Heavy rains have severely impacted the operations of a gold mining company in Australia, which attributes the decrease in production to the cyclones that have hit several regions of the country.
By the first quarter of 2024, gold production at mines managed by Surbiton Associates was reduced to 70 tonnes, compared to 77 tonnes produced in the previous quarter of December 2023. This decrease is due to a series of cyclones that have caused heavy rains in the main oil-producing areas of the country. Australia’s gold.
Gold production shutdown in Australia
Director Sandra Close noted that nearly two dozen mines in Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory have reported production problems due to rain and flooding. According to Close, “Wet weather makes haul roads dangerous and slippery. Wet ore sticks to garbage cans, is difficult to crush and sticks to conveyor belts“.
As a result, several open pits were flooded, which led to the suspension of mining activities. mining activities mining activities at these sites. On the other hand, in some subway mines, where access is through a decline from the base of an open pit, it was impossible to transport the ore to the treatment plants.
Consequences of heavy rains
Torrential rains interrupted the supply of fuel oil in some mines and caused power outages due to damage to power grids. Among the mines most affected were Tropicana, located 330 kilometers east of Kalgoorlie, which saw a reduction of 59,000 ounces, and Tanami in the central Northern Territory, which decreased production by 46,000 ounces.
However, some mines reported an increase in production, such as Cadia in New South Wales, which increased by 25,000 ounces, and Bellevue in Western Australia, with an increase of almost 22,000 ounces. Despite these setbacks, most mining companies are maintaining their production projections for 2024, planning to offset losses over the coming months.
Mining companies in Australia are exploring new technologies and management techniques to mitigate climate impacts and improve operational resilience to extreme weather events.
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Source: seymourtelegraph
Photo: Shutterstock
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