Endeavor Mine – Polymetallic Lead-Zinc-Silver
The Endeavor Mine is a major underground Lead-Zinc-Silver mine in the Cobar Basin, north of Cobar in central-west NSW.
The Endeavor Project is situated in the Cobar structural zone and is located approximately 30km north of the CSA Copper Mine and 40km north-west of Cobar in central-NSW. The Endeavor Project is one of three significant mines in the district.
Endeavor was first discovered in 1974 with mining and processing operations commencing in 1982. A total of 32.2 million tonnes of ore grading 8.01% Zinc, 5.04% Lead and 89.2g/t Silver had been mined and processed to December 2019 when the project was placed on Care and Maintenance (C&M) by the current owner, CBH Resources Ltd. (CBH), a subsidiary of Toho Zinc Co. Ltd.
Location Map, regional Geology, Mines and Deposits within the Cobar Basin
- Tenements: 5 Mining Leases, 3 Exploration licences (1,100km2) and Western Lands Pastoral Lease (2,549ha).
- Fully equipped and operationally ready underground mine: 10km decline from surface, 380m deep shaft & headframe, underground crusher, ancillary equipment and extensive mine development.
- 2Mtpa mineral processing plant including two-stage crushing, 5MW grinding capacity, lead – zinc flotation, thickeners, chemical mixing, concentrate filtration, storage and rail load out facilities.
- Sealed bitumen access road, freight rail line, grid and back-up power and a secure water supply.
- Offices, workshops, laboratory, inventory of stores, critical parts, and spares.
- Light vehicles, heavy machinery, and mobile equipment.
- 42 houses, 4 blocks of units and 6 vacant allotments in Cobar.
- Statutory operational approvals which also includes increased tailings storage capacity.
Endeavor Mine Headframe and conveyor system.
History of Operations
The ‘Elura Deposit’ (now ‘Endeavor’) was discovered following granting of an exploration licence in 1971 to the Electrolytic Zinc Company of Australasia Limited. Initial aerial and ground-based geophysical surveys identified a geophysical anomaly in the vicinity of the deposit. Diamond drilling commenced in February 1974 and was completed by February 1976 after 11,223m of exploration drilling. This drilling identified a base metals minerals resource of 27Mt with a grade of 8.3% zinc, 5.6% lead and 140g/t silver.
Development consent was granted by Cobar Shire Council in February 1976 for an underground mining operation. ML’s 158, 159, 160 and 161 were granted in March and August 1976 and ML930 was granted in 1979.
Full scale production at the Elura Mine commenced in 1982, with the official mine opening in 1983. In 1988, Pasminco Limited (Pasminco) took over operation of the Elura Mine. In September 2001, Pasminco was placed into voluntary administration. On 12 September 2003 ASX listed Consolidated Broken Hill Limited took over ownership of the Elura Mine renaming the operation the Endeavor Mine.
Since inception the mine has produced 32Mt @ 8.01% Zn, 5.04% Pb and 89.2g/t Ag and in December 2019 the Mine entered into a period of care and maintenance. During this care and maintenance period the Mine has been maintained in a state of readiness to enable mining to resume. Under this arrangement Endeavor will continue to meet safety and environmental regulations on site to enable the reopening of the Mine for future operations.
Long section of the mineralised zones of the Endeavor Deposit