Dargues Mine
Our Dargues Mine is a gold mining and milling operation located in the Southern Tablelands region of NSW, approximately 60km south-east of Canberra and a short drive from the heritage-listed town of Braidwood.
The Dargues Mine was purchased in late 2020 and successfully integrated into our production portfolio during 2021.
The development and construction of the Dargues Mine was completed prior to our acquisition, producing its first gold concentrate in June 2020. The processing plant reached its nameplate annualised capacity of approximately 355kt in September 2020.
Ore is mined using conventional bottom-up longhole stoping and trucked from the underground mine to a surface stockpile adjacent to the process plant. Stope voids are backfilled with cemented hydraulic fill or waste rock. Mine access is via a boxcut and decline from the surface.
Ore is treated through three stage crushing, ball milling, flotation and dewatering circuits to produce a gold-rich pyrite concentrate that is exported for smelting.
Aurelia has conducted a series of drill programs to test for extensions to the known deposit and multiple near mine exploration targets with the aim of extending mine life. We also continue to optimise operational performance and pursue higher annualised production rates.
Regulatory compliance reporting
Follow this link to view the Dargues Mine regulatory compliance reporting.
Production performance
| PRODUCTION | UNIT | FY21 PRODUCTION* | FY22 PRODUCTION |
| Gold production | oz | 15,186 | 41,661 |
Site Operations
100% Aurelia Metals Limited.
Underground gold mine and processing facility.
Braidwood, South-East NSW.
355ktpa.
Mining
- Mine access is via a boxcut and decline from the surface.
- Conventional bottom-up longhole stoping.
- Ore trucked from the underground mine to a surface stockpile adjacent to the process plant.
- Stope voids are backfilled with either cemented hydraulic fill or waste rock.
- Mining operations undertaken by contractor.
Processing
- Three-stage crushing circuit, ball mill and two-stage flotation circuit producing a gold-rich pyrite concentrate.
- Permitted capacity of 355kt per calendar year.
- Process tailings are used for cemented hydraulic fill or deposited in a lined tailings storage facility.
Maintenance
- Ongoing preventative maintenance program to sustain plant availability.
- Substantial spare parts holding.
- Fixed plant maintenance performed by Aurelia with access to regional expertise and resources.
Sales and Logistics
- Containerised concentrate transported 300km by truck for export through Port Botany.
- Multi-year concentrate offtake agreement.
Dargues Mine videos
Dargues Mine Project Flythrough
An introduction to our Dargues Mine – a gold mining and milling operation located in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, approximately 60km south-east of Canberra.