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
The White Foil deposit was discovered in 1996.White Foil La Mancha website, accessed: 31 January 2010
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,The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 133 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.LA MANCHA'S 2010 GOLD PRODUCTION SET TO INCREASE BY UP TO 48% La Mancha announcement, published: 25 January 2010, accessed: 31 January 2010
AurionGold was taken over by Placer Dome Limited in January 2003.The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition, page: 118AURIONGOLD LIMITED (AOR) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009 Placer Dome in turn was taken over by Barrick Gold in March 2006.PLACER DOME INC (PDG) delisted.com.au, accessed: 2 October 2009
In September 2006, La Mancha Resources announced the takeover of Mines and Resources Australia, a subsidiary of the French company Areva,Historique AREVA NC accessed: 7 January 2010 and thereby the White Foil mine.La Mancha Closes Transaction La Mancha website, published: 28 September 2006, accessed: 6 January 2010 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.La Mancha Toll Treatment Agreement Focus ASX website, published: 27 January 2010, accessed: 30 January 2010 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 Goldproduction 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
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. Figures from the date of ownership transfer, 24 August 2015, to 30 June 2016.
References
Bibliography
External links
MINEDEX website: White Foil - Mungari West Database of the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety