Overview
Status | Care and Maintenance |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
|
Mine Life | 2019 |
Open pit mining ceased in May 2019.
In 2020, Company completed processing the remaining low-grade ore stockpiles, placed the Kanmantoo site to care and maintenance, and pivoted the business strategy towards the development of the Kanmantoo Underground.
After completion of open pit operations, underground mining now being developed with aim to resume production by 2022. |
Latest News | Kanmantoo decline a first for Hillgrove and Komatsu November 1, 2021 |
Hillgrove Copper Pty Ltd operates the Kanmantoo Copper Mines.
Hillgrove Copper Pty Ltd (Hillgrove) is a fully owned subsidiary of Hillgrove Resources Limited.
Summary:
The copper-gold deposit is part of the Kanmantoo Trough, which is the youngest of a succession of extensional sub-basins developed within the Adelaide Geosyncline. The Kanmantoo orebody comprises three main mineralised zones: Main, O’Neil/Nugent and Emily Star. Each of the ore zones contains an oxide, transition and primary sulphide ore component.
The Main Zone is hosted by a garnet-andalusite-biotite schist within the Cambrian Kanmantoo Group. Copper mineralisation occurs as chalcopyrite within a complex series of northern trending steep northeast plunging pipes and lodes 3 to 80 m wide (Figure 5.4) (Resource Evaluations, 2006). Mineralisation is characterised by chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and magnetite with lesser pyrite. In the Emily Star Zone, mineralisation is characterised by chalcopyrite and pyrite. Mineralisation in the O’Neil/Nugent Zone is associated with a garnet-chlorite hydrothermal alteration zone with quartz veining. In comparison with the other zones, the O’Neil/Nugent Zone is enriched in gold.
Sulphide becomes less common with distance from the ore zone indicating there is likely to be broad zones of non-sulphidic waste rock outside of the main mineralised blocks. Across the ML area, there is a distinct weathering zone of approximately 15 m depth that appears to be completely oxidised. This oxidised zone is an important source of non-acid-forming (NAF) material suitable for use in encapsulation of the potentially acid-forming (PAF) waste material.
Summary:
Mining is undertaken using conventional open pit methods, i.e., drilling and blasting where required with truck and excavator for removal from the pit. Ore and waste rock is predominantly blasted using 9 to 12 m high benches and mined over passes or ‘flitches’.
Blasting is undertaken using ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO) or emulsion-based explosives, which are loaded into blastholes. Hole diameters vary from 89 to 165 mm, with up to 600 holes fired in each shot. Blasting is generally undertaken from 10 am to 3 pm. and is managed to meet the lease conditions, Australian standards (AS 2187.2:2006) and other advanced blasting practices. Blast holes are backfilled with stemming material to contain the explosion on initiation and hence reduce noise, dust and fly rock. Surface and downhole delays are used to minimise ground vibration. Electronic or non-electric (Nonel) signal tube is used for downhole and surface tie-ins to improve blast performance and reduce noise and air blast. Blasts are designed to ensure that there will be no adverse public health and/or nuisance impacts.
Flow Sheet:
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
The processing facility has been designed to operate 24 hours a day, 365 days per year and treat approximately 2.4 to 3.2 Mtpa of ore, at a rate of 350 to 400 tonnes per hour. This processing rate may vary dependent on the optimisation of the plant. The ore contains on average 0.7% copper and copper recoveries of approximately 92 to 93% based on a fixed tail of 0.055% Cu are achieved. The plant produces an average of 80,000 tpa of copper-gold concentrate (with silver credits) for export, containing approximately 18,000 to 20,000 t of copper.
The processing facility comprises the following unit operations (Figure 5.6):
• Primary and secondary crushing.
• Coarse ore storage and reclaim.
• Grinding and classification.
• Copper flotation.
• Concentrate thickening, filtration, storage and dispatch.
• Tailings thickening and transfer to the TSF.
Process Description.
A schematic of the ore conce ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Copper
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 92 | 90.6 | 82.7 | 80.3 |
Copper
|
Head Grade, %
| 0.74 | 0.48 | 0.52 | 0.52 |
Copper
|
Concentrate Grade, %
| 23.9 | 22 | 22.8 | 23.1 |
Gold
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 55.6 | 51.8 | 52.7 | 47.1 |
Gold
|
Head Grade, g/t
| 0.1 | 0.12 | 0.21 | 0.11 |
Gold
|
Concentrate Grade, g/t
| 2 | 3.1 | 6 | 2.8 |
Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Copper
|
Metal in concentrate
|
M lbs
| 50 | 33 | 30 | 38 |
Copper
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| 95 | 67 | 60 | 75 |
Gold
|
Metal in concentrate
|
oz
| ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  |
Silver
|
Metal in concentrate
|
oz
| ......  | ......  | ......  | ......  |
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Total tonnes mined
| 13,285 kt | 18,303 kt | 15,171 kt | 20,892 kt |
Ore tonnes mined
| 5,728 kt | 3,915 kt | 2,839 kt | 3,542 kt |
Waste
| 7,557 kt | 14,388 kt | 17,350 kt | 12,332 kt |
Tonnes milled
| 3,324 kt | 3,427 kt | 3,197 kt | 4,104 kt |
Annual milling capacity
| 3 Mt | | | |
Reserves at December 31, 2018:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
1.2 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.6 %
|
8 kt
|
Proven
|
1.2 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Proven
|
1.2 Mt
|
Silver
|
1.2 g/t
|
|
Probable
|
0.3 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.5 %
|
1 kt
|
Probable
|
0.3 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Probable
|
0.3 Mt
|
Silver
|
0.8 g/t
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
1.5 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.6 %
|
9 kt
|
Proven & Probable
|
1.5 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
1.5 Mt
|
Silver
|
1.2 g/t
|
|
Measured
|
3.8 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.6 %
|
21 kt
|
Measured
|
3.8 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Measured
|
3.8 Mt
|
Silver
|
1.1 g/t
|
|
Indicated
|
3.5 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.5 %
|
18 kt
|
Indicated
|
3.5 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Indicated
|
3.5 Mt
|
Silver
|
0.9 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
8 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.6 %
|
47 kt
|
Inferred
|
8 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Inferred
|
8 Mt
|
Silver
|
0.8 g/t
|
|
Total Resource
|
15.9 Mt
|
Copper
|
0.5 %
|
86 kt
|
Total Resource
|
15.9 Mt
|
Gold
|
0.1 g/t
|
|
Total Resource
|
15.9 Mt
|
Silver
|
1 g/t
|
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
C1 cash costs
|
Copper
|
USD
|
2.09 / lb
|
2.33 / lb
|
1.73 / lb
|
2.11 / lb
|
Financials:
| Units | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
Revenue
|
M AUD
| 202.4 |
127.1
|
113.1
|
139.5
|
After-tax Income
|
M AUD
| 29.5 |
-14.1
|
-109.1
|
-130.1
|
EBIT
|
M AUD
| 27.6 |
4.4
|
-23.9
|
-21.3
|
EBITDA
|
M AUD
| 44.3 |
16.2
|
22.2
|
16.1
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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News:
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