B X B Mine (The Only One; Purdy's Old Workings; Matthew's Leases; Rocky Ridge), Hatches Creek Wolfram Field, Hatches Creek, Barkly Region, Northern Territory, Australiai

Regional Level Types
B X B Mine (The Only One; Purdy's Old Workings; Matthew's Leases; Rocky Ridge)	Mine
Hatches Creek Wolfram Field	- not defined -
Hatches Creek	Creek
Barkly Region	Region
Northern Territory	Territory
Australia	Country

The B X B mine is part of the southern most group of wolfram mines at Hatches Creek called Hit Or Miss. To reach head south on a track opposite the Pioneer mine on Kurundi Road (Binns Track). After about 5 kilometres the track reaches Hatches Creek itself, and proceeds south partly along the sandy creek bed (possibly boggy). The first track west is to the Treasure Gully workings. At the second gully, the track west is to the Hit or Miss mines. The B X B mine is on the southern banks of the gully at the entrance of it into Hatches Creek.

There are two lodes, 400 feet apart. The mine was originally called 'The Only One' when established in 1916. By 1940 there were three shallow shafts. At this time the northern workings were named 'Purdy's Old Workings', and southern workings 'Matthew's Leases'. In 1951 the two leases were registered as B X B and Rocky Ridge. B X B continued to operate until 1956, when it was abandoned due to the main shaft flooding with water. Mining at Rocky Ridge was discontinued due to poor wolfram grades.

The two lodes are east of a major wrench fault, forming the eastern limit of Hatches Creek tungsten mineralisation. The lodes contain a number of quartz reefs in a wide shear zone. The reefs at B X B are 3-15 inches wide, dipping steep east and west. The host rock to the lodes is acid volcanics, except the southern end which is in sandstone and quartzite, dipping south 75 degrees. The reefs are irregular at either end in one case due to the sedimentary rocks, and the other to jointing in the country rock caused by the wrench fault. The lodes contain a great number of minor quartz filled fissures.

At Rocky Ridge there are two shafts, 24 and 14 feet deep, on quartz reefs 9-12 inches wide, dipping steeply west. There were also open shallow cuts along the lode.

The main ore is wolframite, with minor scheelite, and minor Bi and Cu carbonates.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References