Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Endeavor Mine

Click for more information

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Silver
  • Zinc
  • Lead
Mining Method
  • Hydraulic mining
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
  • Cut & Fill
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Endeavor mine had operated continuously for 38 years before being placed on care and maintenance in 2020.

On June 16, 2025, Polymetals Resources advised that commercial production has been achieved at its Endeavor silver zinc mine. Optimisation of the grinding and flotation circuits is continuing to ensure consistent production of high-grade zinc and silver-lead concentrates.
Latest NewsPolymetals Resources Ltd.: Concentrate production underway at the Endeavor silver zinc mine     June 16, 2025

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Polymetals Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The mine was 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 wholly owned subsidiaries of CBH Resources Ltd (CBH). CBH is owned by Toho Zinc, a Japanese listed company.

Polymetals Resources Ltd, 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.

On August 1, 2024, acquisition of the Endeavor Mine was completed with the transfer of 100% of the shares held by CBH Resources Limited (vendor of the Endeavor Mine) and its subsidiary companies, Endeavor Operations Pty Ltd and Cobar Operations Pty Ltd to Polymetals Resources Ltd. wholly owned subsidiary Cobar Metals Pty Ltd.

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

Deposit type

  • Tailings
  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

Underground Resource
Mineralisation at the Endeavor deposit (initially known as the Elura) is hosted by 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.

Recent reviews favour a syngenetic formation model of an original stratiform deposit that was later emplaced by tectonic force into a favourable structural site during deformation.

The zonation of mineralisation types has been categorised with abbreviations as follows:
o PO – massive pyrrhotite-pyrite-galena-sphalerite ore, with pyrrhotite predominant, forming the central core of all zones, typically averaging about 9% Zn and 6% Pb
o PY – massive pyrite-pyrrhotite-galena-sphalerite ore, with pyrite predominant, commonly surrounding the pyrrhotitic core or at the outer margin of massive mineralisation, again typically averaging about 9% Zn and 6% Pb.
o SIPO – siliceous pyrrhotite-pyrite-galena-sphalerite ore, with inclusions of silicified country rock and some quartz veining; pyrrhotite is the predominant sulphide; occurs at the margin of PO and PT mineralisation; typical ore grade averages around 12% combined Pb+Zn.
o SIPY – siliceous pyrite-pyrrhotite-galena-sphalerite ore, with inclusions of silicified country rock and some quartz veining; similar to SIPO but pyrite is the predominant sulphide.
o VEIN – lower grade mineralisation comprising a stockwork of quartz and sulphide veins within silicified siltstone, around the edges of mineralised pods.
o MINA – mineralised altered siltstone.
o SG – Supergene enriched zone at the top of the Main Lode.

Tailings Resource
Mineralised material in the tailings storage facility consists of clay to fine sand sized particles deposited in sub-horizontal layers from centrally located outflow sites. The particles contain remnant sulphides that were not captured during processing of the Endeavor Mine silver-zinc-lead ore.

The primary lead and zinc bearing minerals from all orebodies processed are galena (~13%wt) and sphalerite (~14%wt). Pyrite and pyrrhotite (~60 to 70%wt in total) are the main floatable gangue in the ore. Tetrahedrite is the major host of silver, apart from galena and chalcopyrite.

Dimensions
Underground Resource
The sub vertical high-grade pods occur in the axial plane of an anticline and progressively decrease in size towards the northwest. The Main Lode occurs at the southern end of mineralisation, extending from near-surface to approximately 1,000m depth, with lateral extents of between 50m and 120m. The Northern Lodes extend northwest from the Main Lode, generally occur only below a depth of 400 – 500m and have lateral extents typically between 30 – 50m.

The top of the limestone-hosted mineralisation occurs approximately 1,050m below the surface. The mineralised zone is broadly tabular in form and currently measures 300m long by 250m high with widths ranging between 10m and 30m, dipping around 70° towards the southwest.

Tailings Resource
The Resource estimate entails the bulk of Sector 1 of the CTD TSF, which measures approximately 550m by 850m and an average depth of 7m.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Commodity Production

Reported 2017 production and financial results include operations through May 2017 in accordance with the terms of the sale agreement.

Production 2018 includes attributable silver oz. from the Endeavor silver stream that were produced, shipped and provisionally invoiced during June and July 2017, where the Metalla Royalty & Streaming Ltd. is entitled to the associated trade receivable amounts.
CommodityProductUnits2018201720162015LOM (Projected)
Silver Payable metal koz 50210724862910,600
Zinc Concentrate kt 48
Lead Concentrate kt 27

Operational metrics

Metrics201720162015
Tonnes milled 133,904 tons of ore219,430 tons of ore767,314 tons of ore

Production Costs

CommodityUnits2017
Total cash costs (sold) Silver USD 6.96 / oz  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 30, 2025

Workforce

EmployeesTotal WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2024
...... Subscription required 2021
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2019
...... Subscription required 2018

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.