulga East Iron Ore Project (MEIOP), being developed by Hancock Prospecting Pty Ltd (HPPL), is located in the Chichester Ranges to the north of Lower Fortescue River valley. 

JBS&G, a Geosyntec Company, was appointed by HPPL in mid-2018 to deliver the primary and secondary environmental approvals for the MEIOP. The MEIOP will potentially comprise multiple open pits over 30 kilometres of the valley supported by multiple ROM and waste rock landforms, an ore processing facility, a tailings storage facility, and mine infrastructure. This infrastructure included rail load-out facilities, workshops, access and service roads, accommodations, and an airport. The MEIOP will also include a 50-kilometre transport corridor to connect with the existing Roy Hill rail line. 

Since commencing work in 2018, our team has worked with the HPPL team to undertake and complete Phases 1 and 2, which have included the following: 

  • Identification of key risks and environmental factors 
  • Management of the delivery of the baseline environmental surveys for flora and vegetation, terrestrial fauna (including short-range endemic), subterranean fauna, surface water, groundwater, material characterisation, air quality, and noise by a team of specialist subconsultants 
  • Approvals mapping and approvals strategy development 
  • Stakeholder and regulator mapping and strategy development 
  • Environmental Impact Assessment, digital delivery of survey data, and approval preparation 
  • Project management 

Significant aspects of the MEIOP to date include the following: 

  • Completion of the 12-month baseline for key environmental factors (flora and vegetation, terrestrial fauna, surface water and groundwater, air quality, and noise) 
  • Completion of an extensive groundwater drilling programme (installation of 51 monitoring bores and five test bores and completion of five week-long pumping tests) 
  • Advancement into Phases 3 and 4 as HPPL progresses the early stages of the project engineering design 

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