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Australia

Thunderbox UG Mine

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeUnderground
StatusActive
Commodities
  • Gold
Mining Method
  • Longhole open stoping
  • Sub-level open stoping (SLOS)
Backfill type ... Lock
Production Start... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Thunderbox UG operations are a part of the Thunderbox & Bronzewing operations and include Thunderbox underground mine and the Waterloo underground (exploration, located at 28°07'49.0" S 121°00'54.0" E) Project.
Related AssetThunderbox & Bronzewing Operation

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Northern Star Resources Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The tenements (Thunderbox Operations) are all held by Northern Star (Thunderbox) Pty Ltd, Northern Star (SR Mining) Pty Ltd and Northern Star (Talisman) Pty Ltd which are all wholly owned subsidiaries of Northern Star Resources Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Mesothermal

Summary:

Thunderbox is a mesothermal lode gold deposit located at the southern end of the Yandal greenstone belt in an area where several major shear zones converge and join with the Perseverance Fault.

The shear zone dips at 30° to 60° WSW, with the exception in the vicinity of the mineralisation, where the shear is vertical to steeply dipping. Mineralisation is hosted by strongly deformed, silicified and carbonate altered albite-quartz porphyry in the hangingwall of the shear zone. The shear juxtaposes foliated basalts and intrusive porphyries in the hangingwall against sedimentary rocks in the footwall. The zone of shearing is over 200m wide. An ultramafic unit occurs within the shear, in the footwall of the deposit and is attenuated along the shear. At the known extremities of the mineralisation, interpreted as a pepperitic apron, the porphyry host is less continuous and interchanges with mafic volcaniclastics.

The main gold related hydrothermal alteration assemblage comprises quartz-ankerite-arsenopyrite- pyrrhotite-galena and gold. This assemblage has been overprinted by a retrograde chlorite- epidote-white mica-biotite-quartz and pyrite assemblage. Synmineralisation veins have a continuum of vein textures ranging from laminated to pseudo-breccias.

Throughout the Thunderbox Deposit, elevated grades occur within southerly plunging ore shoots that are more evident in the lateral extents of the orebody. Whilst the shoots persist centrally, the gold distribution is for more uniform and ubiquitous than in other areas.

Dimensions
Thunderbox mineralisation extends from 6879000mN to 6881000mN, 304000mE to 304400mE and 500 meters below surface

The Thunderbox shear generally strike NNW and dips 60° towards the WSW. In the vicinity of the strongest gold mineralisation the shear is vertical to steeply west dipping.

The shear and mineralisation is offset across a series of dextral, NE trending faults.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnits20232022202120202019
Gold oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe9,542
All production numbers are expressed as metal in ore.

Operational metrics

Metrics20242022202120202019
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe126,171 t
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe199,081 t

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 25, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 25, 2024

Aerial view:

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