Tropicana Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Tropicana Gold Mine project is located 330 km northeast of Kalgoorlie
, Western Australia
. Since 2001, it is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti
(70% - manager) and Independence Group NL (30%).
The Tropicana tenement consists of 12,500 km2 of land. It is located at the junction of the Yilgarn Craton
and the Fraser Range Mobile Belt.
Should the feasibility study be positive, Tropicana would be AngloGold Ashanti's second gold mine in Australia, after Sunrise Dam
, while Independence does not operate any gold mines.
The area is seen as a new major Australian gold province, previously untouched due to its remoteness, and dubbed the "Tropicana Gold Belt".
The projects location at the western edge of the remote Great Victoria Desert
constitutes one of the biggest barriers for the project, with 220 km of road having to be built to be able to access the future mine and a 40 megawatt power station being required to supply it with electricity.
The project is estimated at a initial mine life of 10 years, now extended to 15, with an annual production of around 330,000 to 400,000 ounces of gold and an overall production of 3.6 million ounces.
The decision for the mine to go ahead is expected in 2010 while mining is scheduled to begin in 2013. AngloGold Ashanti sold its 33% stake in the Boddington Gold Mine
in early 2009 to Newmont, a move seen by analysts as the "logical thing" in order to be able to afford the expenditure of the Tropicana development.
The open pit at the mine is scheduled to be up to 6 km long, 1.5 km wide and up to 400 m deep.
The development of the mine was approved by boards of the two companies on 11 December 2010. Construction is to start in June 2011, while the first gold pour is scheduled for December 2013. The cost of the project is estimated to be in excess of A$700 million.
a year.
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...
. Since 2001, it is jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti
AngloGold Ashanti Limited is a global gold mining company. It was formed in 2004 by the merger of AngloGold and the Ashanti Goldfields Corporation.AngloGold Ashanti Limited is now a global gold producer with 21 operations on four continents...
(70% - manager) and Independence Group NL (30%).
The Tropicana tenement consists of 12,500 km2 of land. It is located at the junction of the 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...
and the Fraser Range Mobile Belt.
Should the feasibility study be positive, Tropicana would be AngloGold Ashanti's second gold mine in Australia, after Sunrise Dam
Sunrise Dam Gold Mine
The Sunrise Dam Gold Mine is located 55 km south of Laverton, Western Australia. It is fully owned by AngloGold Ashanti. In 2007, it accounted for 11% of the company's production.The mine is currently the company's only Australian operation...
, while Independence does not operate any gold mines.
History
The Tropicana deposit was discovered in 2005 and, together with the nearby Havana deposit, discovered in 2006, constitutes the last major Australian gold discovery.The area is seen as a new major Australian gold province, previously untouched due to its remoteness, and dubbed the "Tropicana Gold Belt".
Project
A pre-feasibility study carried out by AngloGold Ashanti in 2007-08 showed the mine would cost A$500 million to $540m and could produce up to 430,000 ounces of gold a year.The projects location at the western edge of the remote Great Victoria Desert
Great Victoria Desert
The Great Victoria Desert is a barren and sparsely populated desert area of southern Australia.-Location and description:The Great Victoria is the biggest desert in Australia and consists of many small sandhills, grassland plains, areas with a closely packed surface of pebbles and salt lakes...
constitutes one of the biggest barriers for the project, with 220 km of road having to be built to be able to access the future mine and a 40 megawatt power station being required to supply it with electricity.
The project is estimated at a initial mine life of 10 years, now extended to 15, with an annual production of around 330,000 to 400,000 ounces of gold and an overall production of 3.6 million ounces.
The decision for the mine to go ahead is expected in 2010 while mining is scheduled to begin in 2013. AngloGold Ashanti sold its 33% stake in the Boddington Gold Mine
Boddington Gold Mine
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.-History:...
in early 2009 to Newmont, a move seen by analysts as the "logical thing" in order to be able to afford the expenditure of the Tropicana development.
The open pit at the mine is scheduled to be up to 6 km long, 1.5 km wide and up to 400 m deep.
The development of the mine was approved by boards of the two companies on 11 December 2010. Construction is to start in June 2011, while the first gold pour is scheduled for December 2013. The cost of the project is estimated to be in excess of A$700 million.
Environmental impact
The future mine site is expected to include the clearing of 3440ha of vegetation and is likely to emit up to 330,000 tonnes of carbon dioxideCarbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is a naturally occurring chemical compound composed of two oxygen atoms covalently bonded to a single carbon atom...
a year.
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