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Home and Essential Contacts A Leading Light in Pacific Mining A Young Geological Environment Base and Precious Metal Mineralisation Exploration Activity |
Fiji: Exploration Activity Both major and junior companies have been active in Fiji in recent years, targeting gold and copper. There are nearly 40 prospecting licences currently valid, covering an area of over 450,000 ha. Exploration spending commitments for the 1997/98 year total over F$11 million. Current exploration is dominated by the Tuvatu gold project, which Emperor Gold Mining Co. Ltd recently acquired from the previous licence-holder, Geopacific Ltd. Tuvatu is located in western Viti Levu, about 25 km from Nadi. Geopacific discovered the property in 1987, and subsequently evaluated it, both alone and in joint venture with Noranda. Emperor acquired an option on the property in 1995, converting this to full ownership in June 1997. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Tuvatu Gold Mining Co., plans to complete a feasibility study on the property during early 1998.
The current resource estimate totals 2.73 Mt grading 3.7 g/t in vein-type mineralisation hosted in both monzonitic and volcanic units associated with an interpreted caldera structure. Individual veins, from 10 to 100 mm wide, are contained in lode zones and flatmakes up to 8 m in width. The mineralisation appears to have developed initially as a porphyry copper system, later overprinted by epithermal gold. Coarse native gold is often present, with current testwork suggesting that up to 30% of the gold can be recovered using gravity techniques. A decline has been developed to complement surface drilling, with an underground operation planned. Tuvatu Gold has invested F$15 million in the project to date, with a projected cost of up to F$100 million to bring it on stream. Subject to positive feasibility, the mine could be commissioned by early 1999 at an initial rate of 50,000 oz/y.
Emperor is also exploring the nearby Vuda property, having completed 3,300 m of drilling during the September 1997 quarter. The company is currently pre-paring resource estimates for three prospects, Teitei, Crown and Natalau (the site of earlier small-scale production). Its main targets are high-grade gold-sulphide shoots with good depth continuity. Southwest of Nadi, Australian-based Climax Mining is evaluating the Faddy's Prospect gold property, with the aim of establishing drill targets. Recent work has encompassed reprocessing airborne radiometric data, and interpretation of geological, geochemical and geophysical ground surveys. Previous work at Faddy's indicated a resource of 920,000 t grading 4.9 g/t at a 2.0 g/t gold cut-off. Placer Pacific recently suspended work on the principal copper-gold prospect on Viti Levu, the Waisoi porphyry, after spending F$10 million over the last five years. The company estimates that a further F$20-30 million will be needed to bring the project to feasibility, although resources are currently estimated at 950 Mt at 0.43% copper and 0.14 g/t gold. The US-based company, Royal Oak Mines, has since acquired a licence over the property, which is in the south of the island, with the aim of beginning field work in early 1998.
Other companies currently holding exploration interests on Viti Levu include Hyperion Resources, which has one licence area, formerly held by its parent company, Rhodes Mining, covering projected caldera structures. The company plans geochemical and geophysical work to identify potential drill targets. On Vanua Levu, meanwhile, Placer Exploration and Camelot Resources are jointly evaluating the Cirianu gold deposit, where previous resource estimates total 1.4 Mt at 1.47 g/t gold to a depth of 180 m. Exploration to date has included over 5,600 m of drilling. Canada's Teck Corp. has a 20% holding in Camelot, which in turn holds 20% of Pacific Islands Gold. In addition to its Mt Kasi operation, Pacific Islands Gold has identified at least 30 further targets for further exploration. Elsewhere, the MRD has been actively involved with the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) in a study of the detrital gold potential offshore Nadi and Vatukoula in Viti Levu. With most of the country's major primary gold deposits located near the coast, and with seashore movement restricted by coral reefs, there appears to be good, but as yet un-evaluated potential for gold placer formation in the various river deltas that drain known goldfields. Exploration is also under way outside the main islands. The Solodamu and Muani prospects on Kadavu Island have been drilled, while Camden Ltd has used geophysical and soil geochemistry surveys to identify gold-tellurium anomalies on Nairai Island.
© Mining Journal 1998 Designed and produced by angelcom, London.
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