Overview
Status | Closing / Closed |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
- Dense media separation
- X-Ray sorting
|
Mine Life | 2020 |
November 03, 2020 - After 37 years of operations and having exhausted its economic reserves, the iconic Argyle mine in the remote east Kimberley region of Western Australia has celebrated its final day of mining.
Argyle employees, Traditional Owners and local stakeholders attended an event at the mine, signalling the formal transition from an operational mine to the commencement of closure. The closure process is expected to take some five years to decommission and dismantle the mine and undertake rehabilitation, followed by a further period of monitoring. Argyle will employ a smaller workforce post the final mining and diamond production activities, continuing to contribute to the local economy. |
Latest News | Rio Tinto plc: The iconic Argyle diamond mine delivers its final production November 3, 2020 |
Source:
The contract is to perform waste rock dump rehabilitation trials required by Argyle Diamonds to facilitate the planning of the mine closure feasibility study.
Summary:
Argyle’s open pit diamond mine, which ceased operations in August 2013, produced more than 800 million carats of diamonds over its 28-year life. The Argyle diamonds continue at depth and an underground block cave mine has been developed as the safest and most economical way to reach deep into Argyle’s ore body.
Block cave mining involves undercutting the ore body and allowing it to break up or ‘cave’ under its own weight, removing the need for explosives or blasting. The technologically sophisticated underground operation at Argyle is the first block cave mine in Western Australia and one of only two operating in Australia.
The Argyle underground mine is a challenge both in size and complexity. There are around 40 kilometers of tunnels. The main thoroughfares in the underground network are four tunnels – two to carry vehicles, one for ventilation and one for moving ore. There are two large underground crushers and conveyor belts transport the ore from deep in the mine to the surface.
Processing
- Dense media separation
- X-Ray sorting
Source:
Summary:
Today, the Argyle processing plant is one of the most efficient in the world. It is capable of processing up to 11 million tonnes of ore per annum.
Once extracted, the diamond bearing ore is taken to a processing plant where it is crushed, scrubbed and screened. The particles of ore at that point are between 1 and 30mm in size. A technique called dense medium separation (DMS) separates the diamonds and other heavy minerals from the less dense waste ore. The diamonds can then be separated from the other minerals in the concentrate using an x-ray sorter. Under x-rays, diamonds fluoresce. The flashes of light that they emit trigger a blast of air that blows only the diamonds out of the concentrate. The diamonds are then cleaned, washed and weighed, ready to be sorted and valued for sale.
Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Diamond
|
Head Grade, carats/t
| 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 1.2 |
Production:
Commodity | Units | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 |
Diamond
|
k carats
| ......  | ......  | 17,135 | 13,958 | 13,472 | 9,188 |
All production numbers are expressed as mineral.
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
Tonnes processed
| ......  | | 5.1 Mt of ore | 4.8 Mt of ore | 3 Mt of ore | 7.4 Mt of ore |
Plant annual capacity
| ......  | ......  | | | | |
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Reserves at December 31, 2018:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Probable
|
11 Mt
|
Diamond
|
2.2 carats/t
|
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