Location Higginsville Country Australia Financial year 2008-09 Company Avoca Resources Limited | State Western Australia Production 131,227 Website Avoca website Opened 2008 (reopened) | |
 | ||
The Higginsville Gold Mine is a gold mine located near Higginsville, 45 km north of Norseman, Western Australia.
Contents
It is currently owned by Metals X. Avoca has made headlines in 2009 when it became engaged in a bitter dispute with Ramelius Resources over conflicting takeover bids for Dioro Exploration NL. Avoca eventually had to drop its bid for Dioro, having reached a 44.85% interest in Dioro at the close of the offer on 20 August, short of the 50% needed. Ramelius's offer for the company closes on 8 February 2010. Avoca made a renewed takeover offer for the company in late December 2009. Avoca eventually succeeded in its bit for Dioro and, on 21 April 2010, Dioro was delisted from the ASX.
History
The Higginsville mine was in operation in the 1990s, its mill ceasing work in October 1997. Mining continued until early 2000, with ore being milled at the Chalice Gold Mine. The mine was then owned in parts by the St Ives Gold Mining Company, a subsidiary of Gold Fields, who had also purchased the nearby St Ives Gold Mine from WMC Resources in 2001.
Avoca, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 2002, paid A$6.25 million to Gold Fields for its Higginsville exploration project in June 2004. After discovering the Trident deposit in late 2004, Avoca raised $125 million in April 2007 to build a new mine at Higginsville. Also in 2007, Avoca purchased the neighbouring Chalice deposit from Chalice Gold Mines Limited. Gold production at the mine begun in 2008 from underground operations, with a first gold pour on 1 July 2008.
Production
Production of the mine: