Endeavor mine, Australia
Name of the Mine
Endeavor mine.
Location
About 40 km north of Cobar, in central-western New South Wales, in Australia.
Mine Owner/s
Australian company Polymetals Resources.
Brief Description
Endeavor is the second-largest mine, after the CSA copper mine, in Australia’s richest polymetallic region known as the Cobar basin.
The mine holds five mining leases, three exploration licences covering 1 107 km² and a large pastoral lease.
Brief History
The Endeavor mine was in continuous operation from 1982 to 2020.
Polymetals acquired the mine in 2023 and restarted it in June 2025.
Primary Metals/Minerals
Silver, zinc and lead.
Secondary Metals/Minerals
Polymetals aims to increase exposure to copper and gold through processing and exploration.
Geology/Mineralisation
The Endeavor mine is situated in the Cobar basin. The basin is part of the Lachlan Fold Belt and contains mainly siliciclastic sediments with minor volcanics and carbonates.
The Endeavor deposit is hosted by a fine-grained turbidite sequence and comprises multiple subvertical, elliptical pods that occur within the vertical plane of an anticline.
Most of the polymetallic mineral deposits in this region, such as Endeavor, CSA, Peak and Hera, are located along a linear structural corridor at least 200 km in length.
The high-grade massive sulphide mineralisation at the mine is surrounded by an envelope of sulphide stringer mineralisation. This mineralisation is surrounded by a halo of siderite alteration, which can extend for tens of metres.
Mineralisation is hosted within the western limb of a folded limestone.
A zone of supergene enrichment is located above the main lode.
Reserves
Total proven and probable reserves as at December 2023 were estimated at 5.6-million tonnes grading 4.04% zinc, 1.79% lead and 78 g/t silver.
Resources
Endeavor’s underground mineral resources as at December 2023 were estimated at 16.3-million tonnes grading 8% zinc, 4.5% lead and 84 g/t silver. Tailings were estimated at 5.2-million tonnes grading 2.12% zinc, 1.55% lead and 79 g/t silver.
Type of Mine
Underground.
Mining Method
Upper main lode – sublevel stoping and cut-and-fill.
Main orebody – longhole open stoping.
Deep zinc lode – sublevel stoping.
Major Infrastructure/Equipment
The project and portfolio assets comprise the Endeavor underground base metal mine, which is operationally ready.
The site includes a fully equipped underground operation featuring a 7 km decline; a 300 m shaft with its headframe and winder; an underground crusher, along with pumping, safety and related systems; and extensive mine development. Supporting infrastructure consists of a 1.2-million-tonne-a-year processing plant incorporating a two-stage crushing circuit, three ball mills, a lead/zinc flotation circuit, thickeners, filtration units, and dedicated chemical and concentrate storage.
The mine also has sealed road access, active rail connections, grid power, and a secure water supply.
On-site facilities include offices, workshops, a laboratory and a comprehensive stores inventory. The asset base extends further to light vehicles, heavy machinery and mobile equipment, as well as a real estate portfolio comprising 52 houses in Cobar.
Prospects
Considerable near-mine and regional exploration opportunities exist at Endeavor. The main orebody remains open along strike and at depth, and will be a priority of the company. In addition, significant regional prospects are contained within 1 100 km2 of Cobar Basin tenements with several targets of interest being investigated.
Contact Details
Polymetals Resources
Tel +61 2 6830 2555
Email info@polymetals.com
Website https://polymetals.com/
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