The Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is a gold mine north-east of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, near the ghost town of Kanowna.
Kanowna Belle is operated by Northern Star Resources.Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Northern Star Website, accessed: 30 August 2015 It has one viewing platform and an interpretive centre.Kanowna Belle Gold Mines australia.shopsafe.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010Kanowna Belle Gold Mines traveldownunder.com.au, accessed: 4 January 2010
History
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.Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Kalgoorlie, Australia mining-technology.com, accessed: 4 January 2010 The mine was officially opened by Western Australian Premier Richard Court on 19 November 1993.Kanowna Belle. (Kanowna gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia) Mining Magazine, published: 1 December 1993, accessed: 4 January 2010
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. Aurion was taken over by Placer Dome in 2003, who already, at this stage, held a 60% interest in the mine,Placer Dome Seeks to Buy 2 Mining Concerns for $600 Million The New York Times, published: 29 November 1996, accessed: 2 January 2010 and Placer Dome in turn by Barrick Gold in March 2006 for US$10.4 billion.MINEDEX website – Granny Smith search result , accessed: 2 January 2010
The Kanowna Belle processing plant, as of 2008, treated ore from three underground operations, Kanowna Belle, Raleigh and Bullant. In 2016 ore was sourced from Raleigh-Rubicon at Kundana, and from Kanowna Belle.
In August 2009, Daniel Williams, a truck driver working 900 metres underground, fell to death at the mine.New Zealand man killed in Kalgoorlie mine accident perthnow.com.au, published: 8 August 2009, accessed: 4 January 2010 It was the fourth fatal accident in Australian mining in 2009 and the eighth in 14 months.
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.
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.
Technology
The Kanowna site is underground a trial of Caterpillar's Minegem autonomous loader technology.
Production Kanowna Belle Gold Mine Annual production of the mine:The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003–2004 Edition, page 98Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2007 accessed: 1 January 2010Fourth Quarter & Year-End Mine Statistics 2008 accessed: 1 January 2010 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 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: 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 2022–23 163,679 ounces 2.8 g/t A$1,876
Notes
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. Figures for January to September 2002 only.
References
Bibliography
External links
MINEDEX website: Kanowna - Golden Valley Database of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety