Chatham Rock Phosphate Ltd. has made another significant advance.
Chatham is pleased to advise the Queensland Department of Resources (QDR) has accepted the exploration program of works for phosphate exploration area designated EPMA 28589 (Korella North).
The Korella North project (EPMA 28589) covers an area of six square kilometres containing a near-surface phosphate deposit as well as a road-train road and railway line.
The Korella North area was exhaustively explored in 2007 and 2008 with soil sampling, trenching and drilling to prove the presence of outcropping phosphate of the Beetle Creek formation along a strike length of approximately 1.5 km. The formation is highly suitable for simple, low-cost, open-cut mining.
Chatham is now designing an accelerated work program and a mining plan for Korella North (EPMA 28589) to enable the quick transition from an exploration permit to a mining lease as well as native title and access agreements.
Phosphate from Korella North, Korella South and ML90209 (now designated Korella Central) is low cadmium and high quality, suitable for direct application, production of high-analysis fertilizers and yellow phosphorus.
The Phosphate Hill to Townsville rail line and Phosphate Hill to Cloncurry road-train route within the Korella North area provide readily accessible transport options.
With leasing arrangements for the Korella fertilizers road-transport hub in Cloncurry progressing, the company is also investigating the option of loading directly onto rail at Korella North for transport to the Port of Townsville which can provide seaborne transport of Korella phosphate to Australian consumers as well as those in New Zealand, Asia and Europe.
