Norseman Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Norseman Gold Mine is a gold mine
located at Norseman
, Western Australia
.
It is operated by Norseman Gold Plc and is Australia’s longest continuously running gold mining operation. The Norseman area lies at the southern end of the Norseman-Wiluna
Greenstone Belt
.
, 22 km south of present-day Norseman, followed in august 1894 by a gold discovery near the future town of Norseman itself, by Laurie Sinclair his brother George Sinclair & Jack Alsopp, the deposit was name the Norseman Reward after his horse, Hardy Norseman. The family came to Western Australia in December 1863 from The shetland Isles.
In 1935, a new era of mining begun for the town, when Western Mining
arrived in the region and invested in its infrastructure.
Operated by Central Norseman Gold Corporation Ltd, a subsidiary of Western Mining, the mine became effectively owned by Croesus Mining NL in February 2002, when Croesus purchased WMC's 50.5% share of the company for A$
75 million. Croesus Mining went into administration in June 2006, after gold production levels at Norseman fell short of hedging commitments.
The mine was operated by Central Norseman Gold until April 2007, when it passed into the ownership of Davos Gold Pty Ltd, now Norseman Gold, who purchased it for a sum in excess of A$60 million The Norseman Gold Mine had been in administration for eleven month at the time of the sale and had been in operation for more than 65 years, producing in excess of 5.5 million ounces of gold in that time.
The mine is currently run as an underground operation only, with two declines being mined, Bullen and Harlequin. A third decline, named OK, will commence production in 2010.
On 5 August 2010, an underground miner at the mine was found dead
at a new escape rise.
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 at Norseman
Norseman, Western Australia
Norseman is a town located in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia along the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, east of Perth and above sea level. It is also the starting point of the Eyre Highway, and the last major town in Western Australia before the South Australian border to the...
, 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 Norseman Gold Plc and is Australia’s longest continuously running gold mining operation. The Norseman area lies at the southern end of the Norseman-Wiluna
Wiluna, Western Australia
Wiluna is a complex town in the Mid West region of Western Australia. It is situated on the edge of the Western Desert at the gateway to the Canning Stock Route and Gunbarrel Highway. It is the service centre of the local area for the local Aboriginal people, the pastoral industry, mining, and...
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....
.
History
Gold was first discovered in the region at DundasDundas, Western Australia
Dundas is the name of an abandoned town in the Goldfields-Esperance Region of Western Australia. The town is located about east of the Esperance Branch Railway, on the western shore of Lake Dundas....
, 22 km south of present-day Norseman, followed in august 1894 by a gold discovery near the future town of Norseman itself, by Laurie Sinclair his brother George Sinclair & Jack Alsopp, the deposit was name the Norseman Reward after his horse, Hardy Norseman. The family came to Western Australia in December 1863 from The shetland Isles.
In 1935, a new era of mining begun for the town, when Western Mining
WMC Resources
WMC Resources Limited was an Australian diversified mining and fertilizer company formerly listed on the Australian Stock Exchange. WMC was an acronym for Western Mining Corporation. It was delisted on 29 June 2005 following a successful takeover by BHP Billiton...
arrived in the region and invested in its infrastructure.
Operated by Central Norseman Gold Corporation Ltd, a subsidiary of Western Mining, the mine became effectively owned by Croesus Mining NL in February 2002, when Croesus purchased WMC's 50.5% share of the company 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...
75 million. Croesus Mining went into administration in June 2006, after gold production levels at Norseman fell short of hedging commitments.
The mine was operated by Central Norseman Gold until April 2007, when it passed into the ownership of Davos Gold Pty Ltd, now Norseman Gold, who purchased it for a sum in excess of A$60 million The Norseman Gold Mine had been in administration for eleven month at the time of the sale and had been in operation for more than 65 years, producing in excess of 5.5 million ounces of gold in that time.
The mine is currently run as an underground operation only, with two declines being mined, Bullen and Harlequin. A third decline, named OK, will commence production in 2010.
On 5 August 2010, an underground miner at the mine was found dead
Fatality statistics in the Western Australian mining industry
These are Fatality statistics in the Western Australian mining industry which capture the number of people killed in the industry in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Department of Mines and Petroleum, DMP, the governing authority for the industry in the state, has published statistics...
at a new escape rise.
Production
Production of the mine:| Year | Gold production |
Feed grade |
Cost per ounce (A$ 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... /oz) |
| 2000 | 109,612 ounces | 10.84 g/t | |
| 2001 | 128,495 ounces | 14.73 g/t | |
| 2002 | 137,023 ounces | 9.75 g/t | 300 |
| 2006-07 | 71,431 ounces | ||
| 2007-08 | 77,229 ounces | 6.02 g/t | 800 |
| 2008-09 | 80,753 ounces | 6.04 g/t | 715 |
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 - Norseman 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 - MINEDEX website