Henty Gold Mine
{{Short description|Mine in western Tasmania}}
{{Use Australian English|date=February 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox gold mine
| name = Henty
| image =
| width =
| caption =
| pushpin_map = Tasmania
| pushpin_label =Henty Gold Mine
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Tasmania
| coordinates = {{coord|41|52|28|S|145|33|04|E|region:AU-TAS|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| place = Henty River
| subdivision_type = State
| state/province = Tasmania
| country = Australia
| owner = Unity Mining Pty Ltd
| official website = [https://www.divminerals.com.au/henty-gold-mine/ Diversified Minerals website]
| acquisition year = July 2009
| financial year = 2009–10
| amount = 43,178
| opening year = 1996
| closing year =
}}
The Henty Gold Mine is located at the head of the Henty River on the edge of the West Coast Range in Western Tasmania. It is approximately 30 km north of Queenstown. It is east of Zeehan and south of Rosebery. It can be reached by the Hydro-built road that passes between the Henty River and Tullah.
History
Operations began in the 1990s. Its orebody and viability was ascertained from earlier exploration in the area during the 1970s when the priority was for other forms of mineralization within the Mount Read Volcanic Belt.
Henty lies within the mineral rich Mt. Read Volcanic Belt in Western Tasmania that hosts the Hellyer, Que River, Rosebery, Hercules and Mount Lyell base metal deposits. The eastern side of the belt is dominated by the Henty Fault which runs north-east for over 60 kilometres between Mount Charter and Mount Read. The Henty operation is based on a series of structurally complex high-grade zones of gold mineralisation that occur within a package of highly altered volcanic rock adjacent to the Henty Fault.{{cite web|url=http://www.unitymining.com.au/henty-gold-mine-description/ |title=Unity Mining: Henty Gold Mine – Description |access-date=2015-06-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150618171551/http://www.unitymining.com.au/henty-gold-mine-description/ |archive-date=18 June 2015 |df=dmy }}
The Henty Gold Mine was operated by Barrick Gold – currently the largest gold producing company in the world, which acquired the mine through the takeover of Placer Dome in 2006. The Henty mine was expected to close on or before November 2009, with subsequent rehabilitation, due to depletion of ore reserves.
Henty Gold was acquired by Bendigo Mining mid-2009. Bendigo specialise in small scale operations and expect to extend the mine's life and also own the Kangaroo Flat Mine at Bendigo.{{cite web|url=http://www.bendigomining.com.au/safety_environment/community_relations/gallery/henty/ |title=Bendigo Mining |access-date=2010-02-06 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013140553/http://www.bendigomining.com.au/safety_environment/community_relations/gallery/henty/ |archive-date=13 October 2009 |df=dmy }} The mine continued to operate under Bendigo, producing 43,178 ounces of gold in the 2009–10 financial year, after investing A$3.8 million into mining equipment for the mine.{{cite web|url=http://www.bmnl.com.au/documents/asx/ASX_09JUL10.pdf|title=FY10 gold production of 79,827 ounces|website=Bmnl.com.au|date=9 July 2010|access-date=19 July 2010}}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
At stages of the mine's history, environmental monitoring studies were conducted on adjacent waterways.{{Citation | author1=Davies, PE | author2=Cook, LSJ | author3=Sloane, T | title=Biomonitoring of streams associated with Henty Gold Mine 2009 [Report to Henty Gold Mine, Bendigo Mining Limited] | publication-date=2009 | publisher=Freshwater Systems | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191591558 | access-date=24 January 2020 }}{{Citation | author1=Davies, PE | author2=Cook, LSJ | author3=Sloane, T | title=Biomonitoring of streams associated with Henty Gold Mine 2010 [Report to Henty Gold Mine, Bendigo Mining Limited] | publication-date=2010 | publisher=Freshwater Systems | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191591559 | access-date=24 January 2020 }}{{Citation | author1=Davies, PE | author2=Cook, LSJ | title=Biomonitoring of streams associated with Henty Gold Mine, 2012 [Report to Henty Gold Mine, Unity Mining Limited] | publication-date=January 2012 | publisher=Freshwater Systems | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/191358973 | access-date=24 January 2020 }}
In January 2021, the mine was acquired by Catalyst Metals Ltd.{{cite web | url=https://catalystmetals.com.au/henty-gold-mine/ | title=Henty Gold Mine • Catalyst Metals }}
= Death of mine worker =
On 23 January 2020 a mine worker was missing underground following a fall of ground at the mine.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amsj.com.au/mine-worker-missing-at-henty-gold-mine/|title=Mine worker missing at Henty Gold mine|last=Editor|first=Mining|date=2020-01-23|website=Australasian Mine Safety Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-23}} By the next day, it was reported as unlikely that he could have survived due to the amount of rock which had fallen. The mine was still unstable so only drones had been able to explore the rockfall.{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-24/henty-gold-mine-tasmania-rescue-enters-second-day/11895446 |work=ABC News |title=Police say 'it can only be concluded' the missing worker 'died' in Henty Gold Mine |date=24 January 2020 |access-date=24 January 2020}} On 25 January, mining services company Pybar Mining Services stated "following a site visit yesterday afternoon by the Tasmanian State Coroner and Tasmanian Police, it is with sadness that we acknowledge that the most likely outcome of our missing work colleague is that he is deceased."{{Cite web|url=https://www.amsj.com.au/pybar-mining-trapped-miner/|title=Pybar mining confirms 'worst fears' for trapped miner {{!}} Mine Safety News|last=Editor|first=Mining|date=2020-01-25|website=Australasian Mine Safety Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-25}} Police also confirmed the presumed death of 44-year-old Cameron John Goss in a statement released to media.{{Cite web|url=https://www.police.tas.gov.au/news-events/media-releases/henty-gold-mine-search/|title=Henty Gold Mine search – Updated @ 4.00pm 24 Jan 2020|website=Tasmania Police|language=en|access-date=2020-01-25}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.amsj.com.au/name-of-miner-trapped-henty-gold-mine/|title=Police release name of miner trapped in Henty Gold mine {{!}} Mine Safety|last=Editor|first=Mining|date=2020-01-25|website=Australasian Mine Safety Journal|language=en-US|access-date=2020-01-25}}
Production
Past production figures of the mine were:
| class="wikitable" |
| style="text-align:center; background:#daa520;"
| Year | Production | Grade | Cost per ounce |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2000The Australian Mines Handbook – 2003–04 Edition page: 172 | 97,332 ounces | 16.47 g/t | A$ 236 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 76,418 ounces | 12.50 g/t | A$321 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2002 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2003 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2004 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2005 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2006 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2007 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2008 | decreased by 280 kgMinerals Yearbook, 2008, V. 1, Metals and Minerals | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2009 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2009–10 | 43,178 ounces | 5.2 g/t | $890/oz |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2010-11 | 35,728 ounces | 4.7 g/t | $1105/oz inclusive of royalties |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2011-12 | 50,058 ounces | 5.6 g/t | $982/oz inclusive of royalties |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2012-13 | 43,851 ounces | 5.3 g/t | $1114/oz inclusive of royalties |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2013-14 | 38,067 ounces | 5.3 g/t | $1203/oz, including royalties of $39/oz |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2014-15 | 50,450 ounces | 6.27 g/t | $870/oz, including royalties of $69/oz |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2016–17 | | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2017–18 | | |
| style="text-align:center;"
| 2017–18 | | est. 5.7 g/t | |