Mt. Windarra - South Prospect Nickel

Producer in Western Australia, Australia with commodities Nickel, Copper, Platinum, Palladium, Iridium, Chromium, Iron
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Alteration
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Production statistics
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10039356
MRDS ID M047012
Record type Site
Current site name Mt. Windarra - South Prospect Nickel

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 122.16587, -28.49621 (WGS84)
Relative position 17 KM. SOUTH OF MOUNT WINDARRA (NORTH).

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Western Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Western Australia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Nickel Critical Primary
Copper Secondary
Platinum Critical Tertiary
Palladium Critical Tertiary
Iridium Critical Tertiary
Chromium Critical Tertiary
Iron Tertiary

Comments on the commodity information

  • MOST ORE IS SUPERGENE WITH VIOLARITE THE DOMINANT NI. MINERAL

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chalcopyrite Ore
Chromite Ore
Millerite Ore
Pentlandite Ore
Pyrite Ore
Pyrrhotite Ore

Alteration

  • (Local) Violarite - Supergene Alteration

Analytical data

Result PD/PT = 20:1
Result NI/CU = 20:1

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Ultramafic Intrusive Rock
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoarchean
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Komatiite (Ultramafite)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Metavolcanic Rock > Mafic Metamorphic Rock > Greenstone
    Rock unit name Iron Formation;
    Rock description Iron Formation;

Nearby scientific data

(1) 122.16587, -28.49621

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description South Plunging Anticline
Type of structure Local
Structure description The Footwall Of Ore Is Formed By The Banded Ironstone Formation (See Description For Windarra North). Ore Lenses Occur Over An East-West Strike Length Of 1280 M. And Dip To The South At 40 To 45 Deg. The High-Grade Ore Lenses Are More Discontinuous Than At Mount Windarra North And Intrusive Basic And Acidic Rocks Have A More Profound Effect On The Ore Zone.

Ore body information

  • General form LENSE
    Dip 40
    Length 1280M
    Depth to bottom 300M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Basal Zone Of Ultramafics Near Contact With Iron Formation.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1970
Discoverer Union-Hanna-Homestake Group
Production years 1984-1986

Mining district

District name Eastern Goldfields

Production statistics

  • Year 1974
    Material ORE
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^1.8 % Ni
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Nickel Nickel 2wt-pct
  • Year 1974
    Material NI
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^Ni In Ore, Est. 75 % Recovery
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 75wt-pct

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ENG. AND MIN. JOUR., 2/74, P. 21.

  • Deposit

    AMER. MET. MKT., 12/12/72.

  • Deposit

    SKINNER, WALTER R., 1973, MINING INT. YRBK.: THE FINANCIAL TIMES, LONDON, P. 471.

  • Deposit

    ENG. AND MIN. JOUR., 2/75, P. 53 (DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT).

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING AND MINING JOURNAL, MAY, 1986, P. 16.

  • Production

    RECORD W002722

  • Reserve-Resource

    WOODAL, R., 1974 , NICKEL RESOURCES IN AUST.: UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT. PGM CALCULATED FROM KEAYES DATA GIVEN FOR MT. WINDARRA - SEE MT. WINDARRA NORTH OPERATIONS RECORD

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit POSEIDON LTD. - WESTERN MINING CORP. LTD., RESERVES ESTIMATED TO APPROX. 174 M., AND ALLOW FOR MINING LOSS AND MINING DILUTION. SOUTH WINDARRA IS A RELATIVELY SIMPLE DEPOSIT. 30 M. OF ALLUVIAL GRAVELS AND CLAY COVER AN ORE BODY 1280 M. LONG AND 300 M. DEEP. THE ORE BODY IS RELATIVELY UNDEFORMED AND DIPS MODERATELY TO THE SOUTH. IT RESTS ON THE LIMB OF A LARGE ANTICLINE.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAR-1979 Saso, Jerri L. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.