What We Do
Flying Fox
Flying Fox is Western Areas first producing underground mine and remains one of the highest grade nickel mines in the world. Production commenced in 2006, and the underground mine now operates at depths of over 1km underground.
The Flying Fox orebody extends from 250m to 1.2km below the surface and includes discrete independent orebodies with possible extensions at depth. The primary stoping method used is ‘top-down’ long-hole stoping using paste-fill to attempt 100% recovery of the high-grade orebody. In the narrower sections of the orebody both modified Avoca with unconsolidated and cemented rock-fill are used.


PRODUCTION STATISTICS
FY 21 FY 22 YTD Item Unit YTD Sep Qtr Dec Qtr Mar Qtr Total Total Ore Mined Tns 522,855 117,009 123,671 102,848 343,528 Mine Grade Ni % 3.2% 3.2% 3.4% 3.2% 3.3% Total Nickel Mined tonnes 16,812 3,741 4,200 3,254 11,195 Ore Processed (Milling/Concentrator) tonnes 581,058 148,124 151,417 150,104 449,645 Processed Grade Ni % 3.2% 3.1% 3.1% 2.6% 2.9% Average Processing Recovery % 87% 84% 86% 84% 85% Total Nickel in Concentrate Produced tonnes 16,180 3,804 4,025 3,339 11,168 Total Nickel Sold tonnes 15,509 3,962 4,511 3,412 11,885 Contained Nickel in stockpiles tonnes 2,772 2,079 1,442 1,023 Cash Cost Nickel in Concentrate A$/lb 4.20 4.90 4.88 5.48 5.07 Cash Cost Nickel in Concentrate inc MREP A$/lb 4.23 4.95 4.87 5.52 5.10 Cash Cost Nickel in Concentrate (inc MREP) US$/lb 3.16 3.63 3.55 3.99 3.71 Exchange Rate US$/A$ 0.75 0.73 0.73 0.72 0.73 Realised Nickel Price (before payability) A$/lb 10.07 11.90 13.16 18.44 14.26 FY 21 FY 22 YTD Tonnes Mined YTD Sep Qtr Dec Qtr Mar Qtr Total Flying Fox High Grade Ore Mined tonnes 176,473 29,967 43,794 38,254 112,015 Grade Ni % 3.3% 3.1% 2.4% 2.2% 2.5% Low Grade Ore Mined tonnes 13,721 998 342 15,061 Grade Ni % 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% Flying Fox Nickel Mined tonnes 5,739 1,099 1,077 853 3,029 Spotted Quoll Ore Mined tonnes 346,382 73,321 78,879 64,252 216,452 Grade Ni % 3.2% 3.6% 4.0% 3.7% 3.8% Spotted Quoll Nickel Mined tonnes 11,073 2,642 3,123 2,401 8,166 Total Ore Mined tonnes 522,855 117,009 123,671 102,848 343,528 Grade Ni % 3.2% 3.2% 3.4% 3.2% 3.3% Total Nickel Mined tonnes 16,812 3,741 4,200 3,254 11,195 FY 21 FY 22 YTD Tonnes Milled and Sold YTD Sep Qtr Dec Qtr Mar Qtr Total Total Milled Ore tonnes 581,058 148,124 151,417 150,104 449,645 Grade % 3.2% 3.1% 3.1% 2.6% 2.9% Average Recovery % 87% 84% 86% 84% 85% Total Nickel in Concentrate Produced (ⁱ) tonnes 16,180 3,804 4,025 3,339 11,168 Nickel in Concentrate Sold tonnes 15,509 3,962 4,511 3,412 11,885 (i) Includes MREP Nickel tonnes produced.
FY 21 Stockpiles YTD Sep Qtr Dec Qtr Mar Qtr Ore tonnes 43,320 23,277 13,497 6,090 Grade % 3.1% 3.0% 3.1% 3.1% Concentrate tonnes 10,263 9,273 7,115 6,091 Grade % 13.9% 14.9% 14.3% 13.7% Contained Nickel in Stockpiles tonnes 2,772 2,079 1,442 1,023 FY 21 FY 22 Financial Statistics YTD Sep Qtr Dec Qtr Mar Qtr YTD Group Production Cost/lb Mining Cost (*) A$/lb 3.09 3.69 3.73 3.91 3.77 Haulage A$/lb 0.08 0.09 0.08 0.10 0.09 Milling A$/lb 0.76 0.83 0.76 1.10 0.89 Admin A$/lb 0.27 0.29 0.31 0.37 0.32 Flotation Cash Cost Ni in Con (***) A$/lb 4.20 4.90 4.88 5.48 5.07 Total Cash Cost Ni in Con (***) incl MREP A$/lb 4.23 4.95 4.87 5.52 5.10 Cash Cost Ni in Con/lb (***) US$/lb (**) 3.16 3.63 3.55 3.99 3.71 Exchange Rate US$ / A$ 0.75 0.73 0.73 0.72 0.73 (*) Mining Costs are net of deferred waste costs and inventory stockpile movements.
(**) US$ FX for Relevant Quarter is RBA ave daily rate (Mar Qtr = A$1:US$0.72)
(***) Payable terms are not disclosed due to confidentiality conditions of the offtake agreements. Cash costs exclude royalties and concentrate logistics costs.
Note: Grade and recovery estimates are subject to change until the final assay data are received.