Kidston gold mines startup

Kidston's 14 000 t/d mine and mill complex in Queensland, Australia, started operation in January 1985. During its first 18 months of operation, the mine produced over 7000 kg (225,000 oz) of gold, making it the largest gold producer in Australia. This paper describes the planning, logistics, flowsheet, and process for the Kidston project, and some of the problems encountered during startup and the measures taken to correct these problems.