And once again, the mine operator Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines has announced a further extension to Super Pit operations, if not mine life, which should provide some certainty to those employed at one of Kalgoorlie’s last remaining residential operations – at least in the processing area.

KCGM announced its plans today, which included gold continuing to be processed from its mill until about 2029, effectively extending the mineral processing life of the project by eight years.

KCGM had previously announced in 2009 that it planned to continue mining in the main Fimiston pit until 2019 (unchanged) and continue processing of gold through to 2021.

KCGM general manger Russell Cole confirmed that the extension to operations at the mine was a result of the move to include low-grade stockpiles, deemed a mining reserve in 2012, in its future processing plans.

“While current plans have us stopping open pit mining in 2019, processing the low grade stockpiles has now become part of our long-term plan. The inclusion of the stockpiles means KCGM currently plans to process gold until 2029,” Cole said.

But the KCGM general manager provided a caveat to these plans, which will come as no surprise to those who have followed the long and occasionally bumpy ride of the modern KCGM and its battle to balance mine economics with the expectations of its JV partners, regulators and the community.

“Of course, this may change as the economic viability of any project can fluctuate due to external factors such as gold price, taxes, labour costs and so on.”

As part of the 2013 Life-of-Mine Plan, KCGM has approached the WA government regarding the approvals process for key projects.

The most significant project will see the two roasters at Gidji close on environmental grounds. The roasters are an iconic landmark in the Eastern Goldfields, but have drawn the attention of regulators in the recent past as a result of emissions.

“KCGM is committed to continually improving the way we operate and this includes our environmental management,” Cole said.

“The two roasters at Gidji are scheduled to cease operating by the end of 2015, and will be replaced with a large ultra-fine grinding Mill.”

While the current plan had KCGM operating to around 2029, the company said it continued to look for opportunities to extend mine life.

“It is important for the community to understand that while KCGM endeavours to extend the life of the operations, gold price is variable and economically viable mineral resources are finite, and one day the mine will close.

“Providing a nominal date for mine closure ensures that adequate planning is undertaken by the operation, government and community to minimise potential impacts.”