Tennant Mining’s Barkly revival is in full swing, first gold expected in June 2025
A Tennant Creek miner is just months away from first production. Read what’s next.
Northern Territory
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Commissioning at Tennant Mining’s Stage 1 Nobles Project gold processing plant has commenced, with first gold brought forward from the second-half of 2025 to June.
With the processing plant’s construction almost complete and Pan African Resources PLC’s A$77.4m buyout finalised in December, making it the 100 per cent shareholder, Tennant Mining is looking well past its first stage to its second stage Warrego Project and into the next decade.
Tennant Mining managing director Peter Main said the company had planned its workforce for the next eight years of commercial production, with an eye on the future beyond 2033 as it looks to process copper as well as gold.
“We will confirm our workforce forecasts beyond our first eight years when we complete our detailed feasibility study for our Warrego Project over the next 15 to 18 months,” he said, referencing Tennant Mining’s plan to add a copper circuit to the Nobles gold processing plant for copper concentrate production.
The project is underpinned by the soaring gold price, which was about A$2500 an ounce in June 2020 and $4650 today.
“Construction of Tennant Mining’s Stage 1 Nobles gold processing plant is now more than 90 per cent complete, ahead of schedule and within budget,” Mr Main said.
“Commissioning of the plant has now commenced, with first gold now ahead of schedule for June 2025. Our first full year of commercial production will be financial year 2026.
“We have completed the pre-feasibility study and started the detailed feasibility study for our Stage 2 Warrego Project to add a copper circuit to our Nobles gold processing plant to also produce copper concentrate.”
The investment by the UK founded, Johannesburg-headquartered Pan African Resources is helping accelerate Tennant Mining’s projects that have already taken giant steps over the past four years.
“The Pan African Resources PLC investment enables Tennant Mining to accelerate our ongoing exploration and growth plans to extend life of mining and production,” Mr Main said.
He said workforce and the logistics around transporting hundreds of mostly FIFO mine workers has been critical to planning, particularly as the project’s prospects increased on the back of the soaring gold price.
Project workforce is expected to increase from around 60 at present, to 130 in June 2027, to about 170 during financial year 2028.
“It will then be ongoing as we scale up mining of multiple satellite project sites across the Tennant Creek Mineral Field,” he said.
“These jobs include direct Tennant Mining employees and those of our key processing, crushing, and mining contract delivery partners. The Stage Two Warrego copper project potentially will see our workforce increase to up to around 300 from financial year 2029.”
The majority of Tennant Mining’s workforce would be FIFO from elsewhere in the Territory and interstate on two weeks on, two weeks off roster living at the El Dorado Village - the former Eldorado Motor Inn - that the company bought for worker accommodation in Tennant Creek.
The majority of its production workers not living locally are expected to come from Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs, Perth and south west WA and from across Queensland.”
The company’s proximity to Tennant Creek airport has been crucial to the project’s evolution. Planning is underway with airlines, the NT Government and airport owner, Airport Development Group to improve the facility.
To be fit for purpose, Tennant Creek Airport would need runway and apron upgrades.
Business Minister Robin Cahill said any proposal for government funding would be subject to a business case but she backed the proposal.
“The CLP Government welcomes the opportunity to work with Airport Development Group considering the broader economic development of the Barkly region,” she said.
Peter Main said the airport had made the project possible.
“Our project economics would not have stacked up if we also needed to build, maintain and operate our own airport.
In lieu of upgrades, the company is exploring options if airport capacity fails to meet demand of the shift changeovers, including bussing the 500km between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs and charter jets.
“Our preference will always be for larger commercial passenger jets so locals, tourists, local businesses, not-for-profits and public service providers, and other major projects in the Barkly also get to share the benefits from more reliable, affordable, connected flights,” he said.
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