KCGM Operations
One of Australia’s largest open pit gold mines, Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) Operations is a world class asset.
|
Location: |
Mine type: |
|
F24 gold production: |
Commenced gold production: |
|
Mineral Resources at 31 March 2024: |
Ore Reserves at 31 March 2024: |
|
Workforce: |
Employment type: |
KCGM Operations include the Fimiston open pit (Super Pit), Fimiston and Mt Charlotte underground mines and the Fimiston and Gidji processing plants.
The Golden Mile at the centre of the Kalgoorlie Goldfield, is one of the richest gold deposits in the world, producing more than 65 million ounces of gold over 130 years.
Rich History
The 1893 gold rush resulted in the discovery of the Golden Mile and by 1903, there were 49 operating mines, 100 headframes and more than 3,000 kilometres of underground workings on the Golden Mile.
In the 1980's, WA businessman Alan Bond started to buy up individual leases along the Golden Mile with the aim to consolidate them into a single company. While Bond’s company failed to complete the takeover, the entire area was combined in 1989. Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd (KCGM) was formed to manage the KCGM Operations owned by joint venture parties Normandy Australia Ltd and Homestake Gold of Australia Ltd.
In November 2019 and January 2020, joint venture parties Barrick Gold Corporation and Newmont Goldcorp Corporation sold their 50:50 interests in the KCGM Operations to Saracen Mineral Holdings Ltd and Northern Star respectively.
The KCGM Operations became 100% Australian-owned for the first time in its 31-year history on 3 January 2020.
When the merger between Northern Star and Saracen was implemented in February 2021, the KCGM Operations became controlled by a single entity, Northern Star, for the first time in its history.
The Kalgoorlie Goldfield is part of the Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt, consisting of volcanic and sedimentary rocks, surrounded by extensive granite.
The deposit is comprised of a series of mineralised faults which are known as lodes and mainly occur in a host rock known as the Golden Mile Dolerite.
More than 1,000 individual ore lodes occur within the Golden Mile, some extending up to 1,800m long, 1,200m deep and 10m wide.
The KCGM Operations are simple, large-scale mining operations with the vast underground network of historical workings shaping the way the Super Pit has been mined during the past 30 years.
Mining at KCGM Operations
Mining the Super Pit is a carefully planned sequence involving cooperation across a wide range of departments and specialist teams. Each has their part to play, from geology, environment, mine planning and survey teams to drillers, blasting engineers and the giant shovels and haul trucks which transport ore for processing and waste for disposal.
Open pit mining is completed by our mining operations team with total mine movements of over 80Mtpa completed by a modern truck and shovel mining fleet.
At the Mt Charlotte Underground, our mining services division Northern Star Mining Services (NSMS) is responsible for mining over 2Mtpa from the large mining complex through a series of long hole open stoping and sub level caving production areas.
Northern Star are also actively developing the Fimiston Underground advancing the underground growth targets alongside and below the Super Pit. NSMS provide all mining at the Fimiston Underground, with up to four active portals planned in FY25.
The Fimiston processing plant currently treats more than 13Mtpa of ore from Fimiston and Mt Charlotte.
In June 2023, Northern Star approved an expansion to increase mill capacity to 27Mtpa by FY29 (including a 2-year ramp up), becoming one of the largest milling complexes in Australia.
Want to discover more about our KCGM Operations or arrange a public visit to the Super Pit?
Visit our Super Pit website below.