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Australia

Agate Creek Mine

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusTemporary Suspension
Commodities
  • Gold
  • Silver
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotThe Agate Creek Gold Project comprises an open-pit mine, with Savannah focusing on two production centers: the Georgetown facility for processing high-grade Agate Creek ore and a long-term Sulphide Ore Flotation Plant to be established at Agate Creek.

Operations were suspended in early 2024 due to cyclones damaging access roads, halting ore transport. However, significant progress has been made in planning for gold production's restart.

Ongoing workstreams include reviewing and optimizing the mining schedule and pit designs for the next phase of mining at Agate Creek, as well as progressing amendments to environmental permits and securing necessary approvals for expanded activities. These approvals are still in progress, and mining operations at Agate Creek will remain suspended until they are finalized.

The gold production restart is targeted for Q2 2025, pending the completion of current permit approvals.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Savannah Goldfields Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The Agate Creek Gold Project is 100% owned by Savannah Goldfields Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein
  • Intrusion related
  • Epithermal
  • Mesothermal

Summary:

The main styles of gold mineralisation in the area are epithermal and meso-thermal systems, which are generally associated with multiple intrusive phases associated with the Robertson Fault Zone. Narrow-vein mining has also previously taken place within the Forsayth area along or adjacent to the fault traces. The Robertson Fault Zone is recognised as one of the main controlling features for mineralisation in the region. Gold mineralisation at Sherwood is a low-sulphidation, adularia-sericite type epithermal system genetically related to the emplacement of Permo-Carboniferous porphyritic rhyolite and andesite extrusives and intrusives. Most mineralisation occurs within the Robertson Fault Zone, at the intersection of the Robin Hood Fault and is spatially associated with (and often within) rhyolite. The mineralised zones are interpreted as boiling outflow zones, likely fossil geysers. The Agate Creek Fault forms the eastern boundary to mineralisation but remains open in all other directions and at depth. There are two principal mineralised areas currently identified at Sherwood and Sherwood West. Additional infill drilling from 2014 in the upper part of Sherwood has allowed a higher grade domain to be defined with confidence as a shallow NW dipping lens of mineralisation. The lens is 250 m long by 50 to 100 m wide and 2 to 8 m thick. Sherwood West is hosted within a brecciated rhyolite, infilling a thrust fault truncated in the north by the Zig Zag Fault. The faulting allowed for a rhyolite intrusion followed by fluid conduits of the active Permian epithermal plumbing system. At Sherwood West the known mineralised zone extends for over 1 km along strike and remains open to the south and at depth. There is also the potential for parallel repetitions of the currently known mineralized zone. Agate Creek mineralisation is epithermal is style and associated with quartz veining. Both grade and quartz logging are used to aid geological interpretation in additional to geological contacts between the rhyolite and granite which are proximal and parallel to the main mineralisation at Sherwood West and the upper mineralisation at Sherwood. Quartz veining is dominantly near horizontal at Sherwood and dip at 30º to the east at Sherwood West. Early interpretations included vertical veining along fault zones at Sherwood and Zig-Zag faults, however there is room to interpret these areas to low angle structures. Other vertical veins are present around Sherwood and could possibly contribute to mineralisation. Examination of core indicates here is mineralisation without evident quartz veining indicating some areas are more complicated. Mining undertaken on the upper high grade zone at Sherwood confirms a gentle dip to the east that is now defined by infill RC drilling completed since November 2014. The high grade zones displays a strong relationship to quartz veining though not all quartz is mineralised. Sherwood comprises mostly sub-horizontal quartz veins and mineralisation with the main zone containing veins spread over a core area of 370 m NE-SW by 300 m NW-SE by 300 m RL. It is bounded to the East by the Agate Creek Fault a vertical NNW-SSE system with some mineralisation. Sherwood West is predominately a single zone dipping 30° to the east and up to 750 m N-S by 350 m E-W and 20 m in vertical thickness. There are some minor horizontal veins in the hanging wall sequence and additional mineralisation near the Zig Zag Fault. Sherwood South comprises a few largely vertical veins is minor extent. 18 November 2021 - Gold mineralisation at Sherwood has previously been described as a low-sulphidation, adularia-sericite type epithermal system, genetically related to the emplacement of Permo-Carboniferous porphyritic rhyolite and andesite extrusives and intrusives. Beams et al (2019) commented “the boundary between epithermal per se and intrusion-related epizonal is not clear and is broadly based on visual observations of textures but both types have similar chemistry implying that epithermal deposits are part of the Intrusion-Related Epizonal System”.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

On 8 September 2022 Laneway’s first gold pour has occurred at the recently refurbished Georgetown Gold Processing Plant.
CommodityUnits2024202320202019
Gold oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe16,000
Silver oz  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
All production numbers are expressed as metal in doré.

Operational metrics

Metrics202420232019
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe69,759 t
Ore tonnes mined  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe69,759 t
Waste  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Financials

Units202420232020
Revenue M AUD  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe  ....  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 9, 2025

Aerial view:

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