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Tropicana Gold Mine

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Coordinates: 29°14′26″S 124°32′19″E / 29.24056°S 124.53861°E / -29.24056; 124.53861
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Tropicana
Location
Tropicana Gold Mine is located in Western Australia
Tropicana Gold Mine
Tropicana Gold Mine
Location in Western Australia
LocationGreat Victoria Desert
StateWestern Australia
CountryAustralia
Coordinates29°14′26″S 124°32′19″E / 29.24056°S 124.53861°E / -29.24056; 124.53861
Production
ProductsGold
Production310,000 troy ounces<[1]
Financial year2023
History
Opened2013
Owner
CompanyAngloGold Ashanti (70%)
Regis Resources (30%)
Websitewww.anglogoldashanti.com
regisresources.com.au
Year of acquisition2001
Map

The Tropicana Gold Mine is located 330 km northeast of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.[2] Since 2002, it has been jointly owned by AngloGold Ashanti (70% – manager) and Regis Resources (30%).[3]

The Tropicana tenements cover 12,500 km2 of crown land.[4] It is located at the junction of the Yilgarn Craton and the Fraser Range Mobile Belt.[5]

History

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The Tropicana deposit was discovered in 2005. The nearby Havana deposit was discovered in 2006. Mining commenced in July 2012 and first ore was sent to the crushing circuit in July 2013. The first gold was poured on 26 September 2013.[3][6]

The area was seen as a new major Australian gold province, previously unexplored due to its remoteness,[5][7] and dubbed the "Tropicana Gold Belt".[8]

In May 2021, Regis Resources purchased Independence Group's 30 percent stake in the ownership of the mine for A$903 million.[9]

Project

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A pre-feasibility study carried out by AngloGold Ashanti in 2007–08 showed the mine capital cost would be A$500 million to $540m and could produce up to 430,000 ounces of gold a year.[2]

The projects location at the western edge of the remote Great Victoria Desert constitutes one of the biggest barriers for the project, with 220 km of road having to be built to be able to access the future mine[2] and a 40 MW power station being required to supply it with electricity.[10]

The project was estimated to have an initial mine life of 10 years, later extended to 15 years,[10] with an annual production of around 330,000 to 400,000 ounces (9000–11,000 kg) of gold and an overall production of 3.6 million ounces (102,000 kg).[2]

The decision for the mine to go ahead made in December 2010, with mining scheduled to begin in 2013.[2] AngloGold Ashanti sold its 33% stake in the Boddington Gold Mine in early 2009 to Newmont, a move seen by analysts as the "logical thing" in order to allow the expenditure on the Tropicana development.[11]

The open pit at the mine was designed to be up to 6 km long, 1.5 km wide and up to 400 m deep.[10]

Environmental impact

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The mine site was planned to involve the clearing of 3,440ha of vegetation and likely to emit up to 330,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.[10] To reduce emissions and cost from its 54 MW diesel generators, a hybrid energy system with 24 MW of solar power and a 13 MW battery operated in 2024,[12] and 24 MW of wind power (four 6MW-units) started construction.[13] It occasionally operates without the diesel generators.[14]

Production

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Annual production figures for the mine were:[15][16][17][18][1]

Year Production Grade Cost per ounce (AISC*)
2013 94,000 ounces 2.40 g/t US$1,113
2014 511,000 ounces 2.78 g/t US$752
2015 491,000 ounces 2.48 g/t US$671
2016 417,000 ounces 1.87 g/t US$970
2017 459,000 ounces `1.87 g/t US$885
2018 336,000 ounces 1.91 g/t US$843
2019 360,000 ounces 1.85 g/t US$757
2020 298,000 ounces 1.5 g/t US$1,061
2021 265,000 ounces 1.28 g/t US$1,326
2022 306,000 ounces 1.41 g/t US$ 1,014
2023 310,000 ounces 1.45 g/t US$ 1,304
  • AISC - All-In Sustaining Costs per ounce, comprises total cash costs, plus corporate G&A, reclamation costs, exploration and study costs, sustaining capital exploration/development and sustaining capital expenditure.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Operational profile 2023 Tropicana" (PDF). AngloGold Ashanti plc. 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Tropicana looking good as AngloGold itches to go The Australian, published: 28 July 2009, accessed: 3 January 2010
  3. ^ a b "History". Tropicana Joint Venture. AngloGold Ashanti Australia Ltd and Independence Group NL. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  4. ^ AngloGold Ashanti website – Country Report Australia accessed: 3 January 2010
  5. ^ a b Gold – AIMR 2008 – Australian Mines Atlas Geoscience Australia website, accessed: 3 January
  6. ^ de Landgrafft, Tara (30 September 2013). "Tropicana mine pours first gold". ABC Rural. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  7. ^ Miner eyes '260km gold belt' in WA The Canberra Times, published: 28 July 2009, accessed: 3 January 2010
  8. ^ As the price of gold sparkles, the future looks bright for junior explorers The Age, published: 24 November 2008, accessed: 3 January 2010
  9. ^ Zakharia, Nickolas (7 May 2021). "Regis receives final approval for Tropicana acquisition". Australian Mining. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  10. ^ a b c d AngloGold kicks off Tropicana approvals process The West Australian, published: 29 September 2009, accessed: 3 January 2010
  11. ^ AngloGold to mine Tropicana gold in 2013 The Sydney Morning Herald, published: 27 July 2009, accessed: 3 January 2010
  12. ^ "24 MW solar farm and 13 MW battery powers up Western Australia gold mine". Energy Storage. 4 November 2024.
  13. ^ Vorrath, Sophie (14 August 2024). "Wind turbine parts arrive at "Australia's largest" off-grid hybrid renewables power system". One Step Off The Grid.
  14. ^ Vorrath, Sophie. ""HOFF and HON:" Gold mine passes key test, shifts to 100 pct renewables and back again | RenewEconomy". reneweconomy.com.au. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  15. ^ "2017 Integrated Report". Newtown, South Africa: AngloGold Ashanti Limited. 29 March 2018. pp. 121–125. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Operational Profile 2020: Tropicana" (PDF). Newtown, South Africa: AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  17. ^ "Operational Profile 2021: Tropicana" (PDF). Newtown, South Africa: AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  18. ^ "Operational Profile 2022: Tropicana" (PDF). Newtown, South Africa: AngloGold Ashanti. Retrieved 26 February 2024.

Bibliography

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