Kanowna Belle Gold Mine
The Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is a gold mine 19 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, near the ghost town of Kanowna.
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Kanowna Belle Gold Mine Location in Australia | |
| Location | Kalgoorlie |
| State | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 30°36′39″S 121°34′36″E |
| Production | |
| Production | 802,000 tonnes at 4.00 g/t for 103,000 ounces |
| Financial year | 2015–2016 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1993 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Northern Star Resources Limited |
| Website | http://www.nsrltd.com/ NSRL website] |
| Year of acquisition | 2014 |
It is operated by Northern Star Resources.[1] Kanowna Belle has one viewing platform and an interpretive centre.[2][3]
History
The gold deposit was discovered in 1989 by Delta Gold NL and Geopeko Gold and construction begun in 1992, with mining in open pit operation starting in 1993.[4] The mine was officially opened by Western Australian Premier Richard Court on 19 November 1993.[5]
The project was solely owned by Delta Gold Ltd from 1999, when it purchased the remaining 50% for A$90 million. Delta later merged with fellow Australian company Goldfields Ltd to form Auriongold Ltd in February 2002.[4] Aurion was taken over by Placer Dome Inc in 2003, who already, at this stage, held a 60% interest in the mine,[6] and Placer Dome in turn by Barrick Gold in March 2006 for US$10.4 billion.[4][7]
The Kanowna Belle processing plant, as of 2008, treated ore from three underground operations, Kanowna Belle, Raleigh and Bullant.[1] In 2016 ore was sourced from Raleigh-Rubicon at Kundana, and from Kanowna Belle.[8]
In August 2009, Daniel Williams, a truck driver working 900 metres underground, fell to death at the mine.[9][10] It was the fourth fatal accident in Australian mining in 2009 and the eighth in 14 months.[11]
Technology
The Kanowna site is underground a trial of Caterpillar's Minegem autonomous loader technology.[12]
Production
Production figures for the mine:
| Year | Gold production |
Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2000[13] | 314,363 ounces | 5.68 g/t | A$245 |
| 2001[13] | 270,552 ounces | 4.87 g/t | A$306 |
| 2002 1[13] | 178,582 ounces | 4.63 g/t | A$320 |
| 2003 | |||
| 2004[4] | 237,291 ounces | US$ 316 | |
| 2005[4] | 490,000 ounces | ||
| 2006[14] | 506,000 ounces | 0.102 oz/t | US$477 |
| 2007[15] | 362,000 ounces | 0.102 oz/t | US$659 |
| 2008[15] | 267,000 ounces | 0.160 oz/t | US$734 |
| 2009 | 284,000 ounces | US$532 |
- 1 Figures for January to September 2002.
Sources
- The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition, Louthean Media Pty Ltd, Editor: Ross Louthean
- Western Australian Mineral and Petroleum Statistics Digest 2008 Page 34: Principal Mineral and Petroleum Producers – Gold
References
- Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Northern Star Website , accessed: 30 August 2015
- Kanowna Belle Gold Mines australia.shopsafe.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010
- Kanowna Belle Gold Mines Archived 31 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine traveldownunder.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010
- Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie, Australia mining-technology.com, accessed: 4 January 2010
- Kanowna Belle. (Kanowna gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia) Mining Magazine, published: 1 December 1993, accessed: 4 January 2010
- Placer Dome Seeks to Buy 2 Mining Concerns for $600 Million The New York Times, published: 29 November 1996, accessed: 2 January 2010
- MINEDEX website – Granny Smith search result Archived 11 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, accessed: 2 January 2010
- "Northern Star Resources. An Australian gold miner – for global investors" (PDF). Northern Star Resources. Subiaco, WA. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
- New Zealand man killed in Kalgoorlie mine accident perthnow.com.au, published: 8 August 2009, accessed: 4 January 2010
- "Kiwi killed in Australian gold mine". Television New Zealand. NZPA. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- "NZ man dies in gold mine fall". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
- Proceedings 11th AusIMM Underground Operators' Conference – Case Study Comparison of Teleremote and Autonomous Assist Underground Loader Technology at the Kanowna Belle Mine
- The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition, page 98
- Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2007 Archived 22 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine accessed: 1 January 2010
- Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2008 accessed: 1 January 2010