Northern Australia Local authorities issued permission to the company Glencore Xstrata on a major expansion of lead-zinc mine McArthur River. Now the owner of the field may start a project to build ore mining, work on which will begin in the current year. At the end of the expansion (and it is scheduled for 2014) will increase the area of the quarry with the existing 145 hectares to 210 hectares, and its depth (210 meters) will be doubled. Willem Westra Van Holte, Minister of Mining and Energy of the Northern Territory of Australia, officially announced the approval of the mine development plan McArthur River, which according to him, will give the region 300 jobs and will significantly increase revenues to the local and federal budgets.
The official statement Glencore Xstrata said that the production of zinc from the McArthur River mine resources after enlargement will be increased to 380 ths. Tons per year, which will make the largest zinc mine in the world of asset. The amount of extracted lead will also increase, and in terms of pure metal is around 93 thousand. Tonnes per year. In total, from the bowels of the mine will be extracted about 5.5 million tons of lead and zinc ores, which is more than 100% above the current production figures. Expanding career Glencore Xstrata will cost in the $ 360 million, but will extend the life of the asset to 2036 (an increase of 9 years longer than previously estimated useful life of the asset).
Glencore Xstrata PLC — Anglo-Swiss multinational trading and mining company with its headquarters located in the Swiss town of Baar. The company was created by the merger of assets of Glencore and Xstrata May 2, 2013.
Even before the above-mentioned association Glencore is already considered one of the world's leading integrated producers and sellers of raw materials. It was the largest profile companies in Switzerland and one of the largest non-ferrous metals market figures in the world. Since 2010 it belonged to the proportion of 60 per cent of zinc sold in the world, and at least half of the total sold in the global market for copper.