Simberi Island
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters". Simberi Island is a volcanic island in the Tabar Group, in Papua New Guinea's New Ireland Province.[1]
Geography and geology
Simberi is the northernmost and smallest of the three islands in the Tabar Group. The island is about Script error: No such module "convert". long and Script error: No such module "convert". wide and has an area of about Script error: No such module "convert".. Its highest point in the highlands on the eastern side of the island is a Script error: No such module "convert". eroded volcanic cone. The interior of the island is largely covered by rainforest. Most of the island's coast is steep and surrounded by a fringing reef together with a series of small islets. There is a woman shaped figure made by trees on the island and a barrier reef about Script error: No such module "convert". offshore from the west coast. A Script error: No such module "convert". strait separates Simberi from Tatau Island to the south west.
Simberi island is a potassium rich (high-K) calc-alkaline island arc volcano, the oldest in the Pliocene to Holocene Tabar-Lihir-Tanga-Feni (TLTF) volcanic arc that formed above a subduction zone.[2][3]
People
The population is about 1100 and made up of nine clans who live in small coastal villages mainly in the north and west.[1] The local language is a Simberi dialect of Mandara (also known as Tabar), ISO 639-3 language code "tbf", an Austronesian language spoken on the Tabar Islands.[4][5]
Transport
The island has an airport, Simberi Airport (IATA airport code "NIS"), on the south east coast.[6]
Simberi Oxide Gold Project
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". St Barbara Limited, an Australian-based company, operate an open pit gold (and silver) mine called the Simberi Oxide Gold Project in the volcanic highlands on the eastern side of the island.[1] The mine is wholly owned and operated by St Barbara Limited, who acquired the assets of Allied Gold, the previous operators of the Simberi mine, on 31 August 2012.[1] Gold production started in February 2008.[1] Mining was suspended in December 2009 after Allied Gold received a cease work order from the Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea because of local landholder issues.[1] Mining has since recommenced.[1]
Seven gold deposits have been defined in mining lease 136 (ML 136), which covers the central and eastern portion of Simberi Island, and other prospects have been identified.[1][6] The gold deposits occur mainly on ridge tops and are all within Script error: No such module "convert". of each other.[1][6] Sorowar in the north is the largest resource while Samat North, South and East to the south are relatively small but relatively high grade.[6] Pigiput, Pigibo and Botlu South lie between the Sorowar and Samat areas and are of intermediate tonnage but at a grade similar to Sorowar.[6] The western area of Simberi Island within exploration license EL 609 is largely unexplored.[7] Reconnaissance exploration for both oxide and sulphide mineralisation is planned.[7]
As of June 2009, Allied reported that the total resources were Script error: No such module "convert". (Moz) gold, being oxide gold resources of Script error: No such module "convert". and sulphide gold resources of Script error: No such module "convert". together with Script error: No such module "convert". silver.[6]
Ore is delivered to the processing facilities on the eastern coast near Pigiput Bay by a Script error: No such module "convert". RopeCon aerial conveyor that can deliver Script error: No such module "convert". of ore per hour.[1][8] The process plant is a conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) gold process plant capable of treating Script error: No such module "convert". of ore per year.[6] In September 2010, Allied announced that it planned to increase its gold production to Script error: No such module "convert". per year.[7] The oxide processing circuit at the Simberi operation will be expanded to Script error: No such module "convert". a year, by June 2013.[9]
Mine tailings are disposed of in the form of a slurry that has been pre-diluted with seawater using a deep sea tailings pipeline.[1] The pipeline is Script error: No such module "convert". long with the discharge point at a depth of Script error: No such module "convert".. The tailings flow down a steep submarine slope and are deposited at a depth of more than Script error: No such module "convert"..[6]
Production for the period from 1 July 2009 to 30 June 2010 was Script error: No such module "convert"..[10]
In June 2009, Allied reported that the remaining mine life was estimated to be over 10 years.[6] St Barbara Limited (Australia) acquired Allied in September 2012 and is the current owner of this mining operation.[11] They are the largest employer on the island.[6]
References
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