Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Cadia PC2-3 Expansion Project

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeUnderground
Study CompletedFeasibility
StageConstruction
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Copper
  • Silver
  • Molybdenum
Mining Method
  • Block caving
  • Panel caving
  • Undercut mining
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SnapshotThe Cadia PC2-3 project is a significant expansion of the Cadia gold and copper mining operations.

Cadia East operation consists of two main panel caves (PC): PC1, which is 1,200 meters deep, and PC2, which is 1,400 meters deep. A third potential panel cave, PC3 sits 275 meters directly below PC2. Panel Caves 1 and 2 are currently in production, with PC2-3 and PC1-2 in development and PC1-3 and PC3-1 providing additional potential.

Cadia Panel Caves, Cadia (PC 1-2 and PC2-3). This project includes two panel caves to recover approximately 5.9 million ounces of gold reserves and 2.9 billion pounds of copper reserves. Cadia PC2-3 delivered the first ore to the mill in Q1 CY23, with activity now focused on mine development. And development is underway at the second panel cave (PC1-2). Development capital costs are expected to continue until the second half of 2026.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Newmont Corp. 100 % Indirect
Cadia is owned by Cadia Holdings Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Newcrest Mining Limited, which was acquired by Newmont in November 2023.

Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Porphyry
  • Breccia pipe / Stockwork

Summary:

The Cadia East deposit is considered to be examples of alkalic porphyry gold copper-style mineralization.

The Cadia East deposit occupies a mineralized zone 2.5 km in strike length. 600 m in width and over 1,900 m in vertical extent, It is located below and to the east of the Cadia Hill deposit.

Mineralization at Cadia East is divided into two broad overlapping zones; an upper, copper-rich disseminated zone and a deeper gold-rich zone associated with sheeted veins. The upper zone forms a relatively small cap to the overall mineralized envelope and has a core of disseminated chalcopyrite (and rare bornite), capped by chalcopyrite-pyrite mineralization (Fox et al., 2009).

The deeper zone is localized around a core of steeply-dipping, sheeted, quartz-calcite-bornite chalcopyrite-molybdenite veins, with the highest gold grades associated with the bornite-bearing veins. Copper and molybdenite form a mineralized blanket above and to the east of the higher grade gold envelope.

Au:Cu values are vertically zoned. The upper, disseminated zone of volcanic-hosted mineralization typically has low Au:Cu values (<1), whereas the envelopes of sheeted quartz calcite-sulfide veins have higher Au:Cu values (typically >2).

Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Gold koz 1001,000
Copper kt 40400
All production numbers are expressed as metal in concentrate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate 15 Mt *
Ore tonnes mined 145 Mt *
* According to 2019 study.

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 13, 2025
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Workforce

Aerial view:

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