- Alkane’s central west NSW gold mine wins NSW Minerals Council Suppliers award
- Operating since January 2014, produced 69,000 ounces gold in FY17
- Tomingley Gold employs 114 staff and 42 contractors
Tomingley Gold Mine in central west New South Wales, owned by Alkane Resources (ASX: ALK), has won “Mining Operation of the Year” in the NSW Minerals Council Suppliers Awards.
The mine is based on four gold deposits and is located 50 kilometres south west of Dubbo.
Since opening in January 2014 the operation has been an open cut mine, with this scheduled to be completed in the September quarter of 2018.
The resource has underground mining potential which Alkane is currently investigating.
Production of 69,000 ounces of gold in FY17 was achieved despite severe rains affecting first half production, with FY17 revenue at A$117.3m and profit before tax and non-recurring items of A$17.1m.
Managing Director of Alkane, Nic Earner, said the award was a tribute to Alkane’s Tomingley workforce and contractors, particularly Emeco, Maxfield Drilling, and Reveg Services, and also the extent to which the operation had become part of the local community.
“The mine employs locals, many of whom we’ve trained to be part of the operation, and we have also given importance to the local environment and community events as part of our operations,” Nic Earner said.
Among factors contributing to Tomingley’s award win were:
- Fleet improvement and use of a mobile crushing plant to improve throughput and productivity
- Ongoing drilling to optimise a focus on high grade ore
- Local infrastructure improvements, including a community hall upgrade, sealing of village streets, new works at the Tomingley Racecourse & Recreation Reserve and providing top up water supply to the village from a bore water supply line
- Upskilling of the local workforce and close working relationships with contractors
Alkane has been involved in the local region for over 30 years, as an explorer and operator of the Peak Hill Gold Mine, with cash flow from Tomingley having contributed to developing Alkane’s A$1.3 billion Dubbo zirconium, rare earths, hafnium and niobium project.
The project is development and construction ready, with project financing underway and current projected construction start in 2019.
