Cowal

The Cowal gold mine is located 32 kilometres north of West Wyalong in the Central West Plains Region of NSW and 350 kilometres from Sydney. It is operated as an open pit mine that produced 268,000 ounces of gold in 2012 and has proven and probable gold reserves of 2.8 million ounces.

The Cowal Mine is Situated on the Western Edge of Lake Cowal
The site of the Cowal gold mine is notable for its relative flat surface that
extends to gentle undulating topography containing scattered vegetation. It is situated on the western edge of Lake Cowal, an important water bird habitat, that is listed on the National Estate Register. Most of the land surrounding the mine is used for agricultural purposes. It is regarded as being semi-arid and receives most of its rainfall during the winter months.

Lake Cowal Foundation Oversees Lake Cowal Environmental Concerns
The Commission of Inquiry reports, that were handed down prior to the Cowal Mine being developed, found the project could go ahead and be operated in a manner that would be fully compatible with Lake Cowal environmental values. To ensure environmental standards are kept foremost, Barrick Gold signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lake Cowal Foundation, a non profit local organisation that was established in June 2000. The foundation is funded through royalty received from the Cowal gold project that is expected to raise over two million dollars during the life of the mine. Its objective is to enhance and protect the natural environment of the Lake Cowal area.

Cowal Mine Open Pit's Major Features
The main components effecting the Cowal open pit gold mine include the following:
- The construction of a 100 kilometre 132 Kw electricity transmission line connecting Lake cowal with Temora
- A freshwater pipeline to the mine site from a bore field
- An isolation system that separates Lake Cowal from the mining operation
- A detoxified and fully treated tailing storage
- Waste rock emplacement, containing mined rock with no commercial quantity of gold
- The construction of a gold processing plant
- An open pit mining venture that covers an area of 100 hectares to a depth of 325 metres

Extension Approval Gives the Cowal Mine a Life of 24 Years
In 2008 the Cowal Mine was given approval to extend the open pit mine that would increase its gold production to 3.5 million ounces from 129 million tonnes of mineralised gold bearing ore. The approval extended the life of mine for a further 24 years. This approval also meant the mine waste would increase to 184 million tonnes and the final open pit dimensions will be 440 metres deep, 1,350 metres wide and 1,250 metres long.

Cowal Mine Treatment Plant uses Conventional Carbon-in Leach Processing
The gold processing plant at the Cowal Mine includes a traditional CIL (carbon-in-leach) treatment plant with a separate sulphide flotation facility that is able to handle over 200,000 ounces of gold a year. The tailings from the processing plant are stored 3.5 kilometres west of Lake Cowal in two separate facilities that total 350 hectares. The destruction of cyanide is achieved with the use of the INCO process and/or Caro's Acid. Ore is processed at the gold treatment plant at the rate of 7.5 million tonnes a year with tailings totaling 129 million tonnes. Water required by the mining operation at the Cowal Mine is sourced from the Lachlan River by means of an irrigation channel, pit de-watering , tailings storage and internal run- off.
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