Ann: Minyari Dome Project Update, page-24

Not a great analogy between the exploration history of Minyari and Resolution. However, the persistence that led to the discovery of Resolution some 30-50 years after near surface mining (Well to 1000m+) does show what can happen if companies back concepts.

	STAKED	1875	SILVER/COPPER	~ 86 years production	mining
1	MAGMA MINE	1910	Cu/Ag VEINS AT DEPTH	1954 MAIN ORE
2		1948	MANTO Cu discovered
3		1966		Magma vein production ceases
4		?	graben discovery	30 yrs exploration	exploration
5	MAGMA COPPER	1973	SURFACE DRILLING	DEFINES GRABEN
6		1994	[email protected]
7		1998	306m@ 1.75%
8	BHP	1995	TAKEOVER MAGMA	DISASTER!!
9	RIO	2001	EXPLORATION AGREEMENT	WITH BHP
10		2012	76 HOLES COMPLETED
11	RIO/BHP	2017	MRE 1.8Gt @ 1.54% Cu
12		2022	MIRED IN ESG??

The table an abbreviated summary of exploration and mining from this 2012 paper.

The pertinent section is extracted with selective highlighting in this PDF. Resolution discovery.pdf

The key observation that led to the discovery of Resolution was that an area had been down faulted (The Graben). There probably were enough bread crumbs to keep them looking for 30 odd years before hitting high grade.

Technically a mine is feasible at Resolution but there is a lot of opposition.

Apparently what has happened after bulk underground mining at NCM's Ridgeway Mine (>450m below surface) will also happen at Resolution (>=1500m).
Breakthrough to the surface some 20 years after mining began at depth.
Expect a much larger crater at Resolution IF mining goes ahead. Just one of the issues.....




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Minyari with nearly 50 years of exploration has yet to produce so the analogy breaks down almost immediately for that aspect. However, the recognition of potential geological controls recently, hopefully won't take 30 years for Minyari to show its full potential.
No guarantee but some interesting concepts will be tested this year.

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I think BHP acquired Oyu Tolgoi as part of the deal with Magma Copper. Sold to Ivanhoe and now fully Rio some 25+ years later!
Corporate decisions with some hindsight......