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Kambalda St. Ives

Plant in Western Australia, Australia with commodities Cobalt, Copper, Nickel
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Ownership information
  13. Production statistics
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10158713
MAS/MILS ID 6020550016
Record type Site
Current site name Kambalda St. Ives
Alternate or previous names St. Ives, Kambalda and St. Ives Nickel. Op., Kambalda

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 121.66919, -31.19609 (WGS84)
Elevation 454
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

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
Cobalt Critical Secondary
Copper Secondary
Nickel Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Magnesite Unknown
Marcasite Unknown
Millerite Unknown
Pentlandite Unknown
Pyrite Unknown
Pyrrhotite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 121.66919, -31.19609
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N30W
    Dip 40N
    Thickness 5.5M
    Length 1500M
    Width 275M
    Depth to top 120M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 SHEAR ZONE
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 STOCKWORK
    Shape of Orebody #2 IRREGULAR
    Primary mode of Origin MAGMATIC DIFFER
    Primary Ore Control FAULTING
    Secondary Ore Control IGNEOUS
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. MODERATE
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Strike And Dip N30W:40N
    Minimum Depth to Top 30
    Date of Last Modification 830712
  • Area 400HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 400
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • 9 MAJOR ORE SHOOTS HAVE BEEN DELINEATED IN THE KAMBALDA MINERALIZED ZONE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Underground
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1947
Mining method Filled Stopes - Inclined Cut and Fill
Year of first production 1967
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Flotation
Milling method Flotation

Mining district

District name Kambalda

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Unknown

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Western Mining Corp. Ltd..
    Interest 100
    Home office Australia
    Year 1981

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Description Nickel Ore Input Is 3.28% Ni; Output From Mill Is 12% Ni 1300000 Mt Ore/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Nickel Nickel 3wt-pct
  • Year 1990
    Description Total Wmc Nickel Production 49000 Tonnes Ni Contained
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Nickel Nickel 48225.8mt

Comments on the production information

  • 26,000 OF THE 49,000 MT PRODUCED IN 1990 WAS SENT TO KWINANA REFINERY.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1993
    Demonstrated 10400000mt ore
    Total resources 10400000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Nickel Ni 3.1 wt-pct Nickel Major 1993

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • M1C2=M9C4. COLUMN 5 ROW 2 IS LISTED FOR 1991 RESERVES BY PRIVATE SOURCE.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Underground
    Overall depth 300M
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method HORIZ CUT & FILL W/WASTE ROCK 10-60
    Percent Waste Rock 50
    Percent Recovery 88
    Hardness of Rock HARDROCK WITH LITTLE WATER
    Rock Characteristics MULTIPLE SYSTEMS OF WEAKNESS PLANES
    Rock Support Chars. SUPPORTING
    Mine Support Chars. POST, HEADBOARD, CAPS, ROOF BOLTS
    Number of Shafts 2
    Avg. Length of Adits (m) 1500
    1st Condition of Workings OPEN
    Capacity 5228
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 32.7
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 250
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1991

Comments on other economic factors

  • ALL CONCENTRATE IS SENT TO KALGOORLIE FLASH SMELTER IN AUSTRALIA FOR MATTE PRODUCTION.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    AME MINERAL ECONOMICS QUARTERLY MINE ANALYSIS, JUNE, 1993,

  • Reserve-Resource

    P. 40.

  • Deposit

    WESTERN MINING CORP. LTD. ANNUAL REPORT, 1975, P. 6-8

  • Deposit

    E/M.J. INTERNATIONAL DIRECTORY OF MINING, 1975, P. 210

  • Deposit

    MINING INTERNATIONAL YEARBOOK, 1976, SKINNER, WALTER, R. PUB

  • Deposit

    BY THE FINANCIAL TIMES LTD. P 586

  • Deposit

    E/M.J., NOV. 19-- NICKEL AT KAMBALDA - CATALYST FOR A CONTIN

  • Deposit

    130-131

  • Deposit

    EWERS, W.E. AND HUDSON, D.R., 1972, AN INTERPRETIVE STUDY OF

  • Deposit

    IRON SULFIDE ORE INTERSECTION, LUNNON SHOOT, KAMBALDA, WESTE

  • Deposit

    RALIA, ECON. GEOL., VOL. 67, PP. 1075-1092

  • Deposit

    KEELE, R. A. AND NICKEL, E.N. 1974, THE GEOLOGY OF A PRIMARY

  • Deposit

    ITE-BEARING SULPHIDE ASSEMBLAGE AND SUPERGENE ALTERATION AT

  • Deposit

    TER SNOOT, KAMBALDA, WESTERN AUSTRALIA, ECON. GEOL., VOL. 69

  • Deposit

    02-1117.

  • Deposit

    NICKEL, E.H., ROSS, J.R. AND THORNBER, M.R., 1974, THE SUPER

  • Deposit

    TERATION OF PYRRHOTITE - PENTLANDITE ORE AT KAMBALDA, WESTER

  • Deposit

    ALIA, ECON. GEOL., VOL. 69, P. 93-107

  • Deposit

    E/MJ, NOV. 1970, KAMBALDA - START OF A NEW NICKEL ERA, P. 15

  • Deposit

    67, 1972. PP.1075-1091.

  • Deposit

    NICKEL, E.H., ROSS, J.R., AND THORNER, M.R. "THE SUPERGENE

  • Deposit

    ALTERATION OF PYRRHOTITE-PENTLANDITE ORE AT KAMBALDA

  • Deposit

    WESTERN AUSTRALIA." ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. VOL.69. 1974

  • Deposit

    PP.93-107.

  • Deposit

    KEELE, R.A. AND NICKEL, E.H. "THE GEOLOGY OF A PRIMARY

  • Deposit

    MILLERITE-BEARING SULFIDE ASSEMBLAGE AND SUPERGENE

  • Deposit

    ALTERNATION AT THE OTTER SHOOT, KAMBALDA, WESTERN

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIA." ECONOMIC GEOLOGY. VOLUME 69. 1974. PP.1102-

  • Deposit

    1117.

  • Deposit

    NICKEL, E.H., WOODALL, R. AND TRAVIS, G.A. MINING IN WESTERN

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIAN. R.T. PENDER,ED. UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIA PRESS. 1979. P.87.

  • Deposit

    ROSS, J.R. AND G.H.F. HOPKINS, "KAMBALDA NICKEL SULFIDE

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS." ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA NEW

  • Deposit

    GUINEA. VOL.1. 1975. P.101.

  • Deposit

    THE KAMBALDA NICKEL DEPOSITS GEOLOGY SETTING. ISSUED BY

  • Deposit

    THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. NOV. 1979.

  • Deposit

    THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF AUSTRALIA 1966-77.

  • Deposit

    WESTERN MINING CORPORATION HOLDINGS LIMITED; ANNUAL REPORT

  • Deposit

    1980.

  • Deposit

    U.S. BUREAU OF MINES. MINERALS YEARBOOK. 1965-77.

  • Deposit

    NICKDATA, INC. A COMPREHENSIVE NICKEL INDUSTRY COST DATABASE

  • Deposit

    AND COSTING PROGRAM. 1991. ILMAR J. MARTENS,

  • Deposit

    THOMAS F. TORRIES.

  • Deposit

    CRU-QUARTERLY MARKET SERVICE. NICKEL. APRIL, 1991.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit EXPLORATORY DRILLING: 212,000 FEET DIAMOND DRILLING, 59,900 PERCUSSION DRILLING. TECHNICAL DATA: MINING IS UNDERGROUND WITH 2 SHAFTS, VEIN MI DECLINE DRIVES. HAULAGE IS BY TRUCK AND RAIL. SEVERAL BROAD ASSUMPTION WERE NECCESSARY TO COMPLETE THIS PROPERTY. KAMBALDA AND ST. IVES ARE SIGNIFICANT PRODUCERS OF NICKEL IN AUSTRALIA AND HAVE COMPLEX PROCEDURES FOR MARKETING NICKEL, COPPER, AND COBALT. 1). THE PROPERTIES MILL THEIR ORE FROM WHICH A MAGNETIC PORTION IS REMOVED WHICH GOES DIRECTLY TO THEIR NICKEL-COPPER REFINERY. 2). THE NON-MAGNETICS ARE SEPARATED INTO SEVERAL PORTIONS; ONE IS SENT TO JAPAN FOR PROCESSING TO MATTE WHICH IS RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA FOR REFINING. ANOTHER IS SENT TO AN AUSTRALIAN SMELTER. 3). SOME OF THE MATTE FROM THE AUSTRALIA SMELTER IS SENT TO JAPAN. SOME OF THIS MATTE IS REFINED AND THE RESULTING NICKEL AND COPPER IS SENT BACK TO AUSTRALIA. SOME OF THE NICKEL AND COPPER REMAINS IN JAPAN. THE COBALT FROM THESE MATTES IS RECOVERED AND EITHER STAYS IN JAPAN OR IS SENT BACK TO AUSTRAILIA. 4). THE MATTE THAT IS REFINED IN AUSTRALIA IS RETRIVED INTO COPPER AND NICKEL AND IS SOLD ON THE WORLD MARKET. 5). THE SLUDGE, WHICH CONTAINS COBALT IS SENT TO SHERRITT-GORDON WHERE THE COBALT IS RECOVERED. COPPER AND COBALT ARE ALSO RECOVERED IN THE NI CONCENTRATE, AS THEY ARE PART OF THE TOTAL OUTPUT CAPACITY LISTED IN THE PRODUCT SET. PRESENT KAMBALDA CAPACITY IS AT 30,000 MT/YR CONTAINED NICKEL(CRU-4/91), BUT POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS 35,000 MT/YR. INCREASED OUTPUT IS EXPECTED DUE TO LABOR INCENTIVES AND MORE CONTRACT MINING. KALGOORLIE SMELTER, WHICH PROCESSES KAMBALDA AND LEINSTER ORE, IS NOW OPERATING AT 55,000 MT/YR CONTAINED NICKEL, BUT PLANS UPGRADE TO 65,000 MT/YR WITHIN NEXT THREE YEARS TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASE OUTPUT FROM BOTH MINES. MT. WINDARRA, NEARING DEPLETION, IS EXPECTED TO CLOSE IN 1991 (CAPACITY-CRU-4/91). DIB/GOLDER FEB. 1, 1983

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 17-APR-1995 Bleiwas, Donald U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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