The Nullagine gold Project is located in the Pilbara region of West Australia, approximately 10 kilometres south of the town of Nullagine, and 1,380 kilometres north-north-east of Perth (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Pilbara Region Western Australia
MINING AND EXPLORATION HISTORY
Gold was first discovered in the conglomerates at Nullagine in the late 1890s, resulting in a gold rush and considerable interest on the London Stock Exchange due to the geological setting similarities to South African Witwatersrand conglomerates.
By the turn of the century, numerous workings and treatment plants dotted the Mosquito Creek belt and, according to Western Australian Department of Mines, by the end of 1937, 47,380 tonnes ore returning 78,108 ounces of gold and 8,904 ounces of silver from alluvial sources and dollied specimens is recorded to have been produced.
A number of government geologists have studied the belt, most notably K.J. Finucane who wrote about many prospects in detail in the 1930s.
Millennium acquired a significant package of tenements in May 2001, previously held under option. The five resources making up this feasibility study are contained within these tenement holdings, and all have been subject various forms of exploration including aeromagnetic surveying, mapping, and rockchip sampling. Two resource calculations over each of the prospects have been undertaken since Millennium’s involvement, the first by RSG Global in 2003 and the second by Hellman & Schofield in 2005.
No gold exploration work has been carried out on the projects since 2005. A metallurgical drill test work programme will commence in November 2009.
PASTORAL HOLDINGS
The project site is located on Bonney Downs Station (Figure 1) owned by a consortium led by Peter Goyder.
NATIVE TITLE CONSIDERATIONS
All land involved as part of the project (except the accommodation facility located in Nullagine), is subject to native title. Individual native title mining agreements have been signed between Millennium Minerals Limited and the Njamal and Palyku people who have no objection to the proposed development.
The deal involved includes a range of provisions, including compensation during the life of the project and a commitment by the company to employment and training initiatives for traditional owners.
GEOLOGY OVERVIEW
The mining tenements that underpin the Nullagine Gold Project cover an area of 640 km2 within one of the oldest, and perhaps least explored goldfields in Western Australia. Millennium has been actively working in the goldfield since 2002 with the objective of developing a gold resource capable of supporting a 1 Mpta production operation over a seven-year mine life.
Prior to Millennium amalgamating most of the prospective tenement holdings into a single project that could be explored in a systematic manner, there had been a long history of piecemeal exploration and ad hoc mining by prospecting syndicates and small publicly listed companies. Much of this previous exploration work was of questionable quality and was directed at small groups of tenements that were clearly not suitable for stand-alone development.
In the last four years, Millennium has more than trebled the volume of drilling within the Nullagine landholding to 403,000 m, with a sizeable part of this increase in the form of high-quality RC drilling backed up by stringent sampling and quality control procedures.
As outlined below, the net results of this major commitment to drilling are that the global resource has more than doubled to 1,138,000 ounces of gold and, more importantly, there has been a tenfold increase in the categories of Measured and Indicated mineral resources to 909,000 ounces.
In addition to the focus on drilling and the establishment of a solid resource base, the company has also made significant progress on developing an in-depth understanding of the regolith and bedrock geology of the Mosquito Creek Belt, which is the main host of the mineralisation within Nullagine goldfield.
To underpin this work, the entire landholding was subject to high-precision, airborne magnetic and radiometric surveys, and almost a third of the landholding has been mapped, including all of the key areas around the main gold resources.
The knowledge gained from these work programs has allowed the company to develop a reliable and cost-effective exploration methodology that is based on a logical progression from geological targeting, to meaningful surface sampling and various phases of well-directed drilling. This approach will serve the company well in the future, and should allow mineable reserves to be replaced and the mine life extended beyond the scope of this feasibility study.
The Mosquito Creek Belt is a typical Archaean turbidite-dominated, metasedimentary thrust belt in which gold mineralisation is structurally controlled. The mineralisation is controlled by faults and quartz vein arrays that appear to have channelled gold-bearing fluids away from broader shear zones, which are located nearby and are recognised as the major conduits for regional-scale fluid flow.
In most deposits, including those that comprise the Bartons, All Nations and Golden Gate resources, gold is sited within or near the margins of steeply inclined quartz veins. The exception to this style of mineralisation is the large Golden Eagle deposit, which is characterised by gold disseminated through fractured wall rock that surrounds a series of gently inclined faults.
In outcrop, the Golden Eagle mineralisation is not accompanied by obvious wall rock alteration and, significantly, there are no historic workings developed on the zones of disseminated mineralisation, despite grades as high as 50 g/t Au. These features suggest that there is the potential for locating other, large-tonnage, Golden Eagle-style resources outside of the known mining centres within the Nullagine goldfield.
Independent geological and resource consultants Hellman & Schofield Pty Ltd undertook estimation of the majority of resources within the project area. The multiple-indicator kriging (MIK) block-modelling technique employed for estimation has been applied to the Gloden Eagle, Bartons, All Nations, Shearers and Golden Gate ABCD deposits. CSA Global undertook estimation for the five small Golden Gate area satellite deposits, namely Falcon, Condor, Crow, G Reef and Harrier.
The JORC-compliant resource inventory for the Nullagine Gold Project at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off grade is summarised in the table 1.
Apart from the current known resource base, there is clear exploration upside attached to the project area by virtue of the significant strike length of mineralised structures that are encompassed by the project, and the fact that much of the area has not been tested by modern, high-quality exploration of the type that Millennium can apply.
Table 1: Mineral Resource Estimates
|
|
|
Measured |
Indicated |
Inferred |
total |
|
|
Deposit |
Cut-off
Grade
(g/t Au) |
Mt |
Grade
(g/t Au) |
Mt |
Grade
(g/t Au) |
Mt |
Grade
(g/t Au) |
Mt |
Grade
(g/t Au) |
Ounces
(Au) |
|
Golden Eagle |
0.5 |
14.84 |
1.06 |
5.44 |
0.93 |
4.64 |
0.92 |
24.91 |
1.01 |
805,600 |
|
Shearers |
0.5 |
0.26 |
1.4 |
1.43 |
1.2 |
0.04 |
1.1 |
1.73 |
1.2 |
67,700 |
|
Bartons |
0.5 |
1.33 |
1.47 |
0.85 |
1.48 |
0.37 |
1.7 |
2.55 |
1.51 |
125,000 |
|
All Nations |
0.5 |
1.11 |
1.3 |
0.19 |
1.04 |
0.14 |
1.1 |
1.45 |
1.25 |
58,000 |
|
Golden Gate (ABCD Reef) |
0.5 |
|
|
0.58 |
3.24 |
0.11 |
2.6 |
0.68 |
3.12 |
69,000 |
|
Golden Gate Satellites |
0.5 |
|
|
0.33 |
3 |
0.13 |
3.4 |
0.46 |
3.1 |
45,000 |
|
Otways |
0.5 |
|
|
1.14 |
0.85 |
0.91 |
0.79 |
2.05 |
0.82 |
54,000 |
|
Little Wonder |
0.5 |
|
|
0.58 |
1.22 |
|
|
0.58 |
1.22 |
22,900 |
|
Totals |
0.5 |
17.54 |
1.11 |
10.54 |
1.21 |
6.33 |
1.03 |
34.41 |
1.13 |
1,247,200 |
|
1. Figures in Table may not sum due to rounding. |
|
2. The Mineral Resources were estimated using Multiple Indicator Kriging methodology for grade estimation by Hellman and Schofield Pty Ltd. |
|
3. The Golden Gate satellite deposits namely Falcon, Harrier, Crow, G Vein and Condor were estimated using Ordinary Kriging methodology for grade estimation by CSA Global. |
|
4. The table excludes royalties payable to third parties. |
|
5. The Golden Gate and Bartons deposits are the subject of a mining licence agreement whereby Millennium has the sole and exclusive right to explore and mine gold and other minerals. Millennium then is required to pay 25% of the net proceeds to the tenement owners (Livestock Marketing Pty Ltd, Duncan Thomas Young, Simba Holdings Pty Ltd and Ronald Lane Swinney) after mining and processing cost deductions. |
The Golden Eagle deposit Mineral Resource estimate has been compiled and prepared by Dr Bielin Shi, (MAusIMM) of CSA Global Pty. Ltd. who is a Competent Person as defined by the Australasian Code for the reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2004 Edition and who consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
The Shearers deposit Mineral Resource estimate has been compiled and prepared by Mr. David Williams (MAusIMM, MAIG) of CSA Global Pty. Ltd. who is a Competent Person as defined by the Australasian Code for the reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2004 Edition and who consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
The Otways deposit Mineral Resource estimate has been compiled and prepared by Mr. Shane Fieldgate (MAusIMM, MAIG) of CSA Global Pty. Ltd. who is a Competent Person as defined by the Australasian Code for the reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2004 Edition and who consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
The Little Wonder and Golden Gate satellite deposits Mineral Resource estimate has been compiled and prepared by Steven Hodgson, (MAIG) of CSA Global Pty. Ltd. who is a Competent Person as defined by the Australasian Code for the reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code) 2004 Edition and who consents to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on the information in the form and context in which it appears.
The reported Mineral Resource as it relates to Bartons, All Nations, and Golden Gate ABCD reef has been compiled by Mr Nic Johnson. Mr Johnson is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and an employee of Hellman & Schofield Pty Ltd. He has sufficient experience, relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking, to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 'Australasian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves' of December 2004 ("JORC Code") as prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists and the Minerals Council of Australia.
The Competent Persons listed consent to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on their information in the form and context in which it appears.
The following table lists tenement details for the resources and facilities within the Nullagine project scope.
Table of Tenements
|
Tenement |
Status |
Holders |
Commencement Date |
Expiry Date |
% Interest |
Area (ha) |
|
All Nations |
|
M46/199 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
1/06/1999 |
31/05/2020 |
100 |
8.10 |
|
M46/225 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
23/06/2006 |
22/06/2027 |
100 |
0.31 |
|
M46/98 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
19/09/1989 |
18/09/2010 |
100 |
4.86 |
|
Barton |
|
M46/164 |
Granted |
LIVESTOCK MARKETING |
11/01/1995 |
10/01/2016 |
75 |
8.65 |
|
M46/3 |
Granted |
LIVESTOCK MARKETING |
9/05/1984 |
8/05/2026 |
75 |
16.99 |
|
M46/441 |
Granted |
YOUNG, Duncan Thomas |
1/11/2005 |
31/10/2026 |
75 |
103.43 |
|
Golden Eagle |
|
M46/186 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
6/06/1997 |
5/06/2018 |
100 |
983.70 |
|
M46/300 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
23/06/2006 |
22/06/2027 |
100 |
15.14 |
|
Golden Gate |
|
M46/129 |
Granted |
SIMBA HOLDINGS PTY LTD |
9/06/1992 |
8/06/2013 |
75 |
42.74 |
|
M46/200 |
Application |
SIMBA HOLDINGS PTY LTD |
|
|
75 |
700 |
|
M46/47 |
Granted |
SIMBA HOLDINGS PTY LTD |
19/05/1987 |
18/05/2029 |
75 |
47.84 |
|
Five Mile |
|
M46/261 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
23/06/2006 |
22/06/2027 |
100 |
933 |
|
M46/262 |
Granted |
MILLENNIUM MINERALS LTD |
23/06/2006 |
22/06/2027 |
100 |
954 |