Sunrise Dam Gold Mine
|
Plant at Sunrise Dam Gold Mine | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
  Sunrise Dam Gold Mine Location in Australia | |
| Location | Laverton |
| State | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 29°08′S 122°42′E / 29.133°S 122.700°ECoordinates: 29°08′S 122°42′E / 29.133°S 122.700°E |
| Production | |
| Production | 401,000 |
| Financial year | 2009 |
| History | |
| Opened | 1996 |
| Owner | |
| Company | AngloGold Ashanti |
| Website | AngloGold Ashanti website |
| Year of acquisition | 1999 |
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.[1]
The mine is currently the company's only Australian operation. A second Australian project, the Tropicana Gold Mine, is in development and scheduled to open in 2013.[2]
History
The gold deposit at Sunrise Dam was discovered in August 1988[3] and gold mining operations started in 1995, mining ore in an open pit, the Mega Pit, which, in 2008, had reached a depth of 440 metres. In March 1997, the first gold was poured at the mine. In 1999, AngloGold acquired the mine through a takeover of Acacia Resources Ltd,[4] a move that also gained it a 33% stake in the Boddington project,[5] which it sold in early 2009 for $1.5 billion. Acacia, formerly Billiton PLC, was delisted from the Australian Stock Market on 11 January 2000.[6]
In 2003, underground operations commenced.
In 2006, AngloGold signed a contract for conversion of its diesel power generators to liquefied natural gas as a cost-saving matter as well as to protect the environment.[7]
In the June quarter of 2009, the mine produced 94,000 ounces of gold, a slight reduction to the previous quarter. At the same time, cost fell by 24% due to the use of existing stockpiles.[8]
During 2009, AngloGold discussed the option of processing ore from the Fortitude deposit, 36 km south of Sunrise Dam and owned by Midas Resources, at the mine.[9]
The majority of the mine workers are on a fly-in fly-out roster, with Skippers Aviation providing a charter service twice-daily from Monday to Friday.[10]
Production
Past production figures were:
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2000 [11] | 309,000 ounces | 3.87 g/t | A$ 309 |
| 2001 [11] | 297,000 ounces | 4.12 g/t | A$311 |
| 2002 [11] | 382,000 ounces | 3.49 g/t | A$312 |
| 2003 [12] | 358,000 ounces | 3.12 g/t | US$ 228 |
| 2004 [12] | 410,000 ounces | 3.46 g/t | US$260 |
| 2005 [12] | 455,000 ounces | 3.68 g/t | US$269 |
| 2006 [13] | 465,000 ounces | 3.39 g/t | US$298 |
| 2007 [14] | 600,000 ounces | 4.86 g/t | US$306 |
| 2008 [14] | 433,000 ounces | 3.46 g/t | US$531 |
| 2009 [14] | 401,000 ounces | 2.87 g/t | US$646 |
| 2010 |
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunrise Dam Gold Mine. |
References
- ↑ AngloGold Ashanti website - Country Report Australia page: 6, accessed: 13 December 2008
- ↑ AngloGold sees q1 '13 for Tropicana gold mine starting Industrysearch.com.au, published 28 July 2009, retrieved 3 September 2009
- ↑ Sunrise Dam gold deposit accessed: 13 December 2008
- ↑ Article on Sunrise Dam Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism website, accessed: 13 December 2008
- ↑ AngloGold Bids For Acacia Resources AngloGold website, published: 11 October 1999, accessed: 13 December 2008
- ↑ ACACIA RESOURCES LIMITED (AAA) Delisted.com.au, retrieved 3 September 2009
- ↑ AngloGold Ashanti website - Country Report Australia page: 3, accessed: 13 December 2008
- ↑ Quarterly report June 2009 AngloGold website, retrieved 2009-08-07
- ↑ Progress Report Midas ASX announcement, published: 16 September 2009, accessed: 27 January 2010
- ↑ Skippers website - Charters accessed: 15 November 2009
- 1 2 3 The Australian Mines Handbook - 2003-04 Edition page: 127
- 1 2 3 Annual Report 2005 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010
- ↑ Annual Report 2006 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 11 July 2010
- 1 2 3 Annual Report 2009 AngloGold Ashanti website, accessed: 9 May 2010
- Sunrise Dam images
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Gold mines in the Leonora region
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Sunrise Dam Gold Mine, 2009 NASA satellite image.
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Acacia Resources logo, original owners of the mine.
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Sunrise Dam open pit operations.
External links
- AngloGold Ashanti website - Country Report Australia
- New Gold Discoveries & Mines Article on new mines in WA, published: 1999