Pacific Islands Mining Notes

From Fiji

Emperor Mine

operations of Emperor Mines Ltd., Tavua, Fiji, for the four weeks ended May 15, a progress report advised that a north drive, started off the 1920 east crosscut at 163 ft east of the main north drive at No. 2 (190 ft, level) had been advanced 73ft. Truck samples over the full distance had averaged 15.9 dwt. a ton. A south drive, started at the same point, had been advanced 101 ft., and connected to the 1820 east crosscut. Truck samples had averaged 12.8 dwt. a ton for the full distance. These values, taken in conjunction with the high values obtained in the 1920 crosscut, over a width of 30ft. indicated that a substantial tonnage of good ore would be available from this section of the mine. This area would be further tested for width by crosscuts, and later by rises and winzes, for vertical exten sions.

Koroere And Emperor

The proved ore developed on the Cardigan lease and on the Koroere area at Tavua, Fiji, is not of sufficient tonnage to warrant the capital ex penditure involved in a modern milling plant, says the managing director of Koroere Gold N.L. (Mr. E. G. Theodore) in a report on the future policy of the company. The Koroere ore would not pay to mine and treat except iri a large plant, where costs were extremely low. The proved ore

at the Cardigan is of too limited a tonnage to warrant the class of plant which would result in low profits.

He recommends that the company’s properties be merged into one of the other mining com panies operating and erecting milling plants on the field. The Emperor company could treat at its new plstnt the ore from both the Cardigan and Koroere at a rate of about 200 tons a Week without any additional milling machinery or plant. The Emperor company would doubtless carry on a continuous campaign concurrently with the mining of the known ore bodies, and would, if the progress of development warranted it, ex tend its lower levels into the Koroere area.

The directors believe that the interests of the company would be best served by continuing the present developmental policy for 12 months. With this in view, it is intended to carry out develop ment work designed to indicate whether it would be better for the company to instal its own mining and treatment plant or enter into nego tiation for absorption by another company. At the present rate of expenditure, it is estimated that a further call of 6d a share should, with the funds in hand, be sufficient to carry out this work.

Koroere

The management on May 31 received the fol lowing progress report: Cardigan lode, No. 3 prospecting shaft: S drive 10ft., to 34ft. Value, 11 dwt. Lode narrow. Stopped. West Cardigan lode: N. drive 20ft to 42ft. Value, 10 dwt. S. drive 47ft. to 55ft. Value, 3 dwt. Stopped drive.

Sinking 50ft. further S.

Loloma

Headframe and winch erection at the main shaft of Loloma (Fiji) Gold Mines N.L., is now completed. Skids have been installed in the shaft between 120 ft. and 224 ft. (bottom) levels.

Very good progress is being made with the treatment plant despite wet weather conditions.

Practically all treatment plant is at the site or will arrive shortly.

Report from the mine at the end of May: No. 1 Adit: Further 91ft. of stripping and tim bering preparation for stoping, total 454 ft. Lead ing stope taken off for 51ft. No. 2 Adit: S. drive off E. xcut at 20ft. advanced to 464, Aver age value 14.8 dwt. per ton over width of 32in. for last 39ft. E. xcut at 302 ft. in above S. drive extended 36ft. to 76ft. At 42ft. cut flat make of mineralised ash and to 54ft. average value was 34.4 dwt. per ton.

Mt. Kasi

Additional recovery for February from slag 65 fine oz. fMill closed for five days for Easter and for repairs.

Mar. 20 Apr. 17 May 15 June 12 Ore treated, tons ... 2,370 2,356 2,025 2,236 Head, value, dwt. „ 9.0 8.9 10 9.8 Gold, oz., fine 974.2 960.5 933 951.3

Feb. 25 Mar. 25 Apr.22f May 20 Ore. tons 2,359 2,600 2,310 2,566 Gold, fine, oz. ... 365 447 655 576 Value, £A 3,194 3,911 5,731 5,040