Re: Possible new mine near Condobolin

["Roger Jones" <roger_jones@dingoblue.net.au>]

"David Bromage" <dbromage@fang.omni.com.au> wrote in message
rlIP5.63$rd2.4739@news0.optus.net.au">news:rlIP5.63$rd2.4739@news0.optus.net.au...

snip

> Up to 1 million tonnes of ore would be mined per year once the mine is in
> full production, either for export as concentrate or for refining at a yet
> to be built smelter. The mine would generate about 1400 jobs.
>
> A railway has not been specifically mentioned, but 1 million tonnes pa
> equates to roughly one 4000t train per day, or 160 trucks per day.
>
> For the geologically inclined, the ore contains 1.2kg/t of copper, 1.1kg/t
> of cobalt, 258g/t of nickel and 3.9g/t of gold. There are also
concentrated
> trace inclusions of tin and platinum (think of these as choc chips).
>
> Cheers
> David

Normally, in base metal mines, the ore is concentrated before it is shipped
off-site (eg the nearby Northparkes mine at Goonumbla). It varies from mine
to mine and commodity to commodity but upgrading to about 45% metal is
reasonably common. If we assume a 20% concentrate the number of trucks drops
to around 8 per day as the grade figures quoted are only about 1% total
metal (economically doubtful were it not for the gold which could pay for
the whole mining/milling process). 1400 is an enormous number of jobs and
obviously includes a flow on and may be contingent on construction of a
smelter.

Syerston/Fifield is roughly equidistant from the Parkes-Condobolin and Bogan
Gate - Tottenham lines.

Cheers
Roger