SMEDG – PREVIOUS MEETING

DATE: Thursday 9 November 1995 – 5.30 pm – Joint Meeting with AusIMM

VENUE: 2nd Floor, Rugby Club, Crane Place, Sydney

SPEAKERS: Rod Elvish.

TOPIC: “Beaconsfield Gold Mine Project, Tasmania”

The Tasmania Gold Mine was mined to a depth of 400 metres, producing some 840,000 ounces of gold from 1.1 million tonees of ore at a recovered grade of 24g/t gold between 1877 and 1914.

The quartz-carbonate reef extends at depth below the old workings. Recent deep (900m downhole) navi-diamond drilling by the Beaconsfield Joint Venture (Allstate Explorations 40%, Beaconsfield Gold 38% and Golden Shamrock 22%) has defined indicated and inferred resources of 734,000 ounces in the 480 metres below the old workings.

The old Hart Shaft is being dewatered and an intermediate pump station has recently been installed at the 180m level. Dewatering to the base of the old workings is proceeding and will be followed by declining, underground drilling of the reef and bulk sampling for metallurgical work. A 150,000 tpa operation is expected to begin operation towards the end of 1997.

Recent exploration drilling on the Beaconsfield EL has identified rocks, analagous to those hosting the Tasmania Reef, carrying anomalous gold values beneath Tertiary gravels.

Rod Elvish, who has been closely associated with the project, will present a “metallurgist’s view” of the geology, mining and metallurgy.