Lisheen Mine
Encyclopedia
The Lisheen Mine is a lead
and zinc
mine located between the villages of Moyne and Templetuohy in North Tipperary
, Ireland
. In the Rathdowney Trend Lisheen is an underground mine where the Lisheen deposit lies at an average depth of 170 metres below surface.
The Rathdowney Trend, stretches 40 kilometres, between the towns of Abbeyleix
and Thurles
. The region is a broad plain drained by the Rossetown and Drish Rivers, tributaries of the River Suir
, which flows into the sea at Waterford
. Exploration of the Rathdowney Trend during the late 1960s and early 1970s identified sporadic occurrences of lead and zinc, although the first significant mineralisation was not discovered until 1984. Galmoy Mine
is also in the Rathdowney Trend.
The Lisheen Deposit was discovered in April 1990 and development of the mine began in 1997. In September 1999 the first (production) ore was brought to the surface and in December the first shipment of Zinc concentrates departed from the Port of Cork
. Lisheen is expected to produce approximately 4.83 million dry metric tonnes of zinc and lead concentrates over the estimated 14-year lifespan of the mine. It is operated by Anglo Base Metals, a subsidiary of Anglo American plc.
The mine is accessed via a 1.5 kilometre long decline, at -15%, 6.3 metres wide by 5 metres high. Underground drilling rigs bore holes in the ore face, which are charged with explosives and fired. The resultant broken ore is removed by large Load Haul Dump (LHD) machines and loaded into trucks which transport the ore to the crusher. The ore is first emptied onto 'grizzly' bars which prevent oversized material from entering the crushing chamber before being fed into the underground crusher. Approximately 6,300 tonnes of ore grade material are transported daily via a conveyor system from the mine to surface where it is stored in a covered stockpile of approximately 12,000 tonnes live capacity prior to processing in the Concentrator plant. Following various process the concentrate is then trucked south to Cork for onward shipment to various customers.
, and the type example of the Irish Type classification thereof.
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
mine located between the villages of Moyne and Templetuohy in North Tipperary
North Tipperary
North Tipperary is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-West Region and is also located in the province of Munster. It is named after the town of Tipperary and consists of 48% of the land area of the traditional county of Tipperary. The county was established in 1898 and has had a county...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. In the Rathdowney Trend Lisheen is an underground mine where the Lisheen deposit lies at an average depth of 170 metres below surface.
The Rathdowney Trend, stretches 40 kilometres, between the towns of Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix is a town in County Laois, Ireland about from Portlaoise and located on the N77 national secondary route. Formerly the N8 National Primary Route ran through the centre of the town, making Abbeyleix an infamous bottleneck on the Dublin-Cork corridor with up to 15,000 vehicles passing...
and Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
. The region is a broad plain drained by the Rossetown and Drish Rivers, tributaries of the River Suir
River Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
, which flows into the sea at Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. Exploration of the Rathdowney Trend during the late 1960s and early 1970s identified sporadic occurrences of lead and zinc, although the first significant mineralisation was not discovered until 1984. Galmoy Mine
Galmoy Mine
Galmoy Mine is a zinc and lead mine 50 km northwest of Kilkenny, Ireland. Located in the Rathdowney Trend, Galmoy is an underground mine....
is also in the Rathdowney Trend.
The Lisheen Deposit was discovered in April 1990 and development of the mine began in 1997. In September 1999 the first (production) ore was brought to the surface and in December the first shipment of Zinc concentrates departed from the Port of Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
. Lisheen is expected to produce approximately 4.83 million dry metric tonnes of zinc and lead concentrates over the estimated 14-year lifespan of the mine. It is operated by Anglo Base Metals, a subsidiary of Anglo American plc.
The mine is accessed via a 1.5 kilometre long decline, at -15%, 6.3 metres wide by 5 metres high. Underground drilling rigs bore holes in the ore face, which are charged with explosives and fired. The resultant broken ore is removed by large Load Haul Dump (LHD) machines and loaded into trucks which transport the ore to the crusher. The ore is first emptied onto 'grizzly' bars which prevent oversized material from entering the crushing chamber before being fed into the underground crusher. Approximately 6,300 tonnes of ore grade material are transported daily via a conveyor system from the mine to surface where it is stored in a covered stockpile of approximately 12,000 tonnes live capacity prior to processing in the Concentrator plant. Following various process the concentrate is then trucked south to Cork for onward shipment to various customers.
Geology
Lisheen is an example of a carbonate hosted lead zinc ore depositCarbonate hosted lead zinc ore deposits
Carbonate-hosted lead-zinc ore deposits are important and highly valuable concentrations of lead and zinc sulfide ores hosted within carbonate formations and which share a common genetic origin....
, and the type example of the Irish Type classification thereof.
External links
See also
- Judkin-Fitzgerald Baronets, of Lisheen (1801)Judkin-Fitzgerald BaronetsThe Baronetcy of Lisheen, in the County of Tipperary, was created in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom on 5 August 1801 for Col. Thomas Judkin-Fitzgerald , who had adopted the surname of Judkin in compliance with the will of his maternal uncle John Lapp Judkin, of Cashel...
- Sedimentary exhalative depositsSedimentary exhalative depositsSedimentary exhalative deposits are ore deposits which are interpreted to have been formed by release of ore-bearing hydrothermal fluids into a water reservoir , resulting in the precipitation of stratiform ore....
- Ore genesisOre genesisThe various theories of ore genesis explain how the various types of mineral deposits form within the Earth's crust. Ore genesis theories are very dependent on the mineral or commodity....
- MiningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
- Tara MineTara MineTara Mines is a zinc and lead mine near Navan, County Meath, Ireland. In the Navan ore body Tara is an underground mine where the orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface....
- Galmoy MineGalmoy MineGalmoy Mine is a zinc and lead mine 50 km northwest of Kilkenny, Ireland. Located in the Rathdowney Trend, Galmoy is an underground mine....