Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Kanowna Goldfield, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australiai
Regional Level Types | |
---|---|
Kanowna Belle Gold Mine | Mine |
Kanowna Goldfield | Ore Field |
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire | Shire |
Western Australia | State |
Australia | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
30° 36' 14'' South , 121° 34' 46'' East
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Locality type:
KΓΆppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
Place | Population | Distance |
---|---|---|
Williamstown | 161 (2018) | 18.6km |
Kalgoorlie | 31,107 (2014) | 18.7km |
Boulder | 5,178 (2017) | 21.5km |
Stoneville | 2,841 (2016) | 34.2km |
Coolgardie | 802 (2016) | 55.5km |
Gold mineralisation is chiefly in a felsic to intermediate porphyry and polymictic conglomerate
The Kanowna Belle Gold Mine is 20 kilometres north-east of Kalgoorlie, and two kilometres west south-west of the historic gold workings at Kanowna. It is surprising for such an intensely explored area over a period of almost one hundred years, the Kanowna Belle deposit was only discovered in 1989.
Its ownership has been convoluted. The deposit was discovered by Delta Gold in 1989. An open pit mine opened in 1993 by Delta and Pancontinental Mining. An amalgamation of leases saw the Golden Valley Joint Venture between Delta and Peko Gold. Delta bought out Peko, then merged with Goldfields Ltd to form Auriongold. This company was in turn purchased by Canadian miner Placer Dome. In 2006, fellow Canadian miner, Barrick Gold Corp acquired Placer Dome. Barrick owns several gold mines in Western Australia.
Gold mineralisation at Kanowna Belle was not immediately apparent, and it took several years of investigations to work out what was happening underground. The deposit was missed by the prospectors around 1900, as no evidence of it exists on the surface. It lays hidden under a weathered. leached, non-gold saprolitic bedrock. It is also off trend for the normally north-west to south east trending greenstone belts of the region. Further, its geology was different to most deposits in the region.
It has been described as a series of stacked lenses and some gold shoots, overlain by a supergene blanket of gold mineralisation. The supergene zone is 35-45 metres below the surface. The main lenses are named Hilder, Coyle, Lowes, Troy, and Hanging Wall Shoots. They are named after early Kanowna pioneers. A detailed description of the lenses is beyond the scope of this summary. The lenses/shoots run parallel with the Fitzroy Fault, which appears to have had a major bearing on how the deposit formed. The stacked lenses or shoots strike north-east, dipping moderately at 60 degrees to the south-east, striking up to 600m and to 1000m depth.
The supergene blanket is 1-10 metres thick, and extends horizontally beyond the lenses. The deposit contains widespread and variable carbonate-sericite, sodium and silica alteration. Pyrite is disseminated and sometimes veined and makes up 1-5% weight of the rock. Other sulphides and tellurides are very minor at less than 0.1% weight combined. The reference does not list the species. Gold is only occasionally visible, and needs to be processed to be extracted from the ore.
The deposit is hosted in the Boorara Domain, being a sequence of mafic and ultamafic lavas, with felsic volcanics, sediments, and conglomerates of the Gindalbie Formation. The country rock at Kanowna Belle is course fragmental mass flow sediments, interbedded with ultramafic rock showing fragments of older weathered rocks of different types as conglomerates (clast and polymict), felsic fragments, all intruded by Quartz and feldspar-phyric porphyries.
The original open pit accessed the old Ballarat and Last Chance vein systems. The open pit is now closed, and underground mining is taking place. The three underground mines are called Kanowna Belle, Kanowna and Kundana. The last one is sub-divided into Raleigh, Rubicon and Hornet Mines. The public can view the mining operations from two lookouts.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsCommodity List
This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.Mineral List
15 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
β Albite Formula: Na(AlSi3O8) Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β Arsenopyrite Formula: FeAsS Reference: Barrick Gold. Information board at public lookout at the mine. (It states gold is associated with arsenopyrite ore)
Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Calcite Formula: CaCO3 Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β 'Chlorite Group' Reference: Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20. |
β Famatinite Formula: Cu3SbS4 Reference: Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20. |
β Goethite Formula: Ξ±-Fe3+O(OH) Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Gold Formula: Au Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003
Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20.
Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Gold var. Electrum Formula: (Au,Ag) Reference: Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20. |
β Hematite Formula: Fe2O3 Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Kaolinite Formula: Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Maghemite Formula: (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe3+2O4 Reference: Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Muscovite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β Muscovite var. Fuchsite Formula: K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β Muscovite var. Sericite Formula: KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003; Stanton-Cook, K.(1992): Kanowna Belle Gold Deposits- exploration and history. (Talk given to the Geological Society of Australia Annual Conference), Delta Gold NL (1992)
Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20. |
β 'Plagioclase' Formula: (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β Pyrite Formula: FeS2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003
Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20.
Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Quartz Formula: SiO2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003
Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20.
Anand, R. R., & Dell, M. (2005). Kanowna Belle gold deposit, Western Australia. In Regolith Expression of Australian Ore Systems (pp. 270-272). CRC LEME Perth. |
β Rutile Formula: TiO2 Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β Scheelite Formula: Ca(WO4) Reference: Pasi Eilu (2003) Exploration for orogenic gold deposits. Fennoscandian Exploration and Mining 2003 Rovaniemi, Finland December 2003 |
β 'Xenotime' Reference: Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20. |
Gallery:
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
Group 1 - Elements | |||
---|---|---|---|
β | Gold | 1.AA.05 | Au |
β | var. Electrum | 1.AA.05 | (Au,Ag) |
Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
β | Arsenopyrite | 2.EB.20 | FeAsS |
β | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
β | Famatinite | 2.KA.10 | Cu3SbS4 |
β | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
β | Goethite | 4.00. | Ξ±-Fe3+O(OH) |
β | Hematite | 4.CB.05 | Fe2O3 |
β | Maghemite | 4.BB.15 | (Fe3+0.67β»0.33)Fe3+2O4 |
β | Quartz | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
β | Rutile | 4.DB.05 | TiO2 |
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
β | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
β | Scheelite | 7.GA.05 | Ca(WO4) |
Group 9 - Silicates | |||
β | Albite | 9.FA.35 | Na(AlSi3O8) |
β | Kaolinite | 9.ED.05 | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
β | Muscovite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
β | var. Fuchsite | 9.EC.15 | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
β | var. Sericite | 9.EC.15 | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Unclassified Minerals, Rocks, etc. | |||
β | 'Chlorite Group' | - | |
β | 'Plagioclase' | - | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
β | 'Xenotime' | - |
List of minerals for each chemical element
H | Hydrogen | |
---|---|---|
H | β Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
H | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
H | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
H | β Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
H | β Goethite | Ξ±-Fe3+O(OH) |
C | Carbon | |
C | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
O | Oxygen | |
O | β Scheelite | Ca(WO4) |
O | β Quartz | SiO2 |
O | β Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
O | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
O | β Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
O | β Rutile | TiO2 |
O | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
O | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
O | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
O | β Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
O | β Hematite | Fe2O3 |
O | β Maghemite | (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4 |
O | β Goethite | Ξ±-Fe3+O(OH) |
Na | Sodium | |
Na | β Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
Na | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Al | Aluminium | |
Al | β Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
Al | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Al | β Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Al | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
Al | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Al | β Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
Si | Silicon | |
Si | β Quartz | SiO2 |
Si | β Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
Si | β Albite | Na(AlSi3O8) |
Si | β Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Si | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
Si | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Si | β Kaolinite | Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 |
S | Sulfur | |
S | β Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
S | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
S | β Famatinite | Cu3SbS4 |
S | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
K | Potassium | |
K | β Muscovite var. Sericite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
K | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
K | β Muscovite | KAl2(AlSi3O10)(OH)2 |
Ca | Calcium | |
Ca | β Scheelite | Ca(WO4) |
Ca | β Plagioclase | (Na,Ca)[(Si,Al)AlSi2]O8 |
Ca | β Calcite | CaCO3 |
Ti | Titanium | |
Ti | β Rutile | TiO2 |
Cr | Chromium | |
Cr | β Muscovite var. Fuchsite | K(Al,Cr)3Si3O10(OH)2 |
Fe | Iron | |
Fe | β Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
Fe | β Pyrite | FeS2 |
Fe | β Hematite | Fe2O3 |
Fe | β Maghemite | (Fe3+0.67◻0.33)Fe23+O4 |
Fe | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
Fe | β Goethite | Ξ±-Fe3+O(OH) |
Cu | Copper | |
Cu | β Famatinite | Cu3SbS4 |
Cu | β Chalcopyrite | CuFeS2 |
As | Arsenic | |
As | β Arsenopyrite | FeAsS |
Ag | Silver | |
Ag | β Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
Sb | Antimony | |
Sb | β Famatinite | Cu3SbS4 |
W | Tungsten | |
W | β Scheelite | Ca(WO4) |
Au | Gold | |
Au | β Gold | Au |
Au | β Gold var. Electrum | (Au,Ag) |
References
Sort by
Year (asc) Year (desc) Author (A-Z) Author (Z-A)Stanton-Cook, K.(1992): Kanowna Belle Gold Deposits- exploration and history. (Talk given to the Geological Society of Australia Annual Conference), Delta Gold NL (1992)
Sugiono, D., ThΓ©baud, N., LaFlamme, C., Fiorentini, M., Martin, L., Rogers, J., ... & McFarlane, C. (2021). Integration of multiple sulfur isotopes with structural analysis unveils the evolution of ore fluids and source of sulfur at the Kanowna Belle Archean orogenic gold deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 1-20.
External Links
http://en.wikipedia/wiki/Kanowna_Belle_Gold_Mine
http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/kanowna/
http://www.barrick.com/GlobalOperations/AustraliaPacific/Kanowna/default.aspx
http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/kanowna/
http://www.barrick.com/GlobalOperations/AustraliaPacific/Kanowna/default.aspx
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
Australia
- Western Australia
- Kambalda Nickel Metallogenic ProvinceGeologic Province
- West Australian ElementCraton
- Yilgarn CratonCraton
Australian PlateTectonic Plate
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Kanowna Belle Gold Mine, Kanowna Goldfield, Kalgoorlie-Boulder Shire, Western Australia, Australia