The parties signed an engineering services agreement for GRES to perform FEED for the process plant and associated infrastructure at the Australian lead-silver-zinc project
Boab Metals announces commencement of FEED for the Sorby Hills lead-silver-zinc project. (Credit: Khusen Rustamov from Pixabay)
Australia-based Boab Metals announced that GR Engineering Services (GRES) has started front end engineering and design (FEED) for the Sorby Hills lead-silver-zinc project, located in Western Australia’s Kimberley region.
In this regard, the base and precious metals company has signed an engineering services agreement with GRES to perform FEED for the process plant and associated infrastructure at the Sorby Hills project.
The agreement entails provision for the tender and early procurement of long lead items, stated Boab Metals.
Completion of the activities under the agreement is anticipated to be completed in Q2 2023, following which the companies plan to execute an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract.
The full detailed design is then expected to be started, which is subject to a final investment decision (FID) on the Sorby Hills project.
According to Boab Metals, the mobilisation of the process plant construction team to the site is expected to take place in April 2024.
The Western Australian environmental protection agency (EPA) has approved the on-site earthworks necessary to create a footprint for the Sorby Hills process plant and related infrastructure. The earthworks are expected to be completed before the wet season in 2023.
Commissioning of the process plant and the production of first concentrate is expected in early 2025.
Boab Metals managing director and CEO Simon Noon said: “With the Sorby Hills DFS now complete, we are delighted to advance to the next stage of Project engineering and design.
“We look forward to working closely with GRES through this important phase of project development to finalise process plant design and identify optimisation opportunities ahead of executing an EPC contract at FID.”
In November 2022, Boab Metals selected GRES as its preferred EPC contractor to provide the design and EPC services for the expansion of a process plant at the Sorby Hills project.