Overview
Stage | Pre-Feasibility |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
- Gravity separation
- Smelting
- Concentrate leach
- Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
- Carbon in leach (CIL)
- Elution
- Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
- Cyanide (reagent)
|
Mine Life | 8.2 years (as of Jan 1, 2019) |
Focus has shifted from development (2019 PFS) to exploration targeting new, high-value, higher grade gold discoveries. |
Source:
p. 49
Company | Interest | Ownership |
Kin Mining NL
|
100 %
|
Indirect
|
Navigator Mining Pty Ltd.
|
100 %
|
Direct
|
The Cardinia Project’s Helens and Rangoon areas includes granted mining tenements M37/316 and M37/317, centered some 35-40km NE of Leonora. The tenements are held in the name of Navigator Mining Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of KIN.
Summary:
Gold deposits in the CGP occur in three main mining centres – Cardinia, Mertondale and Raeside. Cardinia and Mertondale are located within the Minerie Greenstone Belt while the Raeside deposits occur in the Malcolm Greenstone Belt.
The CGP has approximately 45km of strike of the Minerie greenstone and is composed of four bi- modal, felsic-mafic volcanic flows. Gold mineralisation occurs in a number of styles: low sulphidation epithermal deposits, volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, and orogenic style gold deposits. All mineralisation styles result in zones of supergene enrichment within the oxide profile above each deposit.
The Mertondale prospects extend over a strike length from Merton’s Reward in the south to Mertondale 5 (32.0koz mined in 1991) 12km to the north. Merton’s Reward (60.5koz previously mined), Mertondale 2 (2.7koz mined in 1987 and 2010) and Mertondale 3-4 (179.3koz mined between 1986 and 1993) are contained within the eastern branch of the Mertondale Shear Zone and extend over approximately 3km of strike. Quicksilver, Tonto, Eclipse and Mertondale 5 are all contained within the western shear zone and extend over approximately 9km of strike. The Mertondale area consists of an eastern mafic flow (mafic flow 3), a central felsic volcanic sequence which is overlain by a volcanoclastic sequence of rocks which include schists and carbonaceous shales, and topped by another mafic volcanic flow (mafic flow 4).
The Eastern shear is present on the contact of mafic flow 3 and the younger felsic volcanic, or within the mafic unit. These orebodies are typically orogenic lode style deposits and are related to brittle fracturing and quartz veining and porphyritic intrusions. The Western shear is present within the volcaniclastic sediments just below the base of mafic flow 4. Mineralisation appears to be related to late stage shortening (isoclinal folding) and shearing along this major structure. Merton’s Reward, Mertondale 2, 3 and 4, Tonto, Eclipse and Mertondale 5 are included in the Ore Reserve Estimate.
The Cardinia deposits occur within the younger sequence of intermediate-mafic and felsic volcanic lithologies and locally derived epiclastic sediments, and are related to mafic flows 1 and 2. Minor felsic porphyries and lamprophyre lithologies have been recognised within the project. At Lewis, these intrusive rocks are often associated with lithologically discordant structures. Primary gold mineralisation at Lewis is consistent with volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralisation and sulphidic sediments as well as later, cross cutting, low sulphidation epithermal mineralisation. Helens consists of sulphide replacement mineralisation in a slightly discordant structure and appears to be a deeper part of the mineralising system. Historic production within the Cardinia mineral field includes Eagle, Kyte, Bruno, Lewis, Pride of the North, Pelsart, English and Scottish, Nevertire, Black Chief, White Chief, Comedy King, Faye Marie, Helens, Fiona, Rangoon, East Lynn, Triangle and Hobby. All these historic workings were high grade gold producers and occur across all of the Minerie stratigraphy.
Mineralisation within the Raeside project is hosted by a mixed package of fine-grained sediments and a quartz dolerite unit. The dolerite is sill-like in nature, and roughly conforms to bedding. The dolerite is fine to medium grained and is extensively chlorite altered. The gold mineralisation is generally constrained within the dolerite and certain sedimentary horizons.
Summary:
KIN plans to use conventional open pit mining methods to extract gold ore from nine deposits at the CGP divided into two mining centres; Cardinia and Mertondale (incorporating Mertondale East and Mertondale West deposits).
Open Pit mining is planned on a double shift continuous roster basis, using 120t excavators and 100t dump trucks (i.e. Komatsu PC1250-8SP excavator and Caterpillar 777F trucks or similar), with mining benches approximately 5m in height. Two mining fleets will be required to meet the scheduled processing plant feed requirements for the initial four years of mining.
Pit design parameters are governed by fleet size and required production rate. To produce sufficient ore to continuously feed the nominal 1.5Mtpa processing plant, a total movement of between 7Mtpa and 10Mtpa of waste is be required. Experience indicates that this can be achieved by a fleet of 125t excavator and 90t trucks. The selected mining fleet was modelled to operate with the following parameters:
- Ramp gradient of 1:10
- Bench height of 5m
- Minimum mining width of 20m.
Ore Reserve optimisations have been carried out taking the ramp widths and minimum mining widths into consideration, in addition to mining cost, treatment cost, transport cost, and mill recovery. Drill and blast activities will be carried out from surface on 5m benches and then excavated in 2.5m passes. A 5% drill and blast estimate has been assumed for oxide, 60% for transition material and 100% for fresh material.
Flow Sheet:
Crusher / Mill Type | Model | Size | Power | Quantity |
Ball mill
|
|
|
2.5 MW
|
1
|
Ball mill
|
|
|
0.6 MW
|
1
|
Summary:
The proposed CGP plant incorporates a two-stage crushing circuit feeding the 2.5MW and 0.6MW ball mills (combined capacity of 3.1MW), with gold extracted by gravity and CIL processes.
Processing
- Gravity separation
- Smelting
- Concentrate leach
- Agitated tank (VAT) leaching
- Carbon in leach (CIL)
- Elution
- Solvent Extraction & Electrowinning
- Cyanide (reagent)
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
In 2017, the Company purchased the decommissioned 800ktpa Lawlers processing plant and associated infrastructure owned by Gold Fields. The Lawlers plant is located approximately 160km to the north northwest of the CGP. The 2019 PFS incorporates the deconstruction, refurbishment and upgrade of the crushing circuit, 0.6MW ball mill and other parts of the Lawlers plant. In addition, a refurbished 2.5MW ball mill, six new 1,500m3 CIL tanks and new tails thickener and elution circuits have been incorporated in the 1.5Mtpa Gold Processing Plant design to be located at Cardinia.
The Lawlers processing plant is in generally good condition and comes with a large inventory of spares and infrastructure. The 2019 PFS contemplates deconstruction and relocation of the Lawlers plant components to the centrally located Cardinia mining centre with construction of the infrastructure and processing plant estimated by Como Engineers to take 12 months.
Como Engineers have incorpora ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Gold
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 92.4 |
Gold
|
Head Grade, g/t
| 1.09 |
Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Gold
|
koz
| 51 | 368 |
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Stripping / waste ratio
| 5.2 * |
Waste tonnes, LOM
| 26.5 Mbcm * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 11,404 kt * |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 31.5 Mbcm * |
Plant annual capacity
| 1.5 Mt * |
Tonnes processed, LOM
| 11,404 kt * |
* According to 2019 study.
Reserves at February 1, 2020:
Mineral Resources are reported in accordance with JORC 2012 using a 0.5g/t Au cut-off within AUD$2,000 optimisation shells.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Measured
|
0.4 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.04 g/t
|
12 koz
|
Indicated
|
12.4 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.49 g/t
|
591 koz
|
Inferred
|
8.3 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.28 g/t
|
341 koz
|
Total Resource
|
21 Mt
|
Gold
|
1.4 g/t
|
945 koz
|
Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
.......................
|
.......................
|
|
Sep 17, 2021
|
- Subscription is required.
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
...................................
|
2020
|
...................................
|
2019
|
Press Release
|
2014
|
- Subscription is required.
- Subscription is required.