Element 1

Is gold mining a viable industry?

1. Why has gold always been desired by people?

It’s because gold is a precious metal that has been a sign of wealth throughout history. It’s
shine and rarity is what makes it expensive, and the rich want the expensive. Event those who
can’t afford it wish to be in possession of it, because it’s alluring. People want what they can’t
have, and gold is hard to get.

Why do people mine for gold?

There’s a lot of money in the mining industry, and if you have the money, you can get quite a

profit out of the trade, thanks to its price and demand

2. What are five things that you never knew about this topic?
1. Gold’s chemical symbol is AU. The AU is derived from the Latin word ‘Aurum’ a term
which
means ‘shining dawn’
2. Gold will never rust
3. Gold is completely recyclable
4. Gold is a very rare substance, making up only 5 ten-millionths of the Earth’s outer layer
5. Gold weighs over 19 more times than water, and almost twice as heavy as lead

3. Find out as much information about a day in the life of a geologist

there are two typical days as a geologist. The first is the life in the office. When geologists aren’t
on the field they’ll be in front of a desk, analysing data to understand geology that applies to their
field. They use a program called GIS, which allows them to overlay different datasets at any scale
on a map base. It allows them to look at relationships, such as geochemistry (the science dealing
with the chemical changes in and the composition of the earth's crust) or their magnetic response.
It is also possible for them to model those findings into 3-D for further understanding.

Another typical day for a geologist is a day on the field. They are usually up at dawn, and stay on
the field until an hour after dark. Sometimes they even have to camp out, as it can be quite a
demanding job depending on the field that they are in. Geologists have to target specific sites
depending on what kind of rock or mineral that they’re looking for. There’s a lot of research work
required, and sometimes it can be a very time consuming job. For a geologist working in the gold
mining field, they’ll always be working the same amount of hours that work in the mines below.

Element 2

Background
You are to research two gold mining companies other than Northgate. You are to compare and
contrast the companies and make a prediction regarding their future success.
Mine 1: Newmont Mining corporation
Mine 2: Newcrest Mining corporation

1. Where are these companies located?

Newcrest
Newcrest is one of Australia’s largest gold
producers and is one of the world’s ten biggest
mining companies. It has four mines in Australia
alone: Telfer, Cracow, Cadia Hill and Ridgeway.
Its head office is located in St. Kilda road,
Melbourne.

Newmont
Newmont is also
one of the world’s
largest gold producers, and has mines in the United States, Australia,
Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. It’s head
operations are in a place called Greenwood village. But as shown on
the map to the left, Newmont has three major mining operations in
Australia alone.

2. Compare the two companies under the following headings:

History

Newcrest
Newcrest mining limited was formed in 1990, from the merger of Newmont Australia Limited and
BHP Gold Limited. But before its merging it had a very rich history. Newcrest's ancestor, Newmont
Australia Limited was established in Australia in 1966 with “a philosophy that high standards of
scientific exploration and professional mine development and management were the tried and proven
avenue to the creation of shareholders wealth”. It’s this philosophy that has continued to advance the
creation of a strong, independent and growing resources group that is characterised by Newcrest
today. It was established in 1966, and in 1972 the Telfer deposit in North Western Australia had been
discovered. This site is still used to this day.