BHP Billiton’s plan to expand its massive Olympic Dam mine by using a heap-leach process is showing “promise”, according to chief Andrew Mackenzie, giving hope to South Australia more than two years after the world’s largest miner abandoned a $30 billion expansion at the mine.
Mr Mackenzie, speaking to shareholders at BHP’s (BHP) Australian annual meeting in Adelaide this morning, said that if the heap leaching trials under way at Olympic Dam proved successful, adding they were showing “promise”, then the miner would use the technology and phased expansions of the underground mine to further increase Olympic Dam’s output.
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