Tindals

Tindals gold mining centre that is owned by Focus Minerals Limited, comprises underground and open pit mining on the one site at Coolgardie in the Eastern Goldfields in Western Australia. All ore produced from these operations is processed at the one central ìThree Mileî gold processing plant located five kilometres north of the mining operations. Although the plant is designed to process 1.2 million tonnes of gold bearing ore annually it often operates at a capacity processing 1.3 million tonnes. The plant was commissioned at the end of 2009.

Tindals Mining Centre Underground Mining Operations:

The underground mining operations at the Tindal Mining Centre consists of three major deposits; Countess, Empress, Perseverance, Cyanide, and Tindals. The combined production from these ore bodies averages around 45,000 tonnes of ore a month grading at about 3.5 grams a tonne. This level of production is expected to be retained for at least the next five years. Underground mining at Tindals has always delivered some of the highest grades of gold bearing ore in the whole Coolgardie area although they remain relatively shallow at no more than 400 metres deep.

Access to the Tindals underground mine is gained via a decline through the one common portal located in one of the old open pit workings that was first excavated in the 1990's. All the pits being worked at that time had, by then, joined together to form the one large pit.

The Tindals underground decline measures five metres in width by five metres in height in the upper reaches and five metres by 5.5 metres in the lower levels. The portal was developed about 15 years ago which, at that time, led to two declines, this has since increased to four declines, each accessing a number of ore bodies. At the present time only three declines are active, these give access to the Cyanide, Perseverance and Empress ore bodies, with the Empress also giving access to the Tindals Deep and Countess deposits. The Cyanide decline can also be used as an alternative route to access the future mining of the Bird in Hand deposit. The Cyanide decline only recently coming back into active use after being placed in moth balls for the last 13 years.

Focus Minerals Limited re-commissioned underground mining at Tindals in April 2008. Since then has produced 200,000 ounces of gold and increased production levels by 28 percent in 2011.

Tindals Mining Centre Open pit Operations:

The open pit operations at the Tindals Mining Centre were commissioned in 2011 by Focus Minerals Limited. The operation consists of a number of open pits, all within a 10 square kilometre area near the Eastern Goldfield town of Coolgardie. Open pit mining has been a feature of gold mining in the Coolgardie area over many years with many famous pits producing astonishing gold production levels over a long period of time.

Open pit surface mining at Tindals is expected to produce an extra 25,000 ounces of gold a year to be added to the total Tindals Mining Centre performance levels. The current three open pit operations currently have a mine of life of five years but ongoing exploration is expected to increase that period as more gold reserves become known.
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