It depends what they mean by 'oxide'. There are several zones in...

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    It depends what they mean by 'oxide'. There are several zones in the saprolite of the komatiite channel depsots within the area that contain violarite sulphide - an 'oxide' ore - which are generally untreatable via the BHP smelter. So they've been left in place.

    There are also carbonate, phosphate and other oxide ores such as Widgiemoolthaite, Kambaldaite. These are, again, in the oxidised portions of the nickel shoots, and in gossans. They could be treated in heap leach operations, but various environmental constraints occur on some of these gossans (eg, plants, rock spiders, etc).

    THere are also nickel clays like gaspeite, and nickel bearing nontronite/smectites. These are formed either from sulphide mineralisation, or nickel rich silicate minerals weathering in the saprolite. These are only treated by acid leaching, AKA Murrin Murrin. These would not be recoverable.

    These oxide resources have been known about since 1972 in some cases. They haven't gone anywhere, including when nickel was AUD$52,000/t in 2007-08. I would suggest they aren't going anywhere too soon but Mincor will be trotting this cut-paste paragraph out every year because they are mineral resources, under evaluation (ie; 2018 "can we mine it?" "nope." 2019 "can we mine it?" "nope") and form part of the justification for maintaining tenure and ML's. You won't make a buck from them.
 
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