Vale has partially halted commissioning work at its already delayed Goro nickel operation in New Caledonia following an acid spill, according to media reports.
Vale Inco spokesman Cory McPhee reportedly told the Reuters news agency that the company was investigating the spill of 690 cubic metres of acid-containing solution. He said the spill had been "contained," and had caused no injuries or damage to the external environment.
The project, which is expected to eventually produce 60,000 tonnes of nickel a year, has been repeatedly delayed over the past 18 months. Part of that delay was due to a smaller acid spill a year ago which made it into the outside environment.
The company said last week that it was getting closer to production, but had been delayed due to "hiccups" in the commissioning.
McPhee declined to speculate on how the spill might impact the timeline.
"It's too early for us to speculate on that," he told Reuters.
"This just happened. We just want to make sure we're diligent and looking at what took place so we understand why and to prevent it from happening in the future," he said.
He said commissioning had been stopped in the extraction unit where the spill occurred, but was continuing elsewhere.
The $4.3 billion project, located in the French island territory of New Caledonia in the South Pacific, has been closely watched as it is one of a new breed of large nickel laterite mines that are expected to account for a growing proportion of global nickel supply.
