MCF Mining Approvals IndexData as at 18 October 2026 · from Western Australian Government registers and open data
Western Australian mining project · Care and Maintenance
Thunderbox Nickel
Thunderbox Nickel is a Western Australian mining project (in care and maintenance) in MINEDEX, owned by Northern Star Resources Ltd 100%; Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd; Northern Star (Thunderbox) Pty Ltd, on 4 current tenements held by NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD. Commodities: Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum, Cobalt, Gold, Silver.
- MINEDEX project
- J02566
- Stage
- Care and Maintenance
- Owners (MINEDEX)
- Northern Star Resources Ltd 100%; Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd; Northern Star (Thunderbox) Pty Ltd
- Tenement holders
- NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD
- Parent groups
- Northern Star Resources
- Commodities
- Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum, Cobalt, Gold, Silver
- Rehabilitation liability
- Its rehabilitation liability is in the MCF Mining Index (subscribers): the Mining Rehabilitation Fund estimate, its trend since 2014, company provisions and closure-plan costs
Resources and reserves
| Commodity | Resources | Reserves | Latest estimate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickel | 0.69 Mt at 2.1%, 15 kt contained | — | 30 June 2016 |
Current MINEDEX estimates over all the project's sites; resources may include reserves. MINEDEX (DMPE), CC BY 4.0.
Mine closure plans
| Site | Operator | Latest plan approved | Plan (PDF on GeoDocs) | Closure year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waterloo Environmental Group Site | SARACEN METALS Pty Limited | 15 January 2020 | Waterloo Environmental Group Site S0223748 Mining Proposal | |
| THUNDERBOX GOLD PROJECT | Northern Star Resources Limited | 3 May 2024 | MINE CLOSURE PLAN - THUNDERBOX GOLD PROJECT - J02419 | |
| Thunderbox | SARACEN METALS Pty Limited | 30 June 2020 | Thunderbox Mining Proposal V7 Revision 2 | |
| Thunderbox EGS Mining Proposal Version 5 | SARACEN GOLD MINES Pty Limited |
Tenements
| Tenement | Holder | Status | Expires | Commodities | Hectares |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M 36/473 Mining lease | NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD | Granted | 21 December 2042 | Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum | 904 |
| M 36/474 Mining lease | NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD | Granted | 21 December 2042 | Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum | 905 |
| M 36/541 Mining lease | NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD | Granted | 21 December 2042 | Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum, Cobalt | 904 |
| M 36/600 Mining lease | NORTHERN STAR (THUNDERBOX) PTY LTD | Granted | 6 June 2044 | Gold, Silver, Nickel, Copper, Palladium, Platinum | 301 |