Craiggiemore Gold Mine, Laverton, Laverton Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
Craiggiemore Gold Mine	Mine
Laverton	- not defined -
Laverton Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

Gold pit located approximately 4 kms south of Laverton. A Cresent Gold 2008 announcement stated:
The enhanced Mineral Resource, based on data from nearly 760 drill holes, estimates that Craggiemore contains 1.5 million tonnes (M/t) at 1.6 gram per tonne gold (g/t Au) for 77,000 ounces of contained gold using a 0.5 g/t cut-off for combined Measured and Indicated categories.
This compares with previously published estimates for Craggiemore of 390,000 tonnes @ 3 g/t Au of Inferred Resources for 38,000 ounces.
An additional 0.1 Mt @ 1.6 g/t Au of Inferred Resources has been defined where drilling at Craggiemore is more widely spaced.

Some maps spell the mine "Craigemoor".

The lease was first taken up in 1897, with extensive mining until 1907 by the London based Craiggiemore Proprietary Ltd. During this period they mined 105 702 tonnes of ore for 35 403 ounces of gold at 6.7 dwt.

After the company abandoned the mine, a syndicate later the same year took over, and worked it until 1914. During this period 27 211 tonnes of ore was extracted for 5784 ounces of gold at 4.2 dwt. After this the lease was held by various prospectors, with only the occasional crushing. The Craiggiemore Development NL drilled the Craiggiemore and British Flag leases in 1935, with disappointing results, and the company was wound up. C.H. Fletcher held the lease in 1947.

Frank McArdle (34) was killed by a fall of earth in an open cut in 1901.

Historically, the mine was considered one of the most substantial in the Laverton area. A government geologist report in the early days of the London company's reign states it was one massive lode 150 to 200 feet wide, with three payable ore shoots called East, West and Middle. The East and Middle shoots converged at depth. Mining had been done in an irregular nature he claims. Gold values were patchy. The upper levels to 300 feet were much weathered, and at this point is fresh rock with much sulphides.

The initial town of Laverton was on the western side of the mine, but moved 4 kilometres to the present site in 1899.

An open pit was developed at the mine initially by Aurora Gold Ltd from 1989 to 1993. This period saw the mine produce 60 510 tonnes of ore at 2.0 g.t yielding 38 348 ounces of gold.

Gold is found in folded and faulted banded iron formation, interleaved with mafic rocks and minor sediments. A large amount of the gold was found in the supergene zone. , within 40 metres of saprolite clays. Historic mining followed high grade cores, at four levels, down a 125 metre deep shaft. They left the broader lower grade 2.0 g/t as uneconomic at the time. These steep plunging pipes developed at the intersection of the dominant north-south structures and later north-west trending faults.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References