GOLD MINING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 956, 28 December 1933, Page 11

GOLD MINING.

Company Reports and Returns. The Big: River report for December is as follows: No. 3 Level—Xo. l South Drive: Stop- | ing on Henderson’s Reef in this level | was continued and IM> tons of ore raised. I The stone in the slopes is in and out, | which is characteristic of this country. I At the present the faces are showingstone 6in to 3ft wide, i Main Shaft—The repairing and renewing of timbers in the main shaft from ' No. 3 level to Xo. 4 level has been coniI Pleted and likewise for a distance of ! -oft below Xo. 4 level. This section of the shaft is now in good order. Xo. 4 Level—Platt is almost cleared of debris. One set of timbers has been placed in position and three others have to be put in. The ground above that has been filled in and secured. Early in the Xew Year a commencement will bo made to drive out Xo. 4 level e-ast into Henderson’s Reef section. _Gold Returns—Battery Department: 170 tons of ore crushed for 75<iz ISdwt of melted gold. Cyanide Department: 150 tons of sands treated 3 soz ldwt of bullion. Total estimated value: £5lO. In addition to the above 3 tons 17cwt SSlb of concentrates were saved, valued at £ll*s. (Tn estimating the above valne?; gold has been taken at 120 s per fine on roe). Mining at Thames. Hnately £2OOO worth of bullion In obtained at the Thames School of . treatment plant in the last year frm ;r<_els of ore. forwarded for the most part by tributers and prospectors working on the Thames goldfield under the Unemployment Board’s subsidised prospecting scheme. This amount is calculated at £4 an ounce for fine gold. The director, states the ’* New Zealand Herald.” stated that the battery had been kept very busy. Several parcels had averaged between lOoz and 2 4oz to the load. The returns ’ from the plant, which he emphasised was really only «n experimental one and needed enlarging, were significant when compared with the small returns of a few years ago. and showed the great value of the battery to Thames miners. Mount X»yoU Operations. The Mount Lyell Mining Co., Ltd., is as follows: Xorth Mount Lyell Mine—Tons extracted 6261. 100 ft level, south drive to 707 ft through soft grey schist. 700 ft level, mullock pass drive to 40ft through old filling. 925 ft level, foot wall drive to 63ft through cliloritic schist. 1100 ft level, foot wall drive to 26ft through dark grey schist. Crown Lyell Mine—Tons extracted 534 4. Xo. 3 level, No. 2 mullock pass rise to 63ft through pyritised cliloritic SchistRoyal Tharsis Mine—Tons extracted 5151. Xo. 1 level, Xo. 1 stope driving to 44ft through low grade ore. Xo. 5 level, Xo. 1 ladderwa.v rise to 21ft through low grade ore and completed by holing through to slope above; ore pass branch' winze to 33ft through grey schist, and ; completed by holing through to transfer; pass; Xo. 5 ore pass rise to 22ft through : schist and ore, and completed by holing through to slope. Xo. 7 level, magazine drive to 53ft through grey and mineralised schist. Lyell Comstock Mine—Tons extracted 4249. Xo. 4 level, Xo. 4 heading advanced to 100 ft through decomposed schist and suspended: mullock pass drive, commencing from south drive, advanced to 14ft through schist. Xo. 6 level, Xo. 2 rise to 183 ft through ore. 630 ft level, Xo. 18 stope drive to 83ft through ore; Xo. 19 stope drive to 331 t Uirough ore; No. 20 slope drive to 100 ft through ore; crosscut oft Xo. 20 stope drive to 9ft through ore. Xo. 7 level, main tunnel to 1102 ft through schist. Reduction Works—Furnace in blast for full period, 2021 tons of refinery anodes made for rurrent year. Concentrator—Mill operated 336 hours and treated 19.727 tons ore, producing 1840 tons concentrates. Copper Refinery—Tank house in operation throughout period, 428 tons of cathodes being produced for fortnight, j Total for current year 2241 tons. Australian Interests. The directors of Gold Holdings, X.L. i have secured an option for three mouths : over a gold dredging property of about 450 acres, including some freehold area, ' with some dredging plant, situated at Stafford, near Hokitika, in the provincial district of Westland, South Island, Xew Zealand, states a Melbourne paper. Mr T. J. Shephard. Victorian mining engineer, who has been engaged to inspect test bore and report on the area under option, arrived in Xew Zealand on December 11. Approximately 136 acres of the area, has been systematically bored by Mr D. M. Pettigrew, a New Zealand mining engineer, with the following results:—Total cubic yardage bored, 5,995,140: average value a yard based on gold at £4 an ounce, 12.41 d; years of work with dredge of size recommended on 136 acres only, approximately ten years; dredging costs a cubic yard, 3.5 d: net profits a cubic yard, gold at £4 an ounce, R.9ld; net profits a week with dredge handling 12,000 cubic yards, gold at. £4 an ounce. £450. With the present price of gold *hese net weekly returns would approximate £BOO. Of the untested portion of the option Mr Pettigrew reports that only the lower half of the property has been bored, and values appear to increase upstream. The valley above the bored section, though narrower. probably con tains a more highly concentrated gravel. Should Mr T. J. Shephard's report be favourable ster»s will be taken to form an operating company. having a capital not exceeding 150.090 shares of 5s each. The consideration to he paid to the vendor. Mr J. S. Langford, of Hokitika. Xew Zealand. is £SOOO cash, and the allotment of ?r..n00 shares fullv nnid up. The vendor has agreed to underwrite an issue of 29.000 contribt.ting shares.