Paddington Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Paddington Gold Mine is a gold mine
located near Broad Arrow
, 30 km north of Kalgoorlie
, Western Australia
.
It is operated by Norton Gold Fields Limited, having acquired the mine from Barrick Gold
on 25 August 2007 for A$
45 million.
Paddington Gold are major sponsors of the new local rugby league club, Goldfields Titans
.
, the two original open pits being active until 2002. In 1994, the processing plant was upgraded to be able to handle 3.0 million tonnes of ore per annum.
AurionGold, the former Goldfields Limited, was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003. Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.
In 2007, the mining tenements were enlarged through the acquisition of the Mount Pleasant and Ora Banda
properties. Shortly after, on 26 April 2007, Norton announced it had purchased the mine from Barrick Gold for Aus $ 45 million. It moved the small Kundana Plant, at the Kundana Gold Mine near Paddington and part of the sale, to its Mount Morgan Mine Project, near Rockhampton
, Queensland
.
Underground mining commenced in April 2009 with the cutting of a portal at Norton's Homestead deposit at Mount Pleasant, 18 km south-west of the Paddington mill, and is expected to deliver mill feed from December 2009 with a grade in excess of 6.0 g/t. Production performance of the mine was below plan in 2008-09, having been scheduled at 145,000 ounces and achieved only 137,000, because of shortfalls in the second half of 2008.
In August 2009, Norton signed an agreement with Curtin University of Technology’s
Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) to establish cooperation in education, professional development, and research and development between WASM and the Paddington Gold Mine.
On 28 September 2009, two miners were seriously injured, having been pinned between the counterweight of an excavator and a wall in the plant area.
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
located near Broad Arrow
Broad Arrow, Western Australia
Broad Arrow is a ghost town in Western Australia, located 38 km north of Kalgoorlie and 633 km east of Perth, Western Australia. It is on the Kalgoorlie to Leonora Road.-History:...
, 30 km north of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
It is operated by Norton Gold Fields Limited, having acquired the mine from Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold
Barrick Gold Corporation is the largest pure gold mining company in the world, with its headquarters in Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and four regional business units located in Australia, Africa, North America and South America...
on 25 August 2007 for A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
45 million.
Paddington Gold are major sponsors of the new local rugby league club, Goldfields Titans
Goldfields Titans
The Goldfields Titans are a semi professional rugby league club based in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia, Australia. They compete in the Western Australia Rugby League's Harvey Norman Cup first grade competition from 2010 and home games are played at the Goldfields Oasis Playing Fields.The...
.
History
The mine opened in 1985, under the ownership of Goldfields Limited, mining ore in two open pit operationsOpen-pit mining
Open-pit mining or opencast mining refers to a method of extracting rock or minerals from the earth by their removal from an open pit or borrow....
, the two original open pits being active until 2002. In 1994, the processing plant was upgraded to be able to handle 3.0 million tonnes of ore per annum.
AurionGold, the former Goldfields Limited, was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003. Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.
In 2007, the mining tenements were enlarged through the acquisition of the Mount Pleasant and Ora Banda
Ora Banda, Western Australia
Ora Banda is a townsite, now a virtual ghost town, located north east of Kalgoorlie. According to folklore, the town name is Spanish meaning 'band of gold'.- History :...
properties. Shortly after, on 26 April 2007, Norton announced it had purchased the mine from Barrick Gold for Aus $ 45 million. It moved the small Kundana Plant, at the Kundana Gold Mine near Paddington and part of the sale, to its Mount Morgan Mine Project, near Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
Underground mining commenced in April 2009 with the cutting of a portal at Norton's Homestead deposit at Mount Pleasant, 18 km south-west of the Paddington mill, and is expected to deliver mill feed from December 2009 with a grade in excess of 6.0 g/t. Production performance of the mine was below plan in 2008-09, having been scheduled at 145,000 ounces and achieved only 137,000, because of shortfalls in the second half of 2008.
In August 2009, Norton signed an agreement with Curtin University of Technology’s
Curtin University of Technology
Curtin University is an Australian university based in Perth, Western Australia, with additional campuses in regional Western Australia and at Miri , Sydney and Singapore...
Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) to establish cooperation in education, professional development, and research and development between WASM and the Paddington Gold Mine.
On 28 September 2009, two miners were seriously injured, having been pinned between the counterweight of an excavator and a wall in the plant area.
Production
Recent production of the mine:| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 1997-98 | 209,000 ounces | 2.2 g/t | A$ Australian dollar The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu... 317 |
| 1998-99 | 162,000 ounces | 2.2 g/t | A$ 400 |
| 1999–2000 | 132,000 ounces | 2.7 g/t | A$ 352 |
| 2000-01 | 148,000 ounces | 1.8 g/t | A$ 376 |
| 2001-02 | 225,000 ounces | 2.3 g/t | A$ 383 |
| 2002-03 | 308,000 ounces | 3.2 g/t | A$ 498 |
| 2003-04 | 244,000 ounces | 2.6 g/t | A$ 478 |
| 2004-05 | 243,000 ounces | 2.6 g/t | A$ 576 |
| 2005-06 | 259,000 ounces | 2.9 g/t | A$ 501 |
| 2006-07 | 214,000 ounces | 2.2 g/t | |
| 2007-08 | 126,000 ounces | 1.5 g/t | A$ 754 |
| 2008-09 | 135,067 ounces | 1.45 g/t | A$ 791 |
| 2009-10 | 140,436 ounces |
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
External links
- Place Names Search Results - Paddington Geoscience AustraliaGeoscience AustraliaGeoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian federal government. It carries out geoscientific research.On a user pays basis it produces geospatial products such as topographic maps and satellite imagery.-History:...
website - Norton Gold Fields Limited - Paddington operations
- MINEDEX website
- Norton Gold Fields Limited at Yahho!7 Finance