Mining in New Zealand

New Zealand's gold mining history dates back to the mid 19th century, when it formed the financial backbone for the country's development. Today, New Zealand is still endowed with significant gold deposits and has two large operating gold mines in the Martha gold mine at Waihi, and Macraes gold mine in Central Otago. The Martha gold mine alone has yielded over 7.6 million ounces of gold and about 40 million ounces of silver since the 1880s.

  • Production: 1878 to 1952: 4.9 Moz Au and 29.9 Moz Ag (1)
  • Production: 1988 to 2011: 2.7 Moz Au (2) and 13.1 Moz Ag (3)
While New Zealand has large gold deposits, exploration for and development of new deposits has languished over the last decade or so. Glass Earth is leading a revival of gold exploration activity using new technology to model historic gold deposits and locate new economically viable lodes.


Gold Mining Industry

  • two producing operations:
    • Macraes, Otago, South Island (OceanaGold)
    • Martha, Waihi, North island (Newmont)
  • brownfields exploration in vicinity of these operations
  • no major greenfields exploration programmes for 10-15 years prior to Glass Earth Gold Limited beginning operations in 2005

Opportunity


  • Limited application of modern developments in exploration technology
  • New computer developments, software, GPS etc not applied
  • Vast amounts of existing data
  • No new exploration data sets collected or collated
  • Large, highly prospective areas available for exploration
  • Glass Earth has moved rapidly to acquire large tracts of land in and around the most prospective areas

New Zealand Petroleum & Minerals (Previously Crown Minerals)

The government regulatory body that governs all prospecting, exploration and mining of all coal and metallic minerals as well as petroleum.
http://www.nzpam.govt.nz


Straterra

Straterra is an incorporated society that offers a collective voice for the New Zealand minerals sector, from small firms to large enterprises.
http://www.straterra.co.nz


New Zealand Minerals Industry Association (NZMIA)

An incorporated society whose main activity is to support the explorers and producers of New Zealand's mineral resources.
http://www.minerals.co.nz


Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM)

Represents the interests of professionals associated in all facets of the mining, exploration, and minerals processing industries.
http://www.ausimm.co.nz

References
(1) Braithwaite, R L, Torckler, L K and Jones, P K, 2005. The Martha Hill Epithermal Au-Ag Deposit, Waihi -- Geology and Mining History, in Geology and Exploration of New Zealand Mineral Deposits, Monograph 25 (ed: T Christie), pp 171-178 (The Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Victoria).

(2) Hobbins, J M, Torckler, L K, Rhys, D A, Ross, K V and Mauk, J L, 2012. The Correnso epithermal gold-silver deposit, a new blind discovery in Waihi, Hauraki Goldfield, New Zealand. Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: New Zealand Conference Proceedings 2012.

(3) Mauk, J L, 2011. Variable ore mineralogy in the world-class epithermal Waihi vein system, New Zealand. Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: New Zealand Conference Proceedings 2011.