The mine is licensed to extract up to 480,000 kilolitres (17,000,000 cu ft) of water and discharge it into Lake Lefroy to maintain access to the mineral resources.[3]
History
The Beta Hunt Mine was originally a nickel mine, exploiting an ore body discovered in 1966. The mine opened in 1973[4] and produced 153,500 tonnes of nickel metal for WMC Resources by 1998.
The mine was placed into care and maintenance in 2008. It was acquired by Salt Lake Mining in 2013 after that company also secured gold mining rights. It resumed producing nickel in 2014 and started producing gold in November 2015.[2]
In September 2018, a large deposit of gold-bearing quartz rock was discovered in the mine during routine blasting, 500 metres (1,600 ft) underground.[6]
Nickel production is scheduled to resume at the mine from 2022, with Karora Resources aiming to produce up to 550 tonnes of nickel during the year.[7] Nickel had last been produced at the mine in 2018, when 300 tonnes were mined.[8] No nickel production was announced for 2022, also some mining for the commodity had taken place, but a guidance for 2023 for an intended nickel production of between 450 and 550 tonnes was announced in March 2023.[1]
^"Salt Lake Mining Pty Ltd". Environmental Protection Act 1986, Part V. Western Australia Department of Environment Regulation. 9 July 2015. L8893/2015/1. Retrieved 10 September 2018.
