Boddington Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Boddington Gold Mine is a gold
and copper
mine located 17 km northwest of Boddington, Western Australia
.
Officially reopened on 3 February 2010, the mine is expected to become Australia's largest gold mine once it reaches full production.
Partly owned by Normandy Mining
(44.44%), Acacia Resources (33.33%) and Newcrest Mining
(22.23%), the Normandy share was acquired by Newmont when it took over the company in 2002, while AngloGold
took over Acacia.
In 2005, Newcrest sold its interest in the Boddington mine for A$225 million, also to Newmont Mining
.
A bedrock resource of almost 20 million ounces was identified and expansion of the facility to allow mining and processing of basement rock was approved in 2002. Construction on the expansion project began in May 2006. When it achieves full nameplate throughput, it will become Australia's largest gold mine.
On 29 January 2009, Newmont announced that it had raised $1.5 billion to acquire AngloGold
's ownership position of 33% in the mine and thus became sole owner. Now fully owned by Newmont Mining
, the mine reopened in 2009 after a major expansion project that increased the throughput to become Australia's largest gold mine.
The official startup was on 23 July 2009. The mine is estimated to have a 20 year life and will produce more than 1,000,000 ounces of gold per year. The official opening of the mine was on 3 February 2010, conducted by Western Australian Premier
Colin Barnett
.
The mine is within the Saddleback Greenstone Belt
, an Archaean structure in the southwestern Yilgarn Craton
.
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine located 17 km northwest of Boddington, Western Australia
Boddington, Western Australia
Boddington is a town and shire in the Peel region of Western Australia, located south-east of Perth. The town sits on the road from Pinjarra to Williams on the Hotham River...
.
Officially reopened on 3 February 2010, the mine is expected to become Australia's largest gold mine once it reaches full production.
History
A large open-cut mining operation, it commenced in 1987 and ceased mining on 30 November 2001 after the known oxide ore resource had been processed.Partly owned by Normandy Mining
Normandy Mining
Normandy Mining was an Australian mining company which predominantly mined gold. Normandy was, during much of the late 20th century, Australia's largest gold miner....
(44.44%), Acacia Resources (33.33%) and Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining
Newcrest Mining Limited engages in the exploration, development, mining and sale of gold and gold-copper concentrate. Newcrest is an Australian based Company which initially incorporated in Victoria in 1980. Today it has become Australia’s leading gold mining company...
(22.23%), the Normandy share was acquired by Newmont when it took over the company in 2002, while AngloGold
AngloGold
AngloGold was a gold mining company based in South Africa and majority-owned by the Anglo American group. In 2004 it merged with the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation to create the world's second-largest gold producer, AngloGold Ashanti. It's a big company....
took over Acacia.
In 2005, Newcrest sold its interest in the Boddington mine for A$225 million, also to Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining Corporation , based in Denver, Colorado, USA, is one of the world's largest producers of gold, with active mines in Nevada, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and Peru. Holdings include Santa Fe Gold, Battle Mountain Gold, Normandy Mining, Franco-Nevada Corp and Fronteer Gold...
.
A bedrock resource of almost 20 million ounces was identified and expansion of the facility to allow mining and processing of basement rock was approved in 2002. Construction on the expansion project began in May 2006. When it achieves full nameplate throughput, it will become Australia's largest gold mine.
On 29 January 2009, Newmont announced that it had raised $1.5 billion to acquire AngloGold
AngloGold
AngloGold was a gold mining company based in South Africa and majority-owned by the Anglo American group. In 2004 it merged with the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation to create the world's second-largest gold producer, AngloGold Ashanti. It's a big company....
's ownership position of 33% in the mine and thus became sole owner. Now fully owned by Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining
Newmont Mining Corporation , based in Denver, Colorado, USA, is one of the world's largest producers of gold, with active mines in Nevada, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana and Peru. Holdings include Santa Fe Gold, Battle Mountain Gold, Normandy Mining, Franco-Nevada Corp and Fronteer Gold...
, the mine reopened in 2009 after a major expansion project that increased the throughput to become Australia's largest gold mine.
The official startup was on 23 July 2009. The mine is estimated to have a 20 year life and will produce more than 1,000,000 ounces of gold per year. The official opening of the mine was on 3 February 2010, conducted by Western Australian Premier
Premier of Western Australia
The Premier of Western Australia is the head of the executive government in the Australian State of Western Australia. The Premier has similar functions in Western Australia to those performed by the Prime Minister of Australia at the national level, subject to the different Constitutions...
Colin Barnett
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett , Australian politician, is the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party, the 29th and current Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election and served as the Treasurer of Western Australia in 2010. He was sworn into office by Governor Ken Michael on 23 September 2008...
.
The mine is within the Saddleback Greenstone Belt
Greenstone belt
Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean and Proterozoic cratons between granite and gneiss bodies....
, an Archaean structure in the southwestern Yilgarn Craton
Yilgarn craton
The Yilgarn Craton is a large craton which constitutes the bulk of the Western Australian land mass. It is bounded by a mixture of sedimentary basins and Proterozoic fold and thrust belts...
.
Production
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 1999 | 231,695 ounces | 0.89 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... 332 |
| 2000 | 228,859 ounces | 0.89 g/t | A$ 371 |
| 2001 | 227,171 ounces | 0.97 g/t | A$ 376 |
| Jan - Sep 2002 | 4,235 ounces | ||
| 2003–2009 | inactive | ||
| 2010 | |||