Monthly Archives: January 2026
Lihir Mine on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea required substantial facilities to support mining operations, processing, and all the associated site activities. Lihir is an open-pit operation with two adjacent overlapping pits. The mining fleet includes large shovels and haul trucks. Ore processing involves crushing, grinding, flotation, pressure oxidation, […]
The Lihir Mine site was estimated to have natural heat flow ~50MW(th). Extensive thermal surface manifestations including thermal springs and fumaroles. Magnetotellurics surveys were performed in 2004 and supplemented in 2007 to identify the shallow geothermal reservoirs and upflow zones. 318# drill holes were drilled to help delineate geothermal reservoirs, […]
Lihir Mine ore body is contained in a hydrothermally altered porphyry gold system with the gold hosted in volcanics, intrusives and breccias within the structure. The majority of the gold is contained in sulphides.
Slimhole Wells are attractive for their lower cost to derisk both mineral and geothermal exploration prospects more economically. Less drilling mud and fluids are required with the smaller hole diameters. Smaller rig footprints. Well design would depend on the geology, location and rig details. Rigs include:
