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Argyle Ak-1

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

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10084817
MRDS ID W700029
Record type Site
Current site name Argyle Ak-1

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 128.38302, -16.7114 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 5000(meters)
Relative position 120 KM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF KUNUNURRA

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
Diamond Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Enstatite Gangue
Leucite Gangue
Olivine Gangue
Phlogopite Gangue

Analytical data

Result INDUSTRIAL DIAMONDS - 55%
Result HIGH GEM QUALITY DIAMONDS - 5%
Result CHEAP DIAMONDS - 4:%
Result AVERAGE DIAMOND IS ABOUT 0.033 CT
Result LARGEST STONE BETWEEN 3 AND 4 CARATS (1986).

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand and Gravel
    Rock unit name Lamboo Complex Granite, Granodiorite, Metamorphic Rocks
    Rock description Lamboo Complex Granite, Granodiorite, Metamorphic Rocks
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Neoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Plutonic Rock > Porphyry > Lamprophyre
    Rock unit name Revolver Creek Formation Sandstone, Siltstone, Shale;Carr Boyd Group Sandstone, Siltstone, Shale
    Rock description Revolver Creek Formation Sandstone, Siltstone, Shale;Carr Boyd Group Sandstone, Siltstone, Shale

Nearby scientific data

(1) 128.38302, -16.7114
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Halls Creek Mobile Zone
Type of structure Local
Structure description Pipe Along Splay Fault Of Glenhill Fault

Ore body information

  • General form PIPE -ELONGATED DIATREME, NORTH END IS BOWL SHAPED
    Thickness 230M
    Length 2000M
    Width 200M
    Depth to bottom 230M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Halls Creek Fault Intersection With Ivanhoe Fault

Comments on the geologic information

  • PIPE IN CONTACT BETWEEN REVOLVER CREEK FORMATION AND CARR BOYD GROUP; XENOLITHS (GRANITIC AND GABBROIC) OF LAMBOO COMPLEX OF LOWER PROTEROZOIC AGE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1979
Year of first production 1983

Mining district

District name East Kimberley Region

Ownership information

  • Type Joint Venture Owner-Op
    Owner Argyle Diamond Mines Pty. Ltd.
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Cra Ltd.
    Interest 57
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Ashton Mining Ltd
    Interest 38
  • Type Joint Venture Operator
    Owner Western Australian Diamond Trust
    Interest 5

Production statistics

  • Year 1983
    Material DIAMONDS
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^5.81 Ct/Tonne
  • Year 1984
    Material DIAMONDS
    Accuracy Accurate
    Description Ap_Grade: ^3.86 Ct/Tonne

Comments on the production information

  • EARLY PRODUCTION INCLUDES DIAMONDS FROM ALLUVIAL MATERIAL CAPPING DEPOSIT.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LARGEST DIAMOND DEPOSIT IN THE WORLD (1987).
  • RESERVES ARE FOR 100-200 M BELOW GROUND LEVEL.

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT MINE; PLANNED MILL CAPACITY 3,000,000 TONNES PER YEAR; 300 EMPLOYEES ON SITE AT ANY ONE TIME; WATER SUPPLIED FROM LAKE ARGLE VIA 40 KM PIPELINE; MINING BY BENCHING; PRE-STRIPPING OF 20,000,000 TONNES WASTE

Comments on development

  • CONSERVATIVELY ESTIMATED MINE LIFE OF 20 YEARS (1986); DEPOSIT DISCOVERED BY TRACING DIAMONDS IN ALLUVIUM IN SMOKE CREEK (OCT. 2, 1979); LARGEST STONE FOUND DURING EXPLORATION WAS 5 CARATS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JAQUES, A.L., LEWIS, J.D., AND SMITH, C.B., 1986, THE KIMBERLITES AND LAMPROITES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA: GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA BULLETIN 132, 268 P.

  • Deposit

    DOW, D.B., AND GEMUTS, I., 1969, GEOLOGY OF THE KIMBERLEY REGION, WEST AUSTRALIA: THE EAST KIMBERLY: AUSTRALIA BUREAU OF MINERAL RESOURCES, GEOLOGY, AND GEOPHYSICS BULLETIN 106, 135 P.

  • Deposit

    ANONYMOUS, 1985, NEW DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS: MINING ACTIVITY DIGEST, V. 12, NO. 7, P. 1-2.

  • Production

    AUSTRALIA'S MINING JOURNAL, APRIL, 1985.

  • Reserve-Resource

    JAQUES AND OTHERS, 1986.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit TWO DIAMOND PLACERS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ARGYLE PIPE: UPPER SMOKE CREEK WITH PROBABLE 580,000 TONNES WITH 4.6 CARATS PER TONNE AND LIMESTONE CREEK WITH PROVEN 1,700,000 TONNES WITH 3.6 CARATS PER TONNE AND PROBABLE 330,000 TONNES WITH 3.0 CARATS PER TONNE DIAMONDS. ; INFO.SRC : 1 PUB LIT
Deposit SURFACE AREA OF DEPOSIT ESTIMATED TO BE 45 HECTARES; BODY IS DISTINCTLY LINEAR; THICKNESS AT NORTH END.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-87 Bliss, James D. U.S. Geological Survey CORRECTED LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
Updater 01-MAY-94 Preston, W. Western Australia Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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