Telfer, Western Australia

Infobox Australian Place | type = town
name = Telfer
state = Western Australia


caption =
lga = Shire of East Pilbara
postcode = 6762
est =
pop = 464
pop_footnotes=Census 2006 AUS |id=SSC55686 |name=Telfer (State Suburb) |accessdate=2008-09-03 |quick=on]
elevation= 292
elevation_footnotes=cite web |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_013030.shtml |title=Climate statistics for Australian locations: Telfer Aero |accessdate=2008-09-03 |date=2008-08-28 |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology]
maxtemp = 34.0
mintemp = 19.3
rainfall = 369.8
stategov =Pilbara
fedgov =Kalgoorlie
dist1 = 1900
dir1 =
location1= Perth
dist2 = 450
dir2 =
location2= Port Hedland

Telfer is a mining town in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, within the Great Sandy Desert. Telfer is convert|1900|km|mi|0 north-east of the state capital, Perth, and is the state's most isolated town. [cite web |url=http://www.landgate.wa.gov.au/corporate.nsf/web/Interesting+Facts+About+Western+Australia |title=Interesting facts about Western Australia |accessdate=2008-09-03 |publisher=Landgate] It is home to a large gold and copper mine run by Newcrest Mining, which is the second-largest gold mine in Australia.

Climate

Telfer receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 300mm, although its location relatively close to the Indian Ocean opens the community to the possibility of tropical cyclones. For example, the community was hit by Cyclone Graham in early 2003, receiving 163mm of rain. [cite web|author=AAP General News|title=Cyclone Graham hits WA|year=2003|publisher=The Age|accessdate=2008-09-07|url=http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/03/01/1046407795104.html]

History

The mine opened in 1977 as a joint venture between BHP Billiton and Newmont Mining, who later split into Newcrest Mining. BHP decided to leave gold mining, and sold its stake to Newcrest.cite news |title=Marco Zolezzi, general manager, Telfer gold mine, Western Australia |publisher="Australian Mining" |date=2004-09-15] The Telfer gold mine was expanded in 1991, [cite news |title= Elsewhere in precious metals... the second phase of the development |publisher="Metals Week" |date=1991-03-11 |page=8] and in June 1995, the mine reserves were 3.8 million troy ounces, with resources at 7.3 million troy ounces. The annual production was 370,000 to 380,000 troy ounces of ore.cite news |title=Newcrest upbeat on Telfer mine |publisher= Reuters News |date=1996-06-21] Open cut mining was suspended in August 2000 due to high operating costs, and Newcrest focused on exploratory drilling to find new minerals.

In 2002, Newcrest Mining announced a redevelopment project worth $1 billion, [cite news |title= Newcrest cold on Telfer raising |publisher="The West Australian" |date=2002-03-25 |page=28] after discovering new mineral areas and a reserve base of some 19 million troy ounces of gold and convert|640000|t|short ton|lk=on of copper. [cite news |first=John |last=Phaceas |title= Newcrest nod to invest $1b in Telfer |publisher="The West Australian" |date=2002-11-20 |page=61] The redevelopment expanded underground mining areas, deepened open pits, constructed a processing plant and power station, and built a new gas supply line from Port Hedland. [cite news |title=Newcrest gets expansion nod |publisher=ABC News |date=2002-08-20] The focus changed from open pit mining to underground mining, and Telfer became one of Australia's largest gold mines, second only to Kalgoorlie's Super Pit. [cite news |first=Greg |last=Peel |title=Tantalising Telfer |publisher=FN Arena |date=2007-11-16]

In January 2008, Newcrest Mining reduced the mine's annual gold output targets. Newcrest said, "At Telfer, mechanical availability of the open pit mining fleet and the processing of harder ores are impacting the expected production profile for the full year. Telfer site cash costs are expected to [rise] over guidance by 8-9 per cent." [cite news |first=Rebecca |last=Le May |title= Miner loses friends as Telfer costs jump |work=Finance |publisher="The Daily Telegraph" |date=2008-01-25 |page=62] In June, the mine was affected by the state-wide gas crisis caused by an explosion at Varanus Island. The mine lost 20,000 to 25,000 troy ounces of gold output for June. [cite news |first=Dionne |last=Thompson |title= Newcrest's Telfer gold output down 25,000 oz on Apache gas stoppage |publisher=Metal Bulletin |date=2008-06-27] Newcrest obtained interim gas supply from Woodside Petroleum until August, when gas supply from Varanus Island resumed. [cite news |title=Telfer gas supply back to normal |url=http://news.smh.com.au/business/telfer-gas-supply-back-to-normal-20080819-3xyz.html |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" |date=2008-08-19 |accessdate=2008-09-03]

References