Kanowna Belle Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is a gold mine
located 19 km north east of Kalgoorlie
, Western Australia
, near the ghost town
of Kanowna
.
It is operated by Barrick Gold
. Unusually for most gold mines, Kanowna Belle has two viewing platforms and an interpretive centre.
Richard Court
on 19 November 1993.
The project was solely owned by Delta Gold Ltd from 1999, when it purchased the remaining 50% for A$90 million. Delta later merged with fellow Australian company Goldfields Ltd to form Auriongold Ltd in February 2002. Aurion was taken over by Placer Dome Inc
in 2003, who already, at this stage, held a 60% interest in the mine, and Placer Dome in turn by Barrick Gold in March 2006 for US$10.4 billion.
The mine, as of 2008, consists of three underground operations, Kanowna Belle, Raleigh and Bullant.
In August 2009, Daniel Williams, a truck driver working 900 metres underground, fell to death at the mine. It was the fourth fatal accident in Australian mining in 2009 and the eighth in 14 month.
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 19 km north east 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...
, near the ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Kanowna
Kanowna, Western Australia
Kanowna is a ghost town in the Goldfields region of Western Australia. It is located about 20 km east of Kalgoorlie.After the discovery of gold in the area in 1893, the townsite was gazetted in 1894...
.
It is operated by 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...
. Unusually for most gold mines, Kanowna Belle has two viewing platforms and an interpretive centre.
History
The gold deposit was discovered in 1989 by Delta Gold NL and Geopeko Gold and construction begun in 1992, with mining in open pit operation starting in 1993. The mine was officially opened by Western Australian PremierPremier 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...
Richard Court
Richard Court
Richard Fairfax Court AC , was a Western Australian politician, representing the seat of Nedlands in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the Liberal Party of Australia from 1982 to 2001. He served as Premier of Western Australia from 1993 to 2001.Court was born into an old political...
on 19 November 1993.
The project was solely owned by Delta Gold Ltd from 1999, when it purchased the remaining 50% for A$90 million. Delta later merged with fellow Australian company Goldfields Ltd to form Auriongold Ltd in February 2002. Aurion was taken over by Placer Dome Inc
Placer Dome
Placer Dome Inc. was a large mining company specializing in gold and other precious metals, with corporate headquarters in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada....
in 2003, who already, at this stage, held a 60% interest in the mine, and Placer Dome in turn by Barrick Gold in March 2006 for US$10.4 billion.
The mine, as of 2008, consists of three underground operations, Kanowna Belle, Raleigh and Bullant.
In August 2009, Daniel Williams, a truck driver working 900 metres underground, fell to death at the mine. It was the fourth fatal accident in Australian mining in 2009 and the eighth in 14 month.
Production
Production figures for the mine:| Year | Gold production |
Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2000 | 314,363 ounces | 5.68 g/t | A$ 245 |
| 2001 | 270,552 ounces | 4.87 g/t | A$ 306 |
| 2002 1 | 178,582 ounces | 4.63 g/t | A$ 320 |
| 2003 | |||
| 2004 | 237,291 ounces | US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... 316 |
|
| 2005 | 490,000 ounces | ||
| 2006 | 506,000 ounces | 0.102 oz/t | US$ 477 |
| 2007 | 362,000 ounces | 0.102 oz/t | US$ 659 |
| 2008 | 267,000 ounces | 0.160 oz/t | US$ 734 |
| 2009 | 284,000 ounces | US$ 532 |
- 1 Figures for January to September 2002.
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