Frasers

Frasers Mine is situated within the Yilgarn Mineral Field, Wheatbelt region of Western Australia — a semi-arid, low-relief cratonic terrain characteristic of the Yilgarn Craton. The flat-to-undulating topography minimises haul-road gradients but demands extensive bulk earthworks for pit development, waste dump construction, and tailings storage facility (TSF) establishment. Shallow regolith profiles typical of this craton accelerate open-cut stripping ratios and influence geotechnical wall stability design.

As an operating asset, Frasers sustains continuous 24/7 production cycles with a critical dependency on diesel-powered mobile fleet — including hydraulic excavators, ADTs, and blast-hole drill rigs. Uninterrupted operations require:

• High-volume diesel supply contracts with bulk fuel vendors
• Dedicated power substation infrastructure for processing plant loads
• Scheduled FIFO roster management for skilled trades and operators
• Reagent and consumable supply chains for gold CIL/CIP circuits

Gold extraction at Frasers follows conventional hard-rock mining methodology aligned with Yilgarn Craton greenstone-hosted deposits. Key engineering infrastructure includes:

• Primary jaw crushing and conveyor belt systems for ROM ore transfer
• SAG/ball mill grinding circuits feeding leach tanks
• Carbon-in-leach (CIL) or carbon-in-pulp (CIP) gold recovery processing
• Tailings thickening and TSF management with return water recovery

Conveyor routing across flat terrain allows efficient material handling with minimal elevation compensation.

Operating within WA's tightening ESG compliance framework, Frasers faces decarbonisation pressure consistent with industry-wide net-zero trajectories. Strategic sustainability vectors applicable to this asset include:

• Hybrid solar-diesel microgrid integration to reduce Scope 1 emissions
• Evaluation of battery-electric light vehicles (BELVs) for surface operations
• Water stewardship protocols under DWER licensing in semi-arid Wheatbelt
• Progressive rehabilitation planning aligned with DMIRS closure requirements