Finniss Lithium mine
The Finnis Lithium mine is a lithium mine situated near Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. It is being developed by Core Lithium.
The ore body was discovered in 2016, and feasibility work was done in 2018–2020 with a firm investment decision made in September 2021. Commercial production began in February 2023
Geological setup
The mine comprises of leases, covering the Bynoe pegmatite field and several pegmatites near Darwin. Specifically, it encompasses the five ore deposits "Grants, Carlton, Sandras, Hang Gong SW, and BP33." The:with a consistent lithium content across the ore body.
Description
is developing the mine, having completed a pre-feasibility study in June 2018 and a definitive feasibility study in April 2019. Revisions to the feasibility study were completed in 2020 to incorporate underground mining methods in the mining plan. A revised DFS was completed in July 2021 outlining a project that will occur in multiple stages. The first stage will involve open-pit mining near Grants and Hang Gong, as well as underground mining at the Grants, BP33, and Carlton prospects. The Australian JORC 2012 compliance process estimated 3.45 million tonnes of mineral resource at 1.4 percent lithium oxide. Major Project Status was granted by the Australian government in March 2021, recognizing the strategic significance of the project.Battery-grade lithium hydroxide was produced as part of the test works on spodumene mineral concentrate sample from the mine in April 2021. Construction began in 2021 and full operational mining commenced in October 2022, with the first shipment of spodumene concentrate being exported from Port Darwin in May 2023.
Development of the mine is an $89 million project. Over the 12-year lifespan of the project of ore