Norseman Gold operates Australia's longest continuously running gold mining operation, having produced over 5.5 million ounces of gold over a period of more than 65 years from its Norseman field located 725km east of Perth, Western Australia.
Key projects
The Norseman Project
Overview
The Norseman Project, located 725 km east of Perth, Western Australia, is Australia’s longest continuously running gold mining operation. Gold was first found on the Norseman field in 1894 and over the last 65 years it has produced over 5.5 million ounces of gold. The mine is producing at a rate of around 100,000 ounces per annum, sourced from two high-grade narrow-vein underground mines - the Bullen and the Harlequin. Currently, it has a total resource inventory of 1.9 million ounces at a grade of 4.1 g/t, with a reserve inventory of 329,000 ounces at a grade of 8.6 g/t…
The exploration potential of the Central Norseman area is considered good at both the Brownfield and Greenfield level, with targets identified both along strike and at depth of the existing mines as well as advanced targets located close to infrastructure that have the potential to become future ore sources.
The Tenements cover a 687 sq km area centred on the Norseman Township. The landholding comprises 146 contiguous tenements consisting of 10 Exploration Licences, 102 Mining Licences, 20 Prospecting Licences, 14 Miscellaneous Licences and 29 Mining Lease Applications.
The Norseman Project contains key strategic infrastructure including a 700,000 tonnes per annum CIL treatment plant, administration offices and housing. The operations are well serviced with power, water and access via the sealed Kalgoorlie-Esperance Highway. The operation has approximately 200 employees and contractors.
The Company’s strategy is focused on extending the mine life through the conversion of resources into reserves and identifying additional resources. Management aims to increase the reserves at the mine through exploration drilling from the current level of 329,000 ounces to 500,000 to 750,000 ounces within the next two years, thereby providing a mine life of approximately five years. Thereafter, the Company will be seeking to expand the mine life to 10 years.
Regional Geology
The Norseman area lies at the southern extent of the Norseman-Wiluna Greenstone Belt of the Eastern Goldfields Province of the Yilgarn Block,Western Australia. Gold was first discovered at Norseman in 1894 following discoveries at Dundas, 22km to the south, in 1892. The majority of production has come from the Mararoa-Crown (Main Field) and North Royal reefs and totals in excess of 5.5 million ounces to June 2006.
Gold has principally been mined from narrow, broadly N-S striking, east-dipping quartz veins hosted by biotite-altered and sheared mafic and ultramafic rocks of the Woolyeenyer Formation. Relatively minor mineralisation occurs as sulphidation systems within the upper banded-iron units of the Noganyer formation.