Mungana

The Mungana base metal mine was placed under voluntary administration on April 29, 2012, following the collapse of the Kagara Group. It was being operated as a joint venture between Mungana Gold Limited and Kagara Limited. Mungana is currently in the process of divesting itself of Kagara shareholding. The Mungana operation includes an incomplete polymetallic concentrator plant that when completed will potentially increase the mines zinc production capability that could assist in the development of the nearby King Vol deposit.

Mungana Holds Significant Exploration Tenure in the Charters Towers Region
Mungana still holds significant exploration tenure in the Charters Towers district near the Mungana mine site and is looking to employ local expertise in further exploration projects. If it can successfully divest itself of Kagara Limiteds shareholdings it could once again revitalise the Mungana base metal project.

Base Metal Mining Began in the Mungana Area in the 1880's
The Chillagoe district in northern Queensland, where the Mungana mine is located, has a mining tradition going back as far as the 1880's and at one time was the centre for silver, lead and copper mining. It became a gold mining province in the 1970's, firstly, with the discovery of the Red Dome mine and, secondly, in the 1980's, when the Mungana mine opened.

Mungana Mine is two Kilometres From the Historical Red Dome Mine
The Mungana Mine is located two kilometres north west of the historical Red Dome gold mine, 18 kilometres from Chillagoe and 150 kilometres west of Cairns. It's current operations involve an underground project that mines zinc, copper, silver gold and lead. It's infrastructure includes the unfinished 600 thousand tonnes a year processing plant.

Mungana Decline Completed in 2006
The development of the decline at the Mungana Mine began in 2006 and the first base metal ore was produced in 2008. The latest production figures show that for every 600,000 tonnes of ore mined 13 percent is zinc, 1.3 percent lead and 2.2 percent copper. A stockpile of around 100,000 tonnes contains 1.35 grams a tonne of gold that is produced as a by-product from the base metal mining operation. The decline is developed to a depth of 670 metres below the surface and travels a distance of 4,700 metres.

Workers at the Mungana Mine Employed on a FIFO Basis
The 110 workers generally employed at the Mungana Mine are employed on a fly-in-fly-out basis from Townsville and Cairns and while on the job are housed in modern village accommodation that can house up to 240 people.

Mining Methods at the Mungana Mine
Underground mining at the Mungana Mine is owner operated who use a fleet of single boom and twin boom AC Jumbos, CAT 1300 and 2900 LHD's, an AC Simba longhole rig as well as Hitachi and CAT 50 tonne haul trucks. Diamond drilling is undertaken by contractors who use an underground LM75 drill rig.

The mining method is undertaken by means of 15 metre floor to floor level spacing with stoping panels. These are mostly underhand but on occasion can be overhand. They are typically 10 metres in height. The condition of the ground at the Mungana Mine varies from being rather poor at shallow depths where cut and fill is used, to being quite favourable at depth where minimal stope dilution is required. Crown pillars are left where required and backfilled with ROM waste/PAF. All ore mined at the Mungana operation is trucked to Mount Garnet for processing.