White Foil Gold Mine
The White Foil Gold Mine is a gold mine 23 km south-west of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. It is currently owned by La Mancha Resources and has been in care and maintenance since 2003, but is scheduled to reopen in March 2010.[1]
| Location | |
|---|---|
  White Foil Gold Mine Location in Australia | |
| Location | Kalgoorlie |
| State | Western Australia |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 30°45′S 121°15′E |
| Production | |
| Production | active |
| Financial year | 2008–09 |
| History | |
| Opened | 2002 |
| Closed | 2003 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Mungari |
| Website | evolutionmining |
| Year of acquisition | 2006 |
La Mancha also owns 51% of the Frog's Leg Gold Mine, located 19 km west of Kalgoorlie.
History
The White Foil deposit was discovered in 1996.[1]
The mine, then own jointly by Mines and Resources Australia (51%) and AurionGold Limited (49%), started operations in February 2002.[1] Ore was treated at the Paddington Gold Mine, which, at the time, was owned by AurionGold,[2] and the first gold pour took place in August 2002.[1]
The mine was placed in care and maintenance in August 2003, after excessive flow of saline water into the open pit.[3]
AurionGold was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003.[4][5] Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.[6]
In September 2006, La Mancha Resources announced the takeover of Mines and Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French company Areva,[7] and thereby the White Foil mine.[8] The company dewatered the flooded pit in 2007 and 2008.[1]
On 27 January, La Mancha announced that ore from White Foil would toll-treat at the new Three Mile Hill treatment plant at the Coolgardie Gold Mine, owned by Focus Minerals.[9] Mining at White Foil is to resume in March 2010.[1]
Production
Production figures of the mine:
| Year | Gold production |
Grade | Cost per ounce |
| 2002-03[3] | 120,000 ounces | ||
| 2004–2007 | inactive | ||
| 2008[3] | 1,910 ounces | ||
| 2009 | inactive | ||
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
References
- White Foil La Mancha website, accessed: 31 January 2010
- The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 133
- LA MANCHA'S 2010 GOLD PRODUCTION SET TO INCREASE BY UP TO 48% La Mancha announcement, published: 25 January 2010, accessed: 31 January 2010
- The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 118
- AURIONGOLD LIMITED (AOR) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009
- PLACER DOME INC (PDG) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009
- Historique AREVA NC accessed: 7 January 2010
- La Mancha Closes Transaction La Mancha website, published: 28 September 2006, accessed: 6 January 2010
- La Mancha Toll Treatment Agreement Focus ASX website, published: 27 January 2010, accessed: 30 January 2010