The Taronga tin deposit is hosted in Permian-Triassic hornfelsed sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the New England fold belt, assigned locally to the Grampians Formation. The host rocks were folded about their northwest to southeast (true bearings) axes with subsequent orthogonal re-folding. The host rocks were intruded by granites of Permian-Triassic age and these granites were the source of the tin, copper and silver mineralisation at Taronga. This is a classical geological setting for hydrothermal tin deposits of Eastern Australia.

Geological mapping indicates that the Taronga mineralisation occurs in sheeted quartz vein swarms within a north-east aligned anticlinal structure. Tin occurs within the swarms of quartz veinlets and tin mineralisation has been defined within two large zones, known as the Northern and Southern Zones. Two vein swarms in the Northern Zone are between 10m and 80m wide over lengths of between 600m and 650m to a depth of approximately 200m. Four separate vein swarms in the Southern Zone are 8m and 10m wide over lengths of between 150m and 550m, and have been outlined by previous drilling to a depth of approximately 150m.

Mineralogical studies as part of the metallurgical investigations for the deposit recognised three sequential events at varying mineralisation temperatures ranging from hightemperature, through intermediate temperature to low temperature with pneumatolytic hydrothermal and epithermal styles, respectively. The ........

The Stage 1 Project mining operations would be undertaken using both free dig and conventional drill and blast methods. Following appropriate site preparation, the ore or waste rock that is sufficiently fragmented would be recovered by free digging with an excavator. Once the ore or waste rock cannot be removed by free digging, it would be blasted, loaded and hauled by an off-road haul truck to the ROM pad approximately 50m away. The Open Cut Pit would be operated over a 12 to 18 month period and create a final void of up to 230m long x up to 90m wide x approximately 50m deep.

The design features of the Open Cut Pit would be as follows:
- Length of pit - Maximum 230m.
- Width of pit - Average 50m; Maximum 90m.
- Depth of pit - Average 30m; Maximum 50m (918m AHD).
- Wall Slope - 70°.
- Overall Pit Slope - 55º.
- Overall area of pit - 1.2ha.
- Bench height - 12.5m.
- Bench Width - 15m minimum.
- Final Pit Bench Width - 5m–10m.

Following site preparation, production areas would be prepared using a combination of free dig and drill and blast methods. It is envisaged free digging would occur to depths of up to 1m below the surface. Thereafter, material would be drilled and blasted. Each production blast will initially fragment approximately 10,000t but subject to vibration levels fragmentation levels may be increased. One constraining factor in determining the maximum quantity of rock blasted during each blast woul ........

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.

- subscription is required.