113-553: Wiluna Gold Mine is an active gold mine operated by Wiluna Mining Corporation (administrators appointed) near the town of Wiluna , 940 kilometres (580 mi) north of Perth in Western Australia 's Goldfields region. Wiluna is one of the Goldfield's great mining centres, with historical production plus current resources of more than 310 tonnes (10 million troy ounces). The mine is located within and adjacent to
226-536: A 14-kilogram (460-troy-ounce) nugget was found in Wiluna, then the largest found in the colony of Western Australia. The town prospered from the development of the mine until the First World War . Around 1910, however, the mine declined because the refractory ore at greater depths could not be treated. As a consequence, the town's population shrank to less than 150 people. In 1924, Claude de Bernales floated
339-541: A 2.7 billion year-old series of basalts, felsic rocks, lamprophyres, and sediments that have undergrone greenschist facies metamorphism and brittle and ductile deformation. Gold mineralisation is mainly contained within three sub-parallel dextral strike-slip shear zones, called the East , West and Adelaide-Moonlight shears, with a combined strike length exceeding 10 kilometres (6.2 mi). The shears dip nearly vertically, pinch and swell along strike and down-dip, and contain
452-800: A 750 thousand tonnes per year (4.5 million pounds per day) sulphide flotation facility commissioned in 2021, tailings retreatment facility commissioned in 2023 (Wiltails), 2.1 million tonnes per year (13 million pounds per day) free-milling circuit, knelson gravity concentrator, and 1.1 million tonnes per year (6.6 million pounds per day) currently idle Biox facility. Additional mining-related infrastructure includes numerous idle open pit mines, over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of underground development and five declines on care and maintenance, 1.5 million metres (4.9 million feet) of drilling data, tailings storage facilities, 300-person village, gas pipeline and power station, Goldfields Highway connection, and commercial airport services at
565-584: A close business associate and took chairmanship roles of a number of de Bernales' companies including Anglo-Australian Gold Development Co. and Commonwealth Mining and Finance Co. Ltd. Following Bessie's death in 1927, de Bernales married Helen Florence Berry (née Pincknie - the war widow of his first wife's brother, mining engineer James Webster Berry), in Colombo in January 1928, then later on 5 February 1930 at St Phillips, Cottesloe . Using London capital,
678-711: A combination of factors including the depletion of easily accessible gold deposits, harsh weather conditions, and the political instability at the time. The Welsh gold rush occurred in Wales , more so in the Dolgellau area of Gwynedd , during the 19th century. Gold deposits were discovered in Welsh mountains, with reports of gold being found in rivers Mawddach and Tryweryn . By the mid-19th century, commercial mining operations had begun. Wales' gold gained popularity for its quality and rarity, leading to its use in royal jewelry for
791-568: A concerted attack campaign by Lord Beaverbrook 's influential Daily Express continued. De Bernales became a recluse at his home The White House , a house with private beach in Selsey , Sussex, near Chichester. His second wife Helen Florence died there on 27 May 1956. De Bernales died at the Chelsea, London home of one of his daughters, on 9 December 1963, survived by daughters Daphne and Betty, from his first marriage. One of his grandchildren
904-722: A critical source of income and livelihood, providing employment opportunities and economic support in regions with limited alternative options. Artisanal mining operations vary in scale, from individuals panning for gold in rivers and streams, to small groups working collectibely in informal mining camps, often referred to as ' galamsey ' in West Africa . Gold mining can create employment opportunities in mining operations and related sectors. Howevers, these jobs may be temporary. The sector's reliance on fluctuating global gold prices can lead to economic stability for communities dependent on mining. The discovery of significant gold deposits in
1017-414: A form of hibernation. The third rejuvenation of Wiluna started in the early 1980's. Unlike the previous two phases, the town did not profit as much, as fly-in fly-out rosters meant there was no significant population growth. Initially, legacy tailings were re-treated to recover gold using the newly developed CIP processing technology, and from 1987 to 1994 oxide ore was mined from open pits developed over
1130-599: A further delay with the development of the Gidgee mine because of the need of an upgrade of the Gidgee–Wiluna road. Apex anticipated that mining could be delayed another two or three-month, but, as of the end of July 2010, no further mention of the Gidgee mine being reopened has been made. Apex put up its Younami mine for sale in April 2010, abandoning its strategy to source ore from there for the Wiluna mine. The company announced
1243-437: A gravel screening plant and sluice box floating in a temporary pond. The pond is excavated in the gravel bar and filled from the natural water table. "Pay" gravel is excavated from the front face of the pond and processed through the floating plant, with the gold trapped in the onboard sluice box and tailings stacked behind the plant, steadily filling in the back of the pond as the operation moves forward. This type of gold mining
SECTION 10
#17327733774121356-471: A large scale to extract gold from extensive alluvial (loose sediment) deposits, such as those at Las Medulas . Mining was under the control of the state but the mines may have been leased to civilian contractors some time later. The gold served as the primary medium of exchange within the empire, and was an important motive in the Roman conquest of Britain by Claudius in the first century AD; although there
1469-488: A lower grade. Tailings can contain lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic. These toxins can pose health risks for local communities. Arsenic is typically found in gold-containing ores, and gold processing may contaminate groundwater or the atmosphere. This pollution may persist for decades. Furthermore, mining operations use large quantities of water for processing ore and can result in the contamination of water sources with heavy metals, such as mercury and cyanide , used in
1582-436: A new metallurgical process of sulphide flotation followed by roasting of the concentrate before conventional cyanidation and gold recovery. In the early 1980’s, the advent of carbon-in-pulp (CIP) metallurgical processing and modern mining methods meant that large, low-grade oxide and "free-milling" (non-refractory) deposits could be mined economically again, leading to the re-evaluation of historical mining districts throughout
1695-466: A region often sees a flood of resources and development, which lasts as long as the mines are economic. When goldfields begin to decline in production, local economies find themselves destabilised and overly reliant upon an industry that will inevitably abandon the region when gold deposits are sufficiently depleted; leaving the areas without proper rehabilitation. Claude de Bernales Claude Albo de Bernales (31 May 1876 – 9 December 1963)
1808-501: A trading halt on 4 August 2010, in the wake of a loss of $ 20 per 31 grams (1 troy ounce) of gold produced in the June quarter, despite cutting costs and boosting production at the Wiluna mine. Apex, cash strapped and feared to be teetering on the brink of collapse, planned to raise $ 5 million through another capital raising. The company issued 250 million new shares at 2 cents per share and resumed trading on 6 August. After continued loses at
1921-747: A tributary of the Klondike River by George Carmack and his Indigenous companions, Skookum Jim Mason and Tagish Charlie . As prospectors arrived in Klondike, makeshift towns and settlements sprang up along the rivers, including Dawson City , which because the largest town in Yukon at the height of the gold rush. Prospectors employed various mining techniques to extract gold from the Klondike's streams and riverbeds, including placer mining, dredging, and hydraulic mining. The Carlin Trend of Nevada, U.S.,
2034-401: A tube mill. Thickening and filtration then led to a Merrill-Crowe precipitation plant using zinc dust for precipitation of the gold. The cyanide residues were stored in shallow dams and allowed two years to weather before being leached and the gold solution being reintroduced into the main circuit. An arsenic tri-oxide plant was also installed capturing arsenic fumes from the roasters, and was
2147-418: Is a cyanide extraction method, or gold cyanidation, introduced in the late 1800s. This a metallurgical technique used to extract gold from lower grade ores by converting gold into a water-soluble coordination complex. Finely ground rock is treated with a solution of sodium cyanide . The extract is absorbed onto carbon and then removed from the carbon with a solution of caustic soda and cyanide. Gold cyanide
2260-429: Is a method of extracting gold from alluvial deposits such as sand, gravel, and sediment. These are known as placer deposits which are typically found in riverbeds, stream beds, and floodplains. These deposits typically contain minerals that are resistant to weathering and eroision like gold , platinum , diamonds , and more. They are characterized by their relatively high concentration of valuable minerals compared to
2373-415: Is characterized by its low cost, as each rock is moved only once. It also has low environmental impact, as no stripping of vegetation or overburden is necessary, and all process water is fully recycled. Such operations are typical on New Zealand's South Island and in the Klondike region of Canada. Also called a cradle, a rocker box uses riffles located in a high-walled box to trap gold in a similar manner to
SECTION 20
#17327733774122486-616: Is done by small-scale miners using suction dredges. These are small machines that float on the water and are usually operated by one or two people. A suction dredge consists of a sluice box supported by pontoons, attached to a suction hose which is controlled by a miner working beneath the water. This method is particularly popular in areas where gold is found at river bottoms or submerge deposits . Suction dredging can have environmental impacts, moreso on aquatic habitats and water quality. Regulations and best practices are often in place to minimize these impacts. State dredging permits in many of
2599-436: Is essentially a man made channel with riffles set in the bottom. The riffles are designed to create dead zones in the current to allow gold to drop out of suspension. The box is placed in the stream to channel water flow. Gold-bearing material is placed at the top of the box. The material is carried by the current through the volt where gold and other dense material settles out behind the riffles. Less dense material flows out of
2712-868: Is estimated that the total gold production in Karnataka to date is 1000 tons. The mining of the Hungarian deposit (present-day Slovakia) primarily around Kremnica was the largest of the Medieval period in Europe. In South America, gold mining in the Andes dates back to thousands of years, with the Inca empire employing extensive gold mining operations in regions such as present-day Peru and Ecuador . They used stone tools and simple mining techniques to extract gold from rivers, streams, and surface deposits. During
2825-698: Is only one known Roman gold mine at Dolaucothi in west Wales. Gold was a prime motivation for the campaign in Dacia when the Romans invaded Transylvania in what is now modern Romania in the second century AD. The legions were led by the emperor Trajan, and their exploits are shown on Trajan's Column in Rome and the several reproductions of the column elsewhere (such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London ). Under
2938-966: Is produced by major corporations, there are an estimated 10 to 15 million small-scale artisanal gold miners worldwide. Around 4.5 million of them are women, and an estimated 600,000 children work in illegal artisanal gold mines. Artisanal miners use rudimentary methods to extract and process gold. Many of these people are mining to escape extreme poverty , unemployment and landlessness . In Ghana, galamsey miners are estimated to number 20,000 to 50,000. In neighboring francophone countries, such workers are called orpailleurs . In Brazil, Venezuela, Suriname, and French Guiana, workers are called garimpeiros . These workers are not required to claim responsibility for their social and environmental impacts. Miners risk government persecution, mine shaft collapses, and toxic poisoning from unsafe chemicals used in processing, such as mercury. For example, in Ghana during 2009,
3051-633: Is then converted to relatively pure gold through gold parting . There are many environmental hazards associated with this extraction method, largely due to the high toxicity of the cyanide compounds. Furthermore, there are potentials for accidental spills or leaks to cause harm to aquatic ecosystems and human health. For example, in 2000, the Baia Mare cyanide spill in northern Romania released approximately 100,000 cubic metres (3,500,000 cu ft) of waste water contaminated with heavy metal sludge and up to 120 long tons (122 t) of cyanide into
3164-532: Is unknown, but some of the oldest known gold artifacts were found in the Varna Necropolis in Bulgaria . The graves of the necropolis were built between 4700 and 4200 BC, indicating that gold mining could be at least 6,724 years old. During a series of excavations carried out between 1878 and 1992, several graves were found with more than 6kg of gold. A group of German and Georgian archaeologists claims
3277-463: The Board of Trade was made during 1939 and 1940. This uncovered income tax liabilities from share dealings on profits of £1,382,000. These were however, never brought to trial as the case arguments dragged on for ten years. Between 1945 and 1948, the official receiver undertook further investigations but partly due to his failing health the claims were finally settled for just £125,000. In the meantime,
3390-635: The British royal family . During the 19th century, numerous gold rushes in remote regions around the globe caused large migrations of miners, such as the California Gold Rush of 1849. This is one of the most famous gold rushes in history. The discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in California sparked a massive migration of people from around the world to California in search of gold. The rush significantly accelerated westward expansion in
3503-722: The Bronze Age , sites in the Eastern Desert became a great source of gold-mining for nomadic Nubians, who used "two-hand-mallets" and "grinding ore extraction ." By the Old Kingdom , the oval mallet was introduced for mining. By the Middle Kingdom , stone mortars to process ores and a new gold-washing technique were introduced. During the New Kingdom , Nubian mining expanded under Egyptian occupation with
Wiluna Gold Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-578: The Dompoase mine collapse killed 18 workers. It was the worst mining disaster in Ghanaian history. Children in these mines suffer extremely harsh working conditions and various hazards such as collapsing tunnels, explosions, and chemical exposure. Children may be especially vulnerable to these hazards and many suffer from serious respiratory conditions, hearing, and vision problems. Gold mining by large multi-national corporations produces about 80% of
3729-690: The Kolar gold fields was mined to a depth of 50 metres (160 ft) during the Gupta period in the fifth century AD. During the Chola period in the 9th and 10th century AD, the scale of the operation grew. The metal continued to be mined by the eleventh century kings of South India, the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1560, and later by Tipu Sultan , the king of Mysore state and the British. It
3842-462: The Sakdrisi site in southern Georgia , dating to the 3rd or 4th millennium BC, may be the world's oldest known gold mine. Gold has been prized by humans since prehistoric times. Archaeological evidence suggests that humans were mining gold as far back as 4000 BCE, with some the earliest known gold artifacts dating back to ancient Mesopotamia . Particularly in the region of present-day Iraq, gold
3955-517: The Tisza River. Historically, mercury was used extensively in placer gold mining in order to form mercury-gold amalgam with smaller gold particles, and thereby increase the gold recovery rates. First, the gold ore is crushed and ground to a fine powder to expose the gold particles for amalgamation. Then, this finely ground ore is mixed with liquid mercury to amalgamate it. Mercury forms an amalgam, an alloy, with gold particles to allow for
4068-554: The native title of the Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal people. As of 23 August 2023, total gold resources were over 190 tonnes (6.2 million troy ounces): As of 1 November 2023, total gold reserves were over 25 tonnes (800 thousand troy ounces): Following recent upgrades, the Wiluna processing plant can treat all styles of mineralisation, including refractory and non-refractory (free-milling) gold deposits. Processing infrastructure includes
4181-433: The redevelopment of Wiluna, with comminution and flotation facilities, knelson gravity concentrator, tailings retreatment facility, new tailings storage, camp and power upgrades, mine dewatering, 178,000 metres (584,000 ft) of drilling, 10,000 metres (33,000 ft) of underground development, and technical studies. In December 2021, a new 750-thousand-tonne-per-year (4.5-million-pound-per-day) sulphide flotation plant
4294-455: The sulphide ore and liberate the gold for subsequent cyanidation . The advantage of the Biox process is its environmental friendliness, whereas disadvantages include the challenges of maintaining steady conditions for bacteria survival. In the period 1993 to 2013, total gold recovery through the Biox operation was approximately 83%, resulting in a large amount of gold reporting to tailings over
4407-597: The 'Gold Bounty Acts', but by the time it became law in 1930 and 1931, the exchange rate had collapsed and price of gold had risen to well above the rate of the bounty paid. Following the depression, in 1933 the state government granted temporary reserves over prospective gold areas in the eastern and northern goldfields to encourage new investment in gold development, primarily to Western Mining Corporation and to companies associated with de Bernales. De Bernales moved to London in 1932, forming several investment companies which he promoted to seek new capital for mining leases on
4520-584: The 'Golden Mile', the Great Boulder Proprietary Gold Mine. He also developed new mines at Mount Palmer which returned £200,000 to investors in the first 2 years and to the north at Marble Bar . In 1935-36 he returned to Western Australia with ex-governor Campion , being feted by local politicians acknowledging his ambassadorial role for the state. At that time he acquired properties in Melbourne and Perth and commissioned
4633-427: The 30 year period. The tailings dams contain a large indicated mineral resource of 33.2 million tonnes (73 billion pounds) at 0.57 grams per tonne (0.017 ozt/short ton) for 19.0 tonnes (611 thousand troy ounces), including a probable ore reserve of 22.9 million tonnes (50 billion pounds) at 0.56 grams per tonne (0.016 ozt/short ton) for 12.8 tonnes (411 thousand troy ounces), and are
Wiluna Gold Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-574: The Amazon rainforest, Indigenous peoples have been killed and had their rightfully owned land stolen from them. As a consequence of this, some have left the rainforest to move to cities which further puts them at risk to disease, homelessness, and poverty. Artisanal gold mining is widespread across Africa , occurring in numerous countries including Ghana , Mali , Burkina Faso , Tanzania , Zimbabwe , and many others. For many individuals and communities in rural Africa, artisanal gold mining represents
4859-678: The East Midlands of England , and later at Neuenheim College (now called Heidelberg College) in Heidelberg in the Rhineland , Germany . In 1897 de Bernales emigrated to the Western Australian goldfields, drawn like many other European immigrants to the lure of the gold rush of the region. His first job was running Western Machinery Company, Limited, which supplied and financed various mining machinery purchases for
4972-918: The Eastern Roman Empire Emperor Justinian's rule, gold was mined in the Balkans, Anatolia, Armenia, Egypt, and Nubia. In the area of the Kolar Gold Fields in Bangarpet Taluk , Kolar district of Karnataka state, India; gold was first mined prior to the 2nd and 3rd century AD by digging small pits. Golden objects found in Harappa and Mohenjo-daro have been traced to Kolar through the analysis of impurities – the impurities include 11% silver concentration, found only in KGF ore. The Champion reef at
5085-469: The Highlands during the 16th and 17th century. Gold deposits were discovered in rivers and streams, leading to a surge in prospecting and mining activity. The Scottish Crown took an interest in gold discoveries, in hopes of aiding the kingdom's economy and revenue. King James IV of Scotland established a royal mint to produce gold coins from Scottish gold. The Scottish gold rush eventually waned due to
5198-603: The June 2009 quarter achieved a profit of $ 9,995,000, the company suffered an overall loss of $ 113,762,000 for the 2008–09 tax year. In a low-key announcement on 31 July 2009, Apex declared that Glenn Jardine, director of operations, had resigned from his position without stating any reasons for his departure. On 22 September 2009, Apex declared a trading halt to its shares and the possibility that it may go into voluntary suspension of trading to receive enough time to complete another capital raising. After having deviated from its original three-mine strategy and only processed ore from
5311-954: The Middle Ages, Europe experience several gold rushes. Most notably in regions like Transylvania, Scotland, and Wales. These rushes were often small-scale and localised compared to later rushes in history. The Transylvania gold rush took place in the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Romania ), primarily in the region of Transylvania during the medieval period. Transylvania was known for its rich mineral resources including gold, silver, and other metals. Miners in Transylvania used both surface and underground mining techniques to extract gold from alluvial deposits and veins. These methods include panning, sluicing, and rudimentary shaft mining. The Scottish gold rush occurred in Scotland, primarily in
5424-543: The Northampton lead mine (several hundred kilometres away near Geraldton in Western Australia). The sintering plant was superseded by a smelter that was eventually able to process almost every ore type at Wiluna. The smelter produced a gold bearing lead bullion assaying 11 per cent antimony, one per cent arsenic and 0.5 per cent copper that presented unusual refining problems. A process was developed by
5537-600: The United States and had profound effects on the region's economy and society. The gold rushes began in 1851 when Edward Hargraves , a prospector, discovered gold near Bathhurst , New South Wales . The most well known gold rush in Australia was the Victorian Gold Rush . Thousands of people, known as 'diggers', came from around the world to Australia in search of gold, which ultimately contributed to
5650-484: The United States gold dredging areas specify a seasonal time period and area closures to avoid conflicts between dredgers and the spawning time of fish populations. Some US states, such as Montana, require an extensive permitting procedure, including permits. Some large suction dredges [100 horsepower (75 kW) & 250 mm (10 in)] are used in commercial production throughout the world. Small suction dredges are much more efficient at extracting smaller gold than
5763-406: The Western Australian goldfields. At Wiluna, CIP processing ushered in the economic re-treatment and environmental rehabilitation of legacy mine tailings, and the large-scale development of open pit mines on the amenable oxidised portions of the gold deposits. In 1993, a Bacterial oxidation (Biox) processing plant was installed allowing the recovery of gold from deeper refractory sulphide ore that
SECTION 50
#17327733774125876-576: The Wiluna Gold Corporation to undertake a drilling program and revive the Wiluna mine. De Bernales went to London in 1926 and raised £1 million to work the Wiluna mines. A later issue of promissory notes for £300,000 was backed by the Western Australian State Government. The state government also built a railway line from Meekatharra for transport of supplies including fuel oil for power generation. When
5989-621: The Wiluna Gold Mines company which he owned jointly with several overseas companies including Consolidated Gold Fields of South Africa. In 1926 he went to London and raised £1 million to develop the Wiluna leases. A later issue of promissory notes for £300,000 was backed by the State government, after de Bernales fostered a close alliance with the Governor of Western Australia , Colonel Sir William Campion . Campion would later become
6102-404: The Wiluna airport. Historically, the Wiluna area was extensively mined from the discovery of gold in 1896 until the end of World War II . One of the few historical buildings remaining from the earlier days of mining is the old Mine Managers Lodge, now in ruins. There is some old equipment on display at the visitors' car park, notably an old crusher and an old mill. Just before entering Wiluna from
6215-492: The Wiluna mines were expanded and by 1934, 10,000 people had settled there and gold worth £3 million had been extracted. The Wiluna mine ultimately earned £12 million and provided an impetus for other mines in the region. With the onset of the Great Depression , de Bernales campaigned for government support of the gold mining industry, arguing that investment would enable the industry to continue to operate throughout
6328-672: The Wiluna operations, leaving the Gidgee and Youanmi operations in care and maintenance, the company now decided to return to multiple feed for its Wiluna processing facility, the one feed strategy having failed. To achieve this, it raised enough money to cover its debt and regain $ 50 million in working capital. With its current debt level estimated to be around $ 60 million, the company had to raise another $ 110 million, bringing its investment into its gold mining operations to around $ 300 million. Ultimately, Apex failed during its ownership of Wiluna to deliver sufficient tonnes at sufficient grade from
6441-461: The best gold grades where they intersect favourable host rocks and rock unit boundaries. The larger high-grade shoots have been given individual names, such as the East Lode , West Lode , Moonlight, Essex , Happy Jack and Bulletin deposits. Minor high-grade, free-milling mineralisation is hosted within quartz reef deposits such as Golden Age and can be treated conventionally. However, most of
6554-580: The box as tailings . Larger commercial placer mining operations employ screening plants, or trommels , to remove the larger alluvial materials such as boulders and gravel, before concentrating the remainder in a sluice box or jig plant. After the gold is sorted through trommels, it is then placed through regular sluice boxes for further sorting. These operations typically include diesel powered, earth moving equipment including excavators, bulldozers, wheel loaders , and rock trucks. Although this method has largely been replaced by modern methods, some dredging
6667-443: The company announced that it had reached full production, averaging 9.0 kilograms (290 troy ounces) of gold per day for February. Apex announced yet another capital raising on 18 May 2009, receiving $ 28 million through a share placement and increasing the money invested in the Wiluna project to $ 168 million. Apex stated lower than expected production in their underground operations as their reason for this further capital raising. For
6780-574: The company consisting of five stages: The smelting process obtained about five per cent higher recovery than the roasting and cyanidation process. In 1935 Wiluna became the second largest gold mine in Australia, behind only the Lake View and Star mine at Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and production peaked at 4.4 tonnes (141 thousand troy ounces) of gold in 1938. With the outbreak of the Second World War , Wiluna started to decline once more as
6893-466: The depression as unemployment rose to 25%. He devised a gold bonus campaign, where the Federal government would pay a 'bounty' of £1 an ounce on gold produced in excess of the 1928-30 average. Not surprisingly, the idea had widespread support from his fellow entrepreneurs and state government politicians. De Bernales led several delegations to the eastern states to lobby for the scheme which was known as
SECTION 60
#17327733774127006-440: The district and shallow oxidised deposits in the East and West Lodes , with gold ore treated conventionally by crushing in stamp batteries, amalgamation and cyanidation of tailings. Mining ceased about 1910 following depletion of the oxide resources, and difficulty in recovery of the refractory sulphide gold mineralisation at depth, despite trials with roasting. In the 1920's, the resource was recognised as large and low grade (by
7119-432: The efficient capture of gold from the ore. The gold is concentrated by boiling away the mercury from the amalgam . This process is called retorting. This is effective in extracting very small gold particles, but the process is hazardous due to the toxicity of mercury vapour. Large-scale use of mercury stopped in the 1960s. However, mercury is still used in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). While most gold
7232-485: The end of 2008. The company announced a loss in excess of $ 60 million for the financial year up to 30 June 2008. Despite the loss, it paid out a bonus of $ 100,000 to each of its three executive directors, increasing their combined wage, including options, from $ 1,086,861 (2006–07) to $ 2,715,923 (2007–08). The company raised a further $ 58.5 million in September 2008 to be able to continue its projects. Of this, $ 30 million
7345-762: The extraction process. This pollution can have detrimental effects on aquatic ecosystems and human health. Soil degradation has also been found to be impacted by gold mining. Mining activities can disturb soil structure, leading to erosion, sedimentation of waterways, and loss of fertile land for agriculture or vegetation regrowth. More evidently, dust and emissions from mining machiner and processing facilities can contribute to air pollution, impacting air quality and potentially causings respiratory problems for nearby communities. Large-scale gold mining projects may require land acquisition and resettlement of local communities, leading to displacement, loss of livelihoods, and disruption of traditional ways of life. In addition to
7458-404: The flotation stage was initially around 80% as salty mine water was initially used in the grinding and flotation sections. A change to fresh water in 1936 increased the gold recovery in the flotation stage to 85-89%. Flotation concentrate was then dewatered in thickeners and filters, and passed into Edwards roasters and the calcine pulped with fresh water, lime and cyanide solution before grinding in
7571-428: The following year. Delays in the commissioning of the mills were announced on 9 December 2008, making a start of full production in 2008 impossible; however full throughput was achieved. The difference between full production and full throughput is the large residence time required by the Biox process. Apex announced its first gold pour on 22 December 2008. To compensate for these delays, Apex announced on 27 January 2009
7684-580: The free-milling Williamson deposit 17 kilometres (11 mi) to the south of Wiluna. In 2007 Agincourt was acquired by Oxiana in a friendly takeover bid; however, Oxiana's main objective was understood to be Agincourt's Martabe gold project in Indonesia . At the time of sale, Agincourt had mined out the known deposits leaving only 9.3 tonnes (300 thousand troy ounces) of gold in reserves. Oxiana on-sold Wiluna in July 2007 to Apex Minerals. Having purchased
7797-694: The gold supply. Most gold is mined in developing nations. Large mining companies play a key role in globalisation of the economy by linking rich and poor companies. Newmont and Barrick Gold are the largest gold mining companies in the world, but there are many smaller corporations in the industry. Local communities are frequently vulnerable to environmental degradation caused by large mining companies and may lack government protection or industry regulation. For example, thousands of people around Lega Dembi mine are exposed to mercury, arsenic, and other toxins resulting in widespread health problems and birth defects. Vulnerable communities may also lose their land to
7910-567: The growth of cities like Melbourne and Sydney . The discovery of gold in the Witwatersrand led to the Second Boer War and ultimately the founding of South Africa. This transformed the region into one of the wealthiest gold-producing areas in the world. This rush played a crucial role in the development of South Africa's economy and lead to the establishment of Johannesburg, known as the 'city of gold'. Gold-bearing reefs in
8023-765: The heat is unbearable for humans, and air conditioning is required for the safety of the workers. The first such mine to receive air conditioning was Robinson Deep , at that time the deepest mine in the world for any mineral. Gold is also produced by mining in which it is not the principal product. Large copper mines, such as the Bingham Canyon mine in Utah, often recover considerable amounts of gold and other metals along with copper. Sand and gravel pits, like those in Denver (Colorado), may recover small amounts of gold in their wash operations. The largest producing gold mine in
8136-537: The historical underground deposits of East Lode, West Lode, Happy Jack, Bulletin, Squib, Essex and North Lode. In 1993, Wiluna Mines discovered thick high-grade mineralisation in a sulphide lode below the Bulletin pit, and from 1994 onwards open pit and underground operations commenced on sulphide ore. Wiluna Mines installed a Biox processing plant, which is a pretreatment process for refractory gold ores or concentrates, using naturally occurring bacteria to break down
8249-667: The house in Brixton, London, where he was born. In 1938 he redeveloped it into an ostentatious Inter-war Spanish Mission style mansion. The house and its grounds are now the Cottesloe Civic Centre . In 1912 he became a director of foundry operators Hoskins & Co, Ltd in Perth. During this time, he developed his forté as a mining promoter while acquiring leases through defaults by some of his clients at Kalgoorlie and Wiluna . These leases were eventually used to form
8362-464: The hundreds of large and small gold mining companies in the region. On 19 May 1903 de Bernales married Bessie Picken Berry at Kalgoorlie . His business contacts continued to expand and in 1909 became managing director of a major mining plant supplier, Kalgoorlie Foundry, Ltd. In 1911, he purchased The Laurels , a Federation Queen Anne style house in Cottesloe , renaming it Overton Lodge after
8475-595: The invention of the grinding mill . Additionally, gold was associated with the sun god Ra and was believed to be eternal and indestructible, symbolising the pharoah's divine power and afterlife. Gold has also been found in the tombs of Tutankhamun and other pharoahs. During the Bronze Age, gold objects were also plentiful; especially in Ireland and Spain. Romans employed slave labour and used hydraulic mining methods, such as hushing and ground sluicing on
8588-466: The largest producer of arsenic in the southern hemisphere. Gold ore at the Moonlight deposit contained the antimony ore mineral, stibnite, which was notoriously difficult to roast and cyanide, and a pilot plant was built to investigate the smelting of Moonlight concentrates by sintering, blast furnace smelting with lead and lead concentrates, and refining to obtain the gold. Crushed Moonlight mine ore
8701-597: The latter part of his life however, financial difficulties and ill-health saw him live as a recluse in Selsey , Sussex, United Kingdom. De Bernales was born in Brixton , London, the son of a Syracuse, New York-born Basque, Manuel Edgar Albo de Bernales, and his American wife Emma Jane, née Belden. He was educated at a variety of schools in the US, Britain and Europe, including one year (1891) at Uppingham School in Rutland in
8814-461: The lowest ever recorded for tropical forests, with there being little to no tree regeneration at abandoned mining camps, even after several years. The Amazon rainforest is at risk for 'savannization', which is the gradual transformation of a tropical rainforest into a savannah. This would ultimately lead to a collapse of biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate. Gold mining produces more waste than mining of other minerals, because it can be mined at
8927-405: The men had to join the services, and declining grades at depth reduced profitability. The Commonwealth Government declared the Wiluna gold mine a protected industry due to the arsenic production used to enhance military shell fragmentation, and a Commonwealth Government subsidy was received in 1944–45. The mine lasted for some more years until 1947, when all machinery was sold off and Wiluna went into
9040-425: The mine grew to be one of the largest gold producers in Australia, and also produced significant by-product arsenic and antimony . The mine's fortunes rose and ebbed over the decades as gold market conditions fluctuated and advances in mining and processing technologies allowed the vast gold deposits at depth to be treated economically. In the early years, mining focussed on easily won gold from quartz reefs in
9153-400: The mine in July 2007 for $ 29.5 million, Apex immediately placed the mine on care and maintenance in order to advance studies on a three-mine strategy to feed the Biox plant from Wiluna and its two other refractory projects located within trucking distance at Gidgee and Youanmi. On 19 March 2008, Apex announced the raising of $ 62 million to fund the company's program to resume gold production by
9266-473: The mine reopened in 1931 it attracted a substantial workforce and stimulated community growth and within four years produced gold worth £3 million. By 1939, the town had grown to a population of 9,000 thanks to the employment the mine provided. WGC employed an innovative metallurgical processing route where refractory gold ore was treated using sulphide flotation followed by roasting of the concentrate, conventional cyanidation and gold recovery. Gold recovery at
9379-663: The mine. Some large companies have attempted to build local legitimacy through corporate responsibility initiatives and local development. Gold mining can significantly alter the natural environment. Gold mining activities in tropical forests are increasingly causing deforestation along rivers and in remote areas rich in biodiversity. Mining has increased rainforest loss up to 70km beyond lease boundaries, causing nearly 11,670 km of deforestation between 2005 to 2015. Up to 9% of gold mining occurs outside of these regulated lease boundaries. Other gold mining impacts, particularly in aquatic systems with residual cyanide or mercury (used in
9492-744: The neighbouring Free State province were found shortly thereafter, driving significant development in the region with the establishment of the Free State goldfields . Also known as the Yukon Gold Rush , brought prospectors from around the world to the Klondike region of the Yukon territory in Canada . The Klondike Gold Rush began in 1896, when gold was discovered in Bonanza Creek ,
9605-411: The new land reservations. Capital of £1,261,000 was raised, though much of the land was unproven. In 1933–35, yet more companies and another £6,110,000 was pumped into his leases. By now, de Bernales' fundraising represented a major proportion of overseas capital inflows for Australian mining and the Western Australian economy as a whole. In 1936, he won control of one of the oldest and richest mines of
9718-413: The old bucket line . This has improved the chances of finding gold. Smaller dredges with 50-to-100-millimetre (2 to 4 in) suction tubes are used to sample areas behind boulders and along potential pay streaks, until "colour" (gold) appears. Other larger scale dredging operations take place on exposed river gravel bars at seasonal low water. These operations typically use a land based excavator to feed
9831-457: The operation, the mine achieved a profitable quarter in late 2010, being able to reduce operating cost to below $ 900 per ounce for the first time. It also increased cash reserves from $ 180,000 to over one million. Gold mine Gold mining is the extraction of gold by mining . Historically, mining gold from alluvial deposits used manual separation processes, such as gold panning . The expansion of gold mining to ores that are not on
9944-401: The option to claim certain amounts of the costs involved in the upgrade from the previous owner, formerly Oxiana, now OZ Minerals . In May 2010, Apex reached a settlement with OZ Minerals, receiving $ 3 million in compensation. In its quarterly activities report for the three-month up to end of December 2008, the company declared gold production of 12.0 kilograms (385 troy ounces). In March 2009
10057-542: The ownership of some small and larger mining companies such as Wiluna Mines, Great Central Mines , Normandy Mining and Newmont , and again from 2008 to 2013 under the ownership of Apex Minerals. From 2016 to 2022, free-milling deposits in the region were mined and processed through the CIP plant under the ownership of Blackham Resources (renamed to Wiluna Mining Corporation in 2020). In the 18 months to 31 December 2021, Wiluna Mining Corporation invested A$ 188 million in
10170-688: The possible respiratory problems that could be acquired, individuals may be exposed to hazardous chemicals used in gold extraction such as mercury and cyanide. These chemicals pose risks to gold miners, communities, and wildlife; resulting in further medical problems involving neurological disorders and waterborne diseases . Gold mining in some regions has been associated with conflicts over land rights, labour rights violations, and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including Indigenous peoples and artisanal miners. Mining activities can damage or destroy cultural heritage sites, artifacts, and sacred areas; further impacting cultural identities and heritages. In
10283-492: The raising of a further $ 20 million to cover the shortfall in revenue, bringing the overall figure of investment in Wiluna and related projects to $ 140 million. This was achieved by issuing a further 72.5 million shares. It further declared that production had reached 0.22 tonnes (7,000 troy ounces) per month and would ramp up to the expected 3.7 tonnes (120 thousand troy ounces) per year in February 2009. Apex also considered
10396-407: The recovery of gold from ore), can be highly toxic to people and wildlife even at relatively low concentrations. Illegal gold mining exacerbates the ecological vulnerability of the remaining forest ultimately leading to permanent forest loss. Gold mining clears native forests for mineral extraction, but also indirectly facilitates access to more land and further clearing. Rainforest recovery rates are
10509-425: The second quarter of 2009, the company declared it had reached its production target of 0.93 tonnes (30 thousand troy ounces) of gold per month. Its cash costs however were at $ 952, almost $ 400 above the company's target of $ 560. Apex projected that it could cut production costs per ounce by $ 40 for every additional 31 kilograms (1,000 troy ounces) produced each month. While the mining operations in Wiluna itself in
10622-409: The shear-hosted gold occurs within pyrite and arsenopyrite crystals, requiring a stage of oxidation such as roasting, bacterial oxidation or pressure oxidation to liberate the gold. Gold was discovered at Wiluna on Saint Patrick’s Day in 1896 by prospectors George Woodley, James Wotton and Jimmy Lennon. Three main phases of gold production followed over a period of more than 125 years, in which
10735-549: The sluice box. A rocker box uses less water than a sluice box and is well suited for areas where water is limited. A rocking motion provides the water movement needed for the gravity separation of gold in placer material. Rocker boxes gained popularity during the California Gold Rush in the 19th century and remain in use today. Although simple and inexpensive, it is not efficient as the previously discussed mining techniques . The dominant method for refining gold
10848-582: The south, a wooden building on the right-hand side of the highway is the old railway station's shed. The railway dam can still be seen but the tracks which once went all the way to Meekatharra have been removed. The Wiluna gold deposits are categorised as orogenic gold deposits, with broad similarities to many other gold deposits in Western Australia. The deposits are hosted within the Archaean Wiluna Greenstone Belt,
10961-410: The standards of the time) and refractory at depth, requiring a different treatment method and a high production rate. The colourful Western Australian goldfields and London personality Claude de Bernales floated the Wiluna Gold Corporation (WGC) to develop the major East and West Lodes, construct a treatment plant and other services. In the 1930’s, a large mining operation was underway utilising
11074-477: The subject of the current tailings re-treatment operations. The mine operated successfully through the 1990's, and production peaked in 1998 at 4.3 tonnes (137 thousand troy ounces) at close to 8 grams per tonne (0.23 ozt/short ton) head grade. On 21 August 1997, Great Central Mines made a takeover offer for Wiluna Mines. Great Central Mines acquired the necessary 90% acceptance and moved to compulsory acquisition on 5 January 1998. In June 2000, Wiluna
11187-630: The surface has led to more complex extraction processes such as pit mining and gold cyanidation . In the 20th and 21st centuries, most volume of mining was done by large corporations. However, the value of gold has led to millions of small, artisanal miners in many parts of the Global South . Like all mining, human rights and environmental issues are common in the gold mining industry, and can result in environmental conflict . In mines with less regulation, health and safety risks are much higher. The exact date that humans first began to mine gold
11300-467: The surrounding rock or sediments. Unlike hard-rock mining, which involves excavating solid rock formations, water or dredging is used to extract the gold. Using a sluice box to extract gold from placer deposits has long been a very common practice in prospecting and small-scale mining. Sluices work on the principle that heavier particles will sink to the bottom of a stream, while those that are lighter will be carried downstream and expelled. A sluice box
11413-453: The underground mine, and production peaked at less than 2.2 tonnes (70 thousand troy ounces) in the financial year ending 30 June 2010. Apex returned to its previously abandoned strategy of sourcing ore from Gidgee as well as Wiluna for its processing facility. It planned to commence mining at Gidgee once more in March 2010 and transport ore to Wiluna. In late December 2009, Apex announced
11526-588: The well-known London Court shopping arcade in the Perth CBD. De Bernales returned to London, but from 1939 his empire started to encounter difficulties. The Great Boulder mine went into liquidation and its shareholders sought recovery of their losses, accusing de Bernales of mismanagement. The London Stock Exchange suspended trading in several of his companies in July 1939 which sent them also into liquidation. An extensive investigation into de Bernales' Commonwealth Group of companies by Sir William McClintock for
11639-601: The world's gold. Sometimes open-pit mining is used, such as at the Fort Knox Mine in central Alaska. Barrick Gold Corporation has one of the largest open-pit gold mines in North America located on its Goldstrike mine property in north eastern Nevada. Other gold mines use underground mining, where the ore is extracted through tunnels or shafts. South Africa has the world's deepest hard rock gold mine up to 3,900 metres (12,800 ft) underground. At such depths,
11752-720: The world, the Grasberg mine in Papua, Indonesia, is primarily a copper mine. Gold panning , or simply panning , is a form of placer mining and traditional mining that extracts gold from a placer deposit using a pan. The process is one of the simplest ways to extract gold, and is popular with geology enthusiasts especially because of its low cost and relative simplicity. The first recorded instances of placer mining are from ancient Rome , where gold and other precious metals were extracted from streams and mountainsides using sluices and panning ( ruina montium ). Placer mining
11865-663: Was China with 368.3 tonnes of gold mined in that year. The second-largest producer of gold was Russia where 331.1 tonnes was mined in the same year, followed by Australia with 327.8 tonnes. In 2023, the annual gold demand of 4,448 tonnes was 5% below that of 2022. The total gold demand in 2023 was the highest at 4,899 tonnes. Despite its decreasing content in ores, gold production is increasing. This increase can be achieved through ever larger-scale industrial installations as well as innovations, especially in hydrometallurgy . Hard rock mining extracts gold encased in rock, rather than fragments in loose sediment, and produces most of
11978-597: Was a Western Australian mining entrepreneur whose business activities and marketing did much to stimulate investment in Western Australia during the early years of the twentieth century. During the 1930s gold production in the State increased from £1,600,000 to £11,800,000 and employment in the industry quadrupled due in considerable part to de Bernales' marketing of the goldfields to overseas investors. De Bernales accumulated immense wealth through complex and elaborate schemes by which he acquired many mining companies and attracted overseas investment and personal support. In
12091-655: Was acquired in a package with the Bronzewing Gold Mine and the Jundee Gold Mine when Great Central Mines was taken over by Normandy Mining . Normandy, in turn, was taken over by the Newmont Mining Corporation in February 2002. In 2003, Agincourt Resources purchased Wiluna and conducted extensive resource development drilling which led to the successful development of multiple new high-grade mining fronts. Agincourt also mined
12204-540: Was commissioned that allowed for the treatment of sulphide ore from underground and the sale of gold concentrates to offtake customers in Russia and elsewhere internationally, including Polymetal International , a world leader in refractory ore processing utilising modern Pressure oxidation (POX) techniques. In 1896, gold was discovered in the region, which was then known as Lake Way , by three prospectors, George Woodley, James Wotton and Jimmy Lennon. On 29 December 1897,
12317-514: Was discovered in 1961. Official estimates indicate that total world gold production since the beginning of civilization has been around 6,352,216,000 troy ounces (197,576.0 t) and total gold production in Nevada is 1.1% of that, ranking Nevada as one of the Earth's primary gold-producing regions. World gold production was 3,612 tonnes in 2022. As of 2020 , the world's largest gold producer
12430-524: Was earmarked for exploration activities while the remainder was to go towards protecting the company from the exposure to the Australian dollar gold price and the start up of its operations, which were scheduled for Wiluna for October 2008, for Gidgee in February 2009 and for Youanmi in the second half of 2009. Production for the 2009 calendar year was scheduled at 4.7 tonnes (150 thousand troy ounces), rising to 6.2 tonnes (200 thousand troy ounces)
12543-476: Was mined by open pits and underground mining methods. The Biox process is a pretreatment process for refractory gold ores or concentrates, using naturally occurring bacteria to break down the sulphide ore and liberate the gold for subsequent cyanidation. Wiluna's Biox plant was only the second of its kind to be installed in Australia, following commercialisation of the technology a few years earlier in 1988. The Biox operation ran continuously from 1984 to 2007 under
12656-626: Was mined extensively. The ancient Sumerians , around 2500 BCE, developed sophisticated techniques for extracting gold from alluvial deposits and underground mines. These techniques included the use of sluice boxes. Evidence suggests that Nubia had sporadic access to gold nuggets during the Neolithic and Prehistoric Period . Gold mining in Egypt involved both surface mining such as panning for gold in riverbeads and underground mining, where tunnels were dug to extract gold-bearing quartz veins. During
12769-561: Was railed a short distance to the Wiluna treatment plant and processed in the parallel grinding and flotation circuit producing a sulphide concentrate for further processing, and a separate antimony concentrate for sale. A Dwight-Lloyd sintering machine, blast furnace and refinery were installed and commenced operation in October 1936. The smelter treated Wiluna and Moonlight arsenical concentrates, and cyanide residues combined with pig lead and sintered lead concentrates using ore brought in from
#411588