Mount Morgan mine could re-open
A Central Queensland gold mine that was once the largest in the world could be back in operation soon.
Norton Gold Fields Limited has announced plans to extract gold from the old tailings dams and mullock dumps at the Mount Morgan mine south-west of Rockhampton.
The chief executive Tim Prowse says it could create 50 jobs in a town that now has one of Australia’s highest unemployment rates.
Mr Prowse says there was a similar operation after the mine closed in 1980, but it became uneconomical.
“The mine was operating between 1980 and 1990 processing the tailings. The gold price took a significant dip in the early ’90s and also the cost of the processing chemicals increased sharply at that time too,” he said.
“There’s a reserve there of around 4 million tonnes which can recover around 180,000 ounces of gold and there’s a further resource of a further 300,000 ounces of gold that still needs to be further assessed.
