World class Mineral Deposit

"with considerable economic importance and geological significance."

photographer Michael Straβburger

"World class Mineral Deposit with considerable economic importance and geological significance."

"Enabling the continued supply of barite for the UK North Sea oil and gas industry"

Welcome to Duntanlich Mine

Plans to develop a barite mine at Duntanlich, near Aberfeldy in Perthshire, are being undertaken by major oilfield services company M-I SWACO.

The company currently operates the nearby mine at Foss and has an office in Aberfeldy. M-I SWACO is the leading supplier of drilling fluid systems, engineered to improve drilling performance and in August 2010 became part of Schlumberger, the world’s largest oilfield services company.

The planning application for the Duntanlich mine proposals was approved by Perth and Kinross Council in September 2016, subject to conditions which are currently being worked through.

It is anticipated that tunnel excavation will start in Spring 2018, with the first barite production from this world class resource in December 2020.

The website provides details on the proposals for Duntanlich, information on barite, the benefits of the development – both locally and nationally – as well as information on M-I SWACO.

M-I SWACO worked closely with the local community and other key stakeholders on developing the mine proposals through an extensive community engagement exercise.

Please feel free to contact us for further information on these proposals.

Duntanlich Planning Application

Duntanlich Project Plan

Mining barite at the M-I SWACO Foss mine.
(Photographer Michael Straβburger)

About Barite

Barite or barytes (Barium Sulphate) is a mineral largely used (77% of it) as a weighting agent for drilling fluids in oil and gas exploration. It is an essential component of this and there is no substitute.

About Duntanlich

Duntanlich mine will replace the barite mine at Foss which has been in operation since 1985. Duntanlich will increase Barite production from 42,000t per annum to 120,000t.

Benefits

The proposed barite mine at Duntanlich will deliver a considerable number of benefits to both the local community and nationally, including the creation of around 30 skilled jobs and indirect employment opportunities.