Sydney, Jan 28, 2009 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Western Plains Resources Ltd (ASX:WPG) is pleased to advise that it and the Commonwealth of Australia have executed a Deed of Access, pursuant to which the Commonwealth, through the Minister for Defence, has granted formal approval for WPG to develop its Peculiar Knob DSO iron ore mine south of Cooper Pedy in South Australia. Peculiar Knob lies within the Woomera Prohibited Area (WPA) and the Access Deed covers not only the mine itself but also the siting of key items of infrastructure that are needed to support the mining operation.
The location of the mine site and the essential infrastructure that are subject to the Access Deed, which includes the haul road, the Stuart Highway underpass, the rail loading facility on the Central Australia Railway, and the accommodation village, are shown in the drawing on the previous page.
Peculiar Knob, for which a total resource estimate of 19.0 million tonnes at an average grade of 63.7% Fe and 0.02 %P has previously been published, is arguably Australia's highest Fe grade undeveloped DSO iron ore deposit with amongst the lowest levels of phosphorus. It forms part, along with the Buzzard and Tui deposits at Hawks Nest, of the Company's total DSO project for which an aggregate resource estimate of 37.4 million tonnes at an average grade of 62.6% Fe and 0.03% P.
Execution of the WPA Access Deed is a further and necessary regulatory step that will lead to the development of the Peculiar Knob mine. It follows the execution of the Native Title Mining Agreement in September 2007 and the grant of the Mineral Lease ("mining lease") in June 2008.
Western Plains can now proceed to finalise and lodge the Peculiar Knob mining and rehabilitation plan (MARP).
Contact
Myles Fang
Business Development Manager
and China Representative
Western Plains Resources Ltd
Executive Director
WPG Ore Marketing Pty Ltd
Level 9, 27-31 Macquarie Place
Sydney NSW 2000
Ph: +612-9251-1044
Fax: +612-9247-3434
Mobile (Australia): +61-404-869-892
Mobile (China): +86-136-8100-8984
Email: mylesfang@westernplainsresources.com.au
Website: www.westernplainsresources.com.au
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