Overview
Stage | Production |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Longhole open stoping
- Jumbo stripping (slashing)
- Airleg stoping
|
Production Start | ... |
The Plutonic Gold Mine includes a Plutonic producing underground gold operation and open pits opportunities (the Hermes Gold Mine, the Main Pit Deeps) in close proximity to the central mill.
Mining activities at the Hermes Gold Mine concluded in May 2019. The next phase of development at Hermes will encompass optimizing the Hermes and Hermes South project as a combined operation.
Open-pit mining in the Main Pit Deeps was suspended in October 2022 due to operational underperformance. The Superior Gold will assess alternatives to recommence mining at Main Pit Deeps in conjunction with the Main Pit Push-Back project.
Main Pit Push-Back unlocks significant value sitting within the Plutonic Gold Operations. Plutonic Main Pit Push-Back project adds six years of mine life. |
Source:
p. 70
On 29 June 2023, Catalyst Metals acquired 100% of the ordinary shares of Superior Gold Inc., a Canadian-based gold producer that owns 100% of the Plutonic Gold Operations located in Western Australia, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Billabong Gold Pty Ltd.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Metamorphic hosted
- Vein / narrow vein
- Breccia pipe / Stockwork
- Replacement
Summary:
Deposit Type
The Plutonic Gold Mine deposits are Archean Greenstone gold deposits. The gold mineralisation is predominantly structurally controlled occurring in a variety of stratigraphic settings, mainly associated with replacement-style lodes and stockwork veining within a wide variety of host rocks ranging from ultramafic and mafic volcanic rocks, metasediments, felsic intrusive, volcanoclastic units, and banded iron formations.
In the Hermes Gold Mine and BBJV Projects there are two broad mineralisation styles (Outhwaite, 2013) referred to here as the Peak Hill Type and the Bryah Type.
The Peak Hill Type gold deposits are hosted in rocks that are generally highly deformed (four or more fold events) and metamorphosed (up to amphibolite facies), generally represented by the Peak Hill Schist Formation. Mineralisation is early in the paragenesis, (syn- to post-D1 isoclinal folding) with folded mineralisation commonly observed. Previously mined examples include Peak Hill Main/Five-Ways, Mt Pleasant, Jubilee, Wilgeena and St Crispin. The Hermes deposits may be examples of mineralisation that belongs in this category.
The local controls on this deposit class are difficult to identify, because of the effects of strong, postmineralisation deformation, and probable remobilisation of Au.
Mineralisation
Plutonic
The Plutonic Gold Mine Mineral Resources mined and unmined lie with a surface area of approximately 10 km east-west ........
Mining Methods
- Longhole open stoping
- Jumbo stripping (slashing)
- Airleg stoping
Summary:
Ore feed to the mill during 2020 - 21 was from mining operations at Plutonic Underground (underground mining methods), the Area 4 and Perch Open Pits and surface stockpiles of mineralised waste which commenced in November 2019 after the Hermes Open Pit ores were depleted.
There is substantial site history and experience with the underground mining methods employed. The only previously unmined area in the underground Mineral Reserve mine plan is the Baltic Extension and Western Front (Indian & Baltic West) area, which is envisaged to continue to employ those mining methods.
Open pit mining has been undertaken by Billabong at Area 4 and Perch over the last 2020 year and the open pit Mineral Reserve is based on this extensive experience.
Plutonic Underground
Plutonic Underground is a mechanised access underground mine that has been in continuous operation since 1995. Historically the mine has produced at a rate of up to 1,400 ktpa ore, although in recent years' production has stabilised at approximately 800 ktpa. The current constraint on underground production is not the infrastructure: the constraint is gathering the data to move the stopes through the planning process and into production.
The Plutonic Underground has seven active mining zones. Seven of these mining zones are well-established having been active for several years (Established Areas). The eighth zone, Baltic Extension, is a new mining zone (New Areas).
Source:
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
Source:
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Reserves at January 1, 2024:
Ore Reserve estimated at 2.0g/t Au cut-off;
Mineral Resource estimated at 1.5g/t Au cut-off.
Previous owners of the belt had estimated Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves however, Catalyst felt a different estimation approach was needed. Since taking control, Catalyst has been undertaking re-estimation process. These global Plutonic Resources include Resources for both the underground mine at Plutonic. Further work is planned to re-evaluate the Plutonic Main open pit potential.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
5.2 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.9 g/t
|
490 koz
|
Indicated
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
17.2 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.9 g/t
|
1,592 koz
|
Inferred
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
0.74 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.6 g/t
|
62 koz
|
Total Resource
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
17.9 Mt
|
Gold
|
2.9 g/t
|
1,654 koz
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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