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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

White Foil Gold Mine

The White Foil Gold Mine is a gold mine 23 km south-west of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, owned and operated by Australian company Evolution Mining Limited, who purchased the mine in 2015.

History

Gold mines in the Kalgoorlie region

The White Foil deposit was discovered in 1996.

The mine, then own jointly by Mines and Resources Australia (51%) and AurionGold Limited (49%), started operations in February 2002. Ore was treated at the Paddington Gold Mine, which, at the time, was owned by AurionGold, and the first gold pour took place in August 2002.

The mine was placed in care and maintenance in August 2003, after excessive flow of saline water into the open pit.

AurionGold was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003. Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.

In September 2006, La Mancha Resources announced the takeover of Mines and Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French company Areva, and thereby the White Foil mine. The company dewatered the flooded pit in 2007 and 2008.

On 27 January 2010, La Mancha announced that ore from White Foil would be toll-treated at the new Three Mile Hill treatment plant at the Coolgardie Gold Mine, owned by Focus Minerals. Mining at White Foil was to resume in March 2010. Open pit operations at the mine restarted in 2014.

In April 2015, Evolution Mining completed the buy-out of La Mancha Resources Australian operations, valued at A$300 million, and thereby acquired the Frog's Leg and White Foil gold mines as well as the nearby processing plant at the Mungari. Ownership of the mines was eventually transferred on 24 August 2015.

Mining at Frog's Leg is carried out in an underground operation while White Foil is an open pit operation, with the ore processed at the Mungari plant, which was constructed in 2013–14.

Production

Production figures of the mine:

Year Gold
production
Grade Cost per ounce
2002–03 120,000 ounces
2004–2007 inactive
2008 1,910 ounces
2009 inactive

Evolution Mining

Production figures under Evolution Mining ownership:

Year Production Grade Cost per ounce
2015–16 137,193 ounces A$1,024
2016–17 143,820 ounces A$1,143
2017–18 118,498 ounces A$1,181
2018–19 120,535 ounces A$1,320
2019–20 133,388 ounces A$1,215
2020–21 115,829 ounces A$1,453
2021–22 138,035 ounces A$1,931
2022–23 135,592 ounces A$2,083

Notes

  • ^[1] Combined production for the Mungari Operation, which consist of the Frog's Leg Gold Mine and the White Foil Gold Mine. Additionally to this, the Kundana and East Kundana underground operations were added to the Mungari Operation in 2021.
  • ^[2] Figures from the date of ownership transfer, 24 August 2015, to 30 June 2016.

References

  1. ^ "Evolution Mining Annual Report 2023" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. 18 October 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Mungari" (pdf). Evolution Mining. May 2016. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  3. ^ Beattie, Fraser (20 April 2015). "Evolution in 300 million La Mancha buy". Business News. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  4. ^ White Foil La Mancha website, accessed: 31 January 2010
  5. ^ The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 133
  6. ^ LA MANCHA'S 2010 GOLD PRODUCTION SET TO INCREASE BY UP TO 48% La Mancha announcement, published: 25 January 2010, accessed: 31 January 2010
  7. ^ The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 118
  8. ^ AURIONGOLD LIMITED (AOR) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009
  9. ^ PLACER DOME INC (PDG) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009
  10. ^ Historique AREVA NC accessed: 7 January 2010
  11. ^ La Mancha Closes Transaction La Mancha website, published: 28 September 2006, accessed: 6 January 2010
  12. ^ La Mancha Toll Treatment Agreement Focus ASX website, published: 27 January 2010, accessed: 30 January 2010
  13. ^ "Mungari Operation fact sheet 2017" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Evolution Mining 2016 Annual Report" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Mungari Operation fact sheet" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  16. ^ "Evolution Mining 2017 Annual Report" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Regis Resources Annual Report 2022" (PDF). evolutionmining.com.au. Evolution Mining. 21 October 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2023.

Bibliography

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