Kanowna Belle Gold Mine

The Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is a gold mine 19 kilometres (12 mi) north-east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, near the ghost town of Kanowna.

Kanowna Belle
Location
Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is located in Western Australia
Kanowna Belle Gold Mine
Kanowna Belle Gold Mine
Location in Western Australia
LocationKalgoorlie
StateWestern Australia
CountryAustralia
Coordinates30°36′39″S 121°34′36″E
Production
ProductsGold
Production171,027 ounces[1][1]
Financial year2021–22
History
Opened1993
Owner
CompanyNorthern Star Resources
Websitewww.nsrltd.com
Year of acquisition2014

It is operated by Northern Star Resources.[2] Kanowna Belle has one viewing platform and an interpretive centre.[3][4]

History
Gold mines in the Kalgoorlie region

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.[5] The mine was officially opened by Western Australian Premier Richard Court on 19 November 1993.[6]

The project was solely owned by Delta Gold from 1999, when it purchased the remaining 50% for A$90 million. Delta later merged with fellow Australian company Goldfields to form Auriongold in February 2002.[5] Aurion was taken over by Placer Dome in 2003, who already, at this stage, held a 60% interest in the mine,[7] and Placer Dome in turn by Barrick Gold in March 2006 for US$10.4 billion.[5][8]

The Kanowna Belle processing plant, as of 2008, treated ore from three underground operations, Kanowna Belle, Raleigh and Bullant.[2] In 2016 ore was sourced from Raleigh-Rubicon at Kundana, and from Kanowna Belle.[9]

In August 2009, Daniel Williams, a truck driver working 900 metres underground, fell to death at the mine.[10][11] It was the fourth fatal accident in Australian mining in 2009 and the eighth in 14 months.[12]

In early 2014, Northern Star Resources purchased the Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Plutonic and Kundana Gold Mines from Barrick Gold for US$100 million. Following this, in June 2014, Northern Star Resources completed the purchase of the Jundee Gold Mine from Newmont at a cost of $US82.5 million, thereby making the company Australia's second-largest gold producer, behind Newmont, at the time.[13][14]

The mine subsequently became part of the company's Kalgoorlie Operations, which consist of the South Kalgoorlie Gold Mine, purchased in 2018, the Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, the Kundana Gold Mine and the East Kundana Joint Venture (51 percent Northern Star Resources owned), with ore from the later two processed at the Kanowna Belle plant.[15]

Technology

The Kanowna site is underground a trial of Caterpillar's Minegem autonomous loader technology.[16]

Production

Kanowna Belle Gold Mine

Annual production of the mine:[17][5][18][19][20]

Year 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 [2] 178,582 ounces 4.63 g/t A$320
2003
2004 237,291 ounces US$ 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
2010
2011
2012
2013 134,000 ounces
2014 111,758 ounces 5 g/t

Kalgoorlie Operations

Production figures for the combined Kalgoorlie Operations, which consist of the South Kalgoorlie Gold Mine and the Kanowna Belle mine. The Kundana Gold Mine and the East Kundana Joint Venture (51 percent Northern Star Resources ownership) were part of the Kalgoorlie Operations until sold in July 2021:[21][15][1]

Year Production Grade Cost per ounce
2014–15
2015–16
2016–17
2017–18
2018–19 334,527 ounces 3.8 g/t A$1,330
2019–20 317,248 ounces 3.2 g/t A$1,564
2020–21 256,657 ounces 3.1 g/t A$1,942
2021–22 171,027 ounces 2.6 g/t A$1,949

Notes
  • ^[1] Production figure is for the combined Kalgoorlie Operations, which consist of the Kanowna Belle mine and South Kalgoorlie Gold Mine. The Kundana Gold Mine and the East Kundana Joint Venture (51 percent Northern Star Resources ownership) were part of the Kalgoorlie Operations until sold in July 2021.
  • ^[2] Figures for January to September 2002 only.

References
  1. "2022 Annual Report". www.nsrltd.com. Northern Star Resources. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
  2. Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Northern Star Website , accessed: 30 August 2015
  3. Kanowna Belle Gold Mines australia.shopsafe.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010
  4. Kanowna Belle Gold Mines Archived 31 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine traveldownunder.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010
  5. Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie, Australia mining-technology.com, accessed: 4 January 2010
  6. Kanowna Belle. (Kanowna gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia) Mining Magazine, published: 1 December 1993, accessed: 4 January 2010
  7. Placer Dome Seeks to Buy 2 Mining Concerns for $600 Million The New York Times, published: 29 November 1996, accessed: 2 January 2010
  8. MINEDEX website – Granny Smith search result Archived 11 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine, accessed: 2 January 2010
  9. "Northern Star Resources. An Australian gold miner – for global investors" (PDF). Northern Star Resources. Subiaco, WA. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. New Zealand man killed in Kalgoorlie mine accident perthnow.com.au, published: 8 August 2009, accessed: 4 January 2010
  11. "Kiwi killed in Australian gold mine". Television New Zealand. NZPA. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  12. "NZ man dies in gold mine fall". The New Zealand Herald. NZPA. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 8 October 2011.
  13. McKinnon, Stuart (13 May 2014). "Northern Star buys Jundee for $US82.5m". The West Australian. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  14. Validakis, Vicky (3 July 2014). "Northern Star completes takeover of Jundee gold mine". Australian Mining. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  15. "2021 Annual Report". www.nsrltd.com. Northern Star Resources. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  16. Proceedings 11th AusIMM Underground Operators' Conference – Case Study Comparison of Teleremote and Autonomous Assist Underground Loader Technology at the Kanowna Belle Mine
  17. The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition, page 98
  18. Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2007 Archived 22 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine accessed: 1 January 2010
  19. Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2008 accessed: 1 January 2010
  20. "Kanowna Belle Mine (Kalgoorlie Operation)". Mining Data Solutions. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. "2019 Annual Report". www.nsrltd.com. Northern Star Resources. Retrieved 8 April 2022.

Bibliography
  • Louthean, Ross (ed.). The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition. Louthean Media Pty Ltd.
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