bhp ready to open $2.3b ravensthorpe mine - stainless steel nameplates

BHP Billiton's $2.
The 3 billion Ravensthorpe Nickel red earth mine in southern Washington state may prove to be a highlight of a failed industry when it opens this week.
The world's largest mining company will officially open the Raventhorpe project south of Perth on Friday, four years ago. ahead.
The nickel clay project has a tortuous history in Washington state and has scalpers from a handful of well-known businesses including Joe Gutnick and Australia's richest man, Andrew Forrest.
Low red ore-
Deep processing is required in order to produce marketable materials.
Mr. Gutnick's Centaur mining and exploration Co. , Ltd. entered bankruptcy management in 2001 due to commissioning issues and budget issues related to Cawse operations.
Mr. Forrest was expelled from the board of directors of Anaconda Nickel Co. , Ltd. for problems with his Murrin project.
Anaconda, a company founded by Mr. Forrest, was later reorganized and renamed Minara Resources Co. , Ltd.
BHP Billiton signed for $1.
In March 2004, Ravensthorpe invested US $1 billion as part of its integrated development with the Yabulu nickel refinery near Townsville, Queensland.
However, Raventhorpe's development costs are blown away by delays, which are similar to the costs that plague most projects in the resource space.
On October 2006, Chris Pointon, president of stainless steel materials at BHP Billiton, left because he was considered a scapegoat for the second cost.
Further delays in blowout and mine schedule.
Capital costs soared 70 to $2. 2 billion ($A2. 31 billion)
Less than 12 months after BHP first raised mine development costs.
Ravensthorpe will produce nickel and cobalt mixed products using a combination of pressure acid leaching and atmospheric leaching process, which will be shipped through the port of Esperance to Yab, near Townsville, Queensland
About 550 km kilometers south of a mine near an agricultural town
Located in eastern Perth between Albany and Esperance, it is expected to produce about 50,000 tons of nickel each year after it is fully operational.
In the case of clay nickel operation, it is only half the task to complete the construction and commissioning, and Minara Resources is very clear about possible problems.
The company completed its high-rise construction. pressure, acid-
In 1999, the leaching Murrin mine suffered a lot of expensive repairs and has not yet reached the nameplate capacity of 40,000 tons of nickel per year.
"From the point of view of operational reliability, ravensthorpe should be more reliable, and the number of hiccups should be much less than Murrin experienced earlier, 'said Fat Prophet Gavin Winter analyst.
"They learned from Murrin's experience for many years.
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