Telfer mine
Mine located at Telfer, Western Australia
title: "Telfer mine" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1977-establishments-in-australia", "copper-mines-in-western-australia", "gold-mines-in-western-australia", "great-sandy-desert", "open-pit-mines", "shire-of-east-pilbara", "silver-mines-in-western-australia", "surface-mines-in-australia", "underground-mines-in-australia"] description: "Mine located at Telfer, Western Australia" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telfer_mine" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Mine located at Telfer, Western Australia ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mine"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Telfer Mine |
| image | Peering into the Pits of Telfer Mine (153079).jpg |
| caption | Satellite picture of the mine in December 2023 |
| pushpin_map | Western Australia |
| pushpin_label | Telfer Mine |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Western Australia |
| coordinates | |
| place | Telfer |
| subdivision_type | State |
| state/province | Western Australia |
| country | Australia |
| owner | Greatland Gold |
| official website | |
| acquisition year | |
| products | Gold, copper, silver |
| financial year | 2022–23 |
| opening year | 1977 |
| active years | 1977–2000, 2003–present |
| type | Underground, open pit |
| mapframe | yes |
| mapframe-zoom | 7 |
| :: |
| name = Telfer Mine | image =Peering into the Pits of Telfer Mine (153079).jpg | width = | caption =Satellite picture of the mine in December 2023 | pushpin_map = Western Australia | pushpin_label = Telfer Mine | pushpin_map_caption = Location in Western Australia | coordinates = | place = Telfer | subdivision_type = State | state/province = Western Australia | country = Australia | owner = Greatland Gold | official website = | acquisition year = | products = Gold, copper, silver | financial year = 2022–23 | amount =
- Gold: 349,000 troy ounces
- Copper: 17,000 tonnes
- Silver: 208,000 ounces | opening year = 1977 | active years = 1977–2000, 2003–present | closing year = | type = Underground, open pit | mapframe = yes | mapframe-zoom = 7
The Telfer Mine is a gold, copper and silver mine located at Telfer on the land of the Martu people, in the Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia. It is owned by Greatland Gold, having been acquired from the previous owner, Newmont, in December 2024.
The mine was discovered by Newmont in 1972. However, Jean-Paul Turcaud, a French prospector, disputes this claim to this day.
In the 2019–2020 financial year, the Telfer mine produced 393,164 ozt of gold, 16000 t of copper and 164,000 ozt of silver.
At 31 December 2020, measured and indicated mineral resources were 3.4 e6ozt of gold and 0.36 e6t of copper, and proved and probable ore reserves were 1.1 e6ozt of gold and 0.17 e6t of copper.
History
Discovery
Western Australia Senator John Panizza believed that the Telfer mine may be the legendary Lasseter's Reef, a lost mine supposedly found either in 1911 or in 1897.
Newmont first made a claim to the deposit in 1972. However this claim is disputed by Jean-Paul Turcaud to this date. Turcaud claims he found the Telfer deposit two years before Newcrest did. In the early 1980s, Turcaud reached a settlement, accepting $25,000 from Newmont's head office in New York City but continued his claim, demanding a Royal Commission.
The official story of the discovery states that the deposit was found by Day Dawn Minerals, a small exploration company, who did not stake a claim either. One of the company's geologists, a man called Ronnie Thomson, then moved on to work for Newmont, in which position he informed David Tyrwhitt, then exploration manager for the company in Western Australia, about the promising gold samples that had been found. Newmont paid Day Dawn $15,000 for the maps of the deposit and Tyrwhitt staked out the claim in May 1972.
First mining period 1977 to 2000
The mine opened in 1977 as a joint venture between BHP and Newmont. In 1990, a merger between BHP Gold and Newmont resulted in the creation of Newcrest, with ownership of the Telfer Mine now lying with Newcrest. The Telfer gold mine was expanded in 1991, and in June 1995, the mine reserves were 3.8 e6ozt, with resources at 7.3 e6ozt. The annual production was 370,000 to of ore. In 1997, the mine reached the milestone of having produced 5 e6ozt of gold. Open cut mining was suspended in August 2000 due to high operating costs. The closure of the mine came one year ahead of schedule as production of underground ore was well below mill capacity and therefore not viable. High production costs were primarily caused by the presence of cyanide soluble copper in the open pit ore. Newcrest then focused on exploratory drilling for new minerals.
Second mining period from 2002
In 2002, Newcrest Mining announced a new redevelopment project worth $1 billion, after discovering new mineral areas and a reserve base of some 19 e6ozt of gold and 640 e3t of copper. The redevelopment expanded underground mining areas, deepened open pits, constructed a processing plant and power station, and built a new gas supply line from Port Hedland. The Telfer mine is not connected to the Western Australian power grid but instead produces its own power from natural gas via a 450 km purpose built pipeline. The power station on site is able to produce 138 MW of power. The focus changed from open pit mining to underground mining, and Telfer became one of Australia's largest gold mines,
The mine reopened in November 2004, after commissioning of the processing plant and, initially as an open cut mine, from March 2006 also with an underground operation.
In January 2008, Newcrest Mining lowered the mine's annual gold output targets. Newcrest said, "At Telfer, mechanical availability of the open pit mining fleet and the processing of harder ores are impacting the expected production profile for the full year. Telfer site cash costs are expected to [rise] over guidance by 8-9 per cent." In June, the mine was affected by the statewide gas crisis caused by an explosion at Varanus Island. The mine lost 20 to of gold output for June. Newcrest obtained interim gas supply from Woodside Petroleum until August, when gas supply from Varanus Island resumed.
Newcrest was forced to cut job numbers from 1,400 to around 1,000 in late 2008, during the financial crises, to reduce costs.
Mining is carried out at the Main Dome open pit and the underground operations below. The West Dome pit is being mined again.
On 4 December 2013 a contractor was killed at the mine, being crushed by pipe work.
On 4 December 2024, Greatland Gold acquired a 100% stake in the mine.
Production
Production figures for the mine:
Gold
Annual gold production of the mine: ::data[format=table]
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 314,295 ounces | 1.33 g/t | A$390 |
| 2000 | 176,000 ounces | 1.62 g/t | A$494 |
| 2001–2003 | inactive | ||
| 2004–05 | 218,000 ounces | ||
| 2005–06 | 650,000 ounces | ||
| 2006–07 | 627,000 ounces | ||
| 2007–08 | 590,000 ounces | ||
| 2008–09 | 629,108 ounces | ||
| 2009–10 | 688,909 ounces | ||
| 2010–11 | |||
| 2011–12 | |||
| 2012–13 | |||
| 2013–14 | 536,342 ounces | 0.90 g/t | $A1,005 |
| 2014–15 | 520,309 ounces | na g/t | $A791 |
| 2015–16 | 462,461 ounces | na g/t | $A967 |
| 2016–17 | 386,242 ounces | 0.70 g/t | A$1,178 |
| 2017–18 | 425,536 ounces | 0.71 g/t | A$1,262 |
| 2018–19 | 451,991 ounces | 0.72 g/t | A$1,253 |
| 2019–20 | 393,164 ounces | 0.90 g/t | A$1,281 |
| 2020–21 | 416,138 ounces | 0.89 g/t | A$1,473 |
| 2021–22 | 407,550 ounces | 0.73 g/t | A$1,388 |
| 2021–22 | 349,000 ounces | A$1,633 | |
| :: |
Copper
Annual copper production of the mine: ::data[format=table]
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004–05 | 25,000 tonnes | ||
| 2005–06 | 38,000 tonnes | ||
| 2006–07 | 28,000 tonnes | ||
| 2007–08 | 27,000 tonnes | ||
| 2008–09 | 32,905 tonnes | ||
| 2009–10 | 34,815 tonnes | ||
| 2010–11 | |||
| 2011–12 | |||
| 2012–13 | |||
| 2013–14 | 43,619 tonnes | 0.16% | |
| 2014–15 | 23,119 tonnes | na% | |
| 2015–16 | 18,940 tonnes | na% | |
| 2016–17 | 20,136 tonnes | 0.14% | |
| 2017–18 | 16,212 tonnes | 0.10% | |
| 2018–19 | 15,025 tonnes | 0.09% | |
| 2019–20 | 16,278 tonnes | 0.14% | |
| 2020–21 | 13,177 tonnes | 0.11% | |
| 2021–22 | 13,904 tonnes | 0.09% | |
| 2022–23 | 17,000 tonnes | ||
| :: |
References
|archive-date=2020-07-12 |access-date=2010-01-27 }}
Bibliography
References
- "Telfer". Greatland Gold.
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20111127123147/http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s28534.htm The Golden Riddle: Finder's Keepers?] [[ABC Radio National]], produced by Bronwyn Adcock, broadcast: 6 June 1999, accessed: 27 January 2010. Archived from [http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s28534.htm the original] on 27 November 2011
- link. (16 October 2009 The Intelligent Investor, published: 13 April 2005, accessed: 27 January 2010)
- (14 August 2020). "Full Year Results FY20". Newcrest Mining.
- (11 February 2021). "Annual Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves Statement - as at 31 December 2020". Newcrest Mining.
- (7 December 1988). "Lasseter's reef 'found'". The Canberra Times.
- ''The Australian Mines Handbook: 2003-2004 Edition'', page 128, accessed: 27 January 2010
- [http://www.tnet.com.au/~warrigal/grule.html ''The Golden Rule''] {{Webarchive. link. (2 November 2009 Book review, author: Bob Sheppard, {{ISBN). 0-85905-311-3, accessed: 27 January 2010
- (15 September 2004). "Marco Zolezzi, general manager, Telfer gold mine, Western Australia". Australian Mining.
- [http://www.newcrest.com.au//history.asp History of NCM] {{Webarchive. link. (2 March 2010 Newcrest website, accessed: 27 January 2010)
- (11 March 1991). "Elsewhere in precious metals... the second phase of the development". Metals Week.
- (21 June 1996). "Newcrest upbeat on Telfer mine". Reuters News.
- (25 March 2002). "Newcrest cold on Telfer raising". [[The West Australian]].
- Phaceas, John. (20 November 2002). "Newcrest nod to invest $1b in Telfer". [[The West Australian]].
- (20 August 2002). "Newcrest gets expansion nod". ABC News.
- link. (22 January 2010 Newcrest website, accessed: 27 January 2010)
- Le May, Rebecca. (25 January 2008). "Miner loses friends as Telfer costs jump". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
- Thompson, Dionne. (27 June 2008). "Newcrest's Telfer gold output down 25,000 oz on Apache gas stoppage". Metal Bulletin.
- (19 August 2008). "Telfer gas supply back to normal". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
- [http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/newcrest-to-slash-mine-jobs/story-e6frg9do-1111117836793 Newcrest to slash mine jobs at its Telfer mine] ''[[The Australian]]'', published: 24 October 2008, accessed: 27 January 2010
- [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-04/man-dies-at-newcrest-telfer-mine-in-western-australia/5135494 Worker killed at Newcrest's Telfer mine in WA north] ''[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]'', published: 4 December 2013, accessed: 31 December 2013
- "Newcrest Mining Quarterly Report June 2018". Newcrest.
- "Newcrest Mining Quarterly Report June 2019". Newcrest.
- "Newcrest Mining Quarterly Report June 2021". Newcrest.
- "Newcrest Mining Annual Report 2021". Newcrest.
- "Newcrest Mining Annual Report 2022". Newcrest.
- "Newcrest Mining Annual Report 2023". Newcrest.
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