Overview
Stage | Restarting |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Cut & Fill
- Hydraulic mining
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented paste backfill
- Cemented rockfill
- Unconsolidated rockfill
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 10 years (as of Jan 1, 2023) |
The Endeavor Project is endowed with extensive infrastructure, in good condition, ready to be utilised once mining recommences. Surface infrastructure includes a 1.2Mtpa processing plant, rail loading facility, raw water and electricity connections to local grids, workshops, partly stocked stores warehouse, offices, and a laboratory. Underground infrastructure includes a tower mounted friction winder for hauling ore to the surface, a truck haulage decline from surface to 9135mRL, underground crushing station, workshops, refuelling station, dewatering pump station, refuge chambers and reticulated water and air.
The Project Restart Study is based on a mine plan and optimised mining schedule that includes initial mining from three zones in the underground mine as well as the later retreatment of high-grade Sector 1 tailings that were produced during the early years. Mining of underground ore extends from Years 1 to 6 and re-treatment of Sector 1 tailings commences in Year 5. |
Source:
p. 23
The mine is owned by Cobar Operations Pty Ltd (COPL), operated by Endeavor Operations Pty Ltd (EOPL), with housing infrastructure managed by Cobar Infrastructure Pty Ltd (CIPL). The three companies are currently wholly owned subsidiaries of CBH Resources Ltd (CBH). CBH is owned by Toho Zinc, a Japanese listed company.
Polymetals, through its 100% owned subsidiary company Cobar Metals Pty Ltd, has entered into a legally binding arrangement to acquire 100% of the Endeavor mine and associated assets by acquiring COPL, EOPL and CIPL from CBH. In order to complete the acquisition, Cobar Metals will be required to secure the release and replacement of the Environmental Rehabilitation Bond on or before 30 April 2024.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Tailings
- Vein / narrow vein
Summary:
The Endeavor zinc-lead-silver mine (initially known as the Elura) is located 43km NNW of Cobar. The mine contains two styles of mineralisation: above about 900m depth an irregular sub-vertical sheet is hosted by a turbidite sequence and broadly coincides with an anticline axial plane; at the bottom of this sheet mineralisation bifurcates into grossly concordant zones.
Six main ore types have been identified within the Endeavor Mine orebody:
• Pyritic mineralisation (PY),
• Pyrrhotitic mineralisation (PO),
• Silicious pyrrhotitic ore (SIPO),
• Silicious Pyritic ore (SIPY),
• Vein ore, and
• Mineralised altered CSA siltstone (MINA).
Mineralisation at the Elura deposit is hosted by a fine grained turbidite sequence of the Cobar Basin and comprises multiple sub-vertical elliptical shaped pipe-like pods that occur within the axial plane of an anticline and are surrounded by an envelope of sulphide stringer mineralisation, in turn surrounded by an envelope of siderite alteration extending for tens of metres away from the sulphide mineralisation. Around 150m below the base of the main mineralised pods/lodes, mineralisation is hosted within the western limb of a folded limestone unit, occurring in veins and fractures. A zone of supergene enrichment occurs at the top of the Main Lode. Recent reviews favour a syngenetic formation model of an original stratiform deposit that was later emplaced by tectonic force into a favourable struc ........
Mining Methods
- Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
- Cut & Fill
- Hydraulic mining
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented paste backfill
- Cemented rockfill
- Unconsolidated rockfill
Summary:
Production from the Endeavor Mine commenced in 1982 with a total of 32Mt at a grade of 8.0% Zn, 5.0% Pb and 89.2 g/t Ag being mined and processed up to the end of 2019. Total metal in concentrate over this period was 2.0Mt Zn, 1.2Mt Pb and 41.6Moz Ag. The production rate varied over the life of the mine, mainly due to fluctuating metal prices. A peak production rate of 1.25Mtpa was achieved, with an average of 874ktpa over the mine life.
Mine access for personnel and equipment is via a portal and decline. Prior to 2008, the upper portion of the decline (surface to the 800 level) was 4.5 m wide and 3.3 m high at a grade of 1:7, to a depth of 410 m below the surface. A new decline was commissioned in 2008, to upgrade the top part of the mine access to 5.5 m wide × 5.5 m high at a grade of 1:7. The bottom portion of the mine, from the 800 level down to the 190 level is accessed by a 5.5 m wide × 5.5 m high decline at a 1:7 grade. Below the 190 level the decline has been continued down to access the Deep Zinc Lode. The decline face is currently at the 140 level, some 1,060 m vertically below the surface and which is the top level of the Deep Zinc Lode production area.
A haulage shaft extends from surface to just below the 900 level (407m vertical height). The shaft is circular and 6m in diameter.
Underground Mining
Underground mining at the Endeavor Mine is proposed to be undertaken by industry standard methods, most of which were previously ........
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Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Pipelines and Water Supply
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Reserves at October 16, 2023:
In Situ Mineral Resource is reported using NSR cut-off values of $190/t for mineralisation above 10,080mRL, and $150/t for mineralisation below 10,080mRL. Endeavor Mine TSF Sector 1 Mineral Resource is reported without use of cut-off grade.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | OreType | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
0.49 Mt
|
Silver
|
132 g/t
|
|
Proven
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
0.49 Mt
|
Zinc
|
6.11 %
|
|
Proven
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
0.49 Mt
|
Lead
|
3.9 %
|
|
Probable
|
Tailings
|
3.4 Mt
|
Silver
|
80 g/t
|
|
Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1.7 Mt
|
Silver
|
60 g/t
|
|
Probable
|
Tailings
|
3.4 Mt
|
Zinc
|
2.14 %
|
|
Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1.7 Mt
|
Zinc
|
7.17 %
|
|
Probable
|
Tailings
|
3.4 Mt
|
Lead
|
1.56 %
|
|
Probable
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
1.7 Mt
|
Lead
|
1.64 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
5.6 Mt
|
Silver
|
78 g/t
|
14.1 M oz
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
5.6 Mt
|
Zinc
|
4.04 %
|
224.6 kt
|
Proven & Probable
|
Total
|
5.6 Mt
|
Lead
|
1.79 %
|
100 kt
|
Total Resource
|
Tailings
|
5.2 Mt
|
Silver
|
79 g/t
|
|
Total Resource
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
16.3 Mt
|
Silver
|
84 g/t
|
44.2 M oz
|
Total Resource
|
Tailings
|
5.2 Mt
|
Zinc
|
2.12 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
16.3 Mt
|
Zinc
|
8 %
|
1.3 Mt
|
Total Resource
|
Tailings
|
5.2 Mt
|
Lead
|
1.55 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
In-Situ (UG)
|
16.3 Mt
|
Lead
|
4.5 %
|
0.73 Mt
|
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