question for sackblabeth? FMG claims surface mining well suited...

question for sackblabeth? FMG claims surface mining well suited to Marra Mamba ores, with big savings over drill + blast. this seems to be a key point in cheap mining methods.
Could you comment on the likely outcome of surface mining ? you indicated previously that wear on machinery would be excessive. This seems to be a critical point which FMG is glossing over - if cost of mining is higher than expected or delays there is little margin for error.

They also claim that sinter fines performed at the top end of Marra Mamba ores in tests by the Chinese, but this is second rate material surely.


Also, could you give opinion on Fe quality, as l know this is second rate material which they are trying to talk up. They are selling at a discount to contract price, so l wonder if an over supply situation occurs whether demand would disappear ?