Mine Details
Empress alicia
http://www.focusminerals.com.au/
goldKalgoorlie/Coolgardie, DiDo
Phone:
Address:
Off Great Eastern Highway, Coolgardie, WA, 6429
State: Off Great Eastern Highway, Coolgardie, WA, 6429
Email:
The Empress Alicia gold reserve is part of the greater Tindals Mining Centre, particularly the Tindals Open Cut Mining Centre Operations, located just five kilometres from Coolgardie in Western Australia. The Tindals Mining Centre comprises the ore bodies of ; Empress Alicia, Big Blow, Empress, Countess, Tindals East, Dreadnaught and Perseverance. A further ore body, Cyanide, that was abandoned many years ago is now, once again, being mined by Tindals Mining Centre Owner, Focus Minerals Limited. These ore bodies have, over the years, produced well over 2.6 million ounces of gold from their varying underground and open pit mining operations.
Gold ore Bodies at Shallow Depths
Gold mining at the Tindals Mining Centre is not deep when compared to industry averages, as it only goes to 400 metres. Although the life of the mine was estimated to last until 2017, a reserve ore zone, Bird-in-Hand, has not yet been mined. Open pit mining began on the site in 2011.
From Small Beginnings to Being the Largest Land Owners in the Area
When Focus Minerals Limited was formed in 2001 it acquired 110 square kilometres of gold mining tenements at their Coolgardie site. These tenements included the Norris tenement that surrounded the historic Nepean Nickel Mine, a further 20 kilometres to the south of the present operations. Since 2001 Focus Minerals has become the largest landholder in the Coolgardie region.
Steady Growth Over Eleven Years
Much of this expansion can be attributable to Focus merging with Austminex in 2003 and a year later, in 2004, acquiring Dreadnaught. The company name change back to Focus Minerals occurred in 2005 when it joined forces with a Canadian exploration company. This joint venture allowed the company to purchase the 110 square kilometre Coolgardie Gold Project and the Three Mile Hill processing plant that, up until then, had been under care and maintenance from the Leviathan Resources and Herald Joint Venture. In 2006 drilling began at the Perseverance deposit which led to a feasibility study being carried out on opening the Perseverance Gold Mine and the Nepean Nickel Mine. The coming of 2008 saw Focus Minerals acquire the Mount Gold and Coolgardie Projects and the first gold bar being poured in April following an agreement with the nearby Greenfields Gold Plant. The company now produces gold at its own facility at Three Mile Hill.
Empress Alicia to Boost Production
The Tindals Mining Centre now has mineral rights to a total of 420 square kilometres of tenements in the Coolgardie Gold Belt area 35 kilometres from the Kalgoorlie Boulder Super Pit. Since gold was first found in the area in 1892 over 2.6 million ounces has been recovered. Up until now Focus Minerals has been concentrating on its underground operations but as of 2011 work has begun on open pit mining that will include the Empress Alicia deposit which up until now has been held in reserve. Focus commenced gold mining at the Dreadnought, Big Blow and Empress pits, although these deposits are only three of a total of 13 deposits on the 2 kilometre wide by five kilometre long Tindals Mining Centre, that includes the Alicia deposit. Increases in the reserve at Empress Alicia have been proven as drilling continues in preparation of mining.
