White Foil Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The White Foil Gold Mine is a gold mine 23 km south-west of Kalgoorlie
, Western Australia
. It is currently owned by La Mancha Resources and has been in care and maintenance since 2003, but is scheduled to reopen in March 2010.
La Mancha also owns 51% of the Frog's Leg Gold Mine
, located 19 km west of Kalgoorlie.
The mine, then own jointly by Mines and Resources Australia (51%) and AurionGold Limited (49%), started operations in February 2002. Ore was treated at the Paddington Gold Mine
, which, at the time, was owned by AurionGold, and the first gold pour took place in August 2002.
The mine was placed in care and maintenance in August 2003, after excessive flow of saline water into the open pit.
AurionGold was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003. Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.
In September 2006, La Mancha Resources announced the takeover of Mines and Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French
company Areva
, and thereby the White Foil mine. The company dewatered the flooded pit in 2007 and 2008.
On 27 January, La Mancha announced that ore from White Foil would toll-treat at the new Three Mile Hill treatment plant at the Coolgardie Gold Mine
, owned by Focus Minerals. Mining at White Foil is to resume in March 2010.
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 currently owned by La Mancha Resources and has been in care and maintenance since 2003, but is scheduled to reopen in March 2010.
La Mancha also owns 51% of the Frog's Leg Gold Mine
Frog's Leg Gold Mine
The Frog's Leg Gold Mine is a gold mine located 19 km west of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.It is jointly owned by La Mancha Resources and Avoca Resources Limited .-History:...
, located 19 km west of Kalgoorlie.
History
The White Foil deposit was discovered in 1996.The mine, then own jointly by Mines and Resources Australia (51%) and AurionGold Limited (49%), started operations in February 2002. Ore was treated at the Paddington Gold Mine
Paddington Gold Mine
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....
, which, at the time, was owned by AurionGold, and the first gold pour took place in August 2002.
The mine was placed in care and maintenance in August 2003, after excessive flow of saline water into the open pit.
AurionGold was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003. Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.
In September 2006, La Mancha Resources announced the takeover of Mines and Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
company Areva
Areva
AREVA is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. AREVA is mainly known for nuclear power; it also has interests in other energy projects. It was created on 3 September 2001, by the merger of Framatome , Cogema and...
, and thereby the White Foil mine. The company dewatered the flooded pit in 2007 and 2008.
On 27 January, La Mancha announced that ore from White Foil would toll-treat at the new Three Mile Hill treatment plant at the Coolgardie Gold Mine
Coolgardie Gold Mine
The Coolgardie Gold Mine is a gold mine located at Coolgardie, Western Australia. The Coolgardie Gold Mine is not one single mine, but rather a generic term to describe a diverse group of mines - in essence, a mining locality....
, owned by Focus Minerals. Mining at White Foil is to resume in March 2010.
Production
Production figures of the mine:| Year | Gold production |
Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2002-03 | 120,000 ounces | ||
| 2004–2007 | inactive | ||
| 2008 | 1,910 ounces | ||
| 2009 | inactive | ||
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