More studies planned for proposed Alice uranium mine
ABC NT Local News
A potential uranium mine 175km north-west of Alice Springs is closer to becoming a reality.
Toro Energy has completed its 2008 drilling program on the Napperby Project and has commissioned more studies for early next year.
The company's managing director, Greg Hall, says it has already done a preliminary study of the likely social and environmental impacts a mine would have on the region.
"Part of doing this work is identifying how the people who are living in communities are operating now," he said.
"Then we would be planning a mine and how the operation was concerned.
"You've then got to plan the interaction between them, how we work with communities, for example in areas of training, of employment, of contracts, of small business, how you make sure they are involved in the management of the environment."
Mr Hall says it is finalising new test results with a view to upgrading the resource estimate.
"We've got a consistent mineralisation area beyond what we've already determined is a resource," he said.
"We're seeing similar results. We do expect that the resource will expand somewhat and it'll be a significant expansion.
"But certainly this scoping study will then start to determine, with that resource and the grade of that resource, do we have an economic project going forward, and that's why we're doing it."
He says it will be at least 2012 before a mine can be established.
Toro Energy has completed its 2008 drilling program on the Napperby Project and has commissioned more studies for early next year.
The company's managing director, Greg Hall, says it has already done a preliminary study of the likely social and environmental impacts a mine would have on the region.
"Part of doing this work is identifying how the people who are living in communities are operating now," he said.
"Then we would be planning a mine and how the operation was concerned.
"You've then got to plan the interaction between them, how we work with communities, for example in areas of training, of employment, of contracts, of small business, how you make sure they are involved in the management of the environment."
Mr Hall says it is finalising new test results with a view to upgrading the resource estimate.
"We've got a consistent mineralisation area beyond what we've already determined is a resource," he said.
"We're seeing similar results. We do expect that the resource will expand somewhat and it'll be a significant expansion.
"But certainly this scoping study will then start to determine, with that resource and the grade of that resource, do we have an economic project going forward, and that's why we're doing it."
He says it will be at least 2012 before a mine can be established.