| Name | Century |
| Location | Located in the remote lower Gulf region of north-west Queensland, Australia. |
| Product | Zinc concentrate, lead concentrate and silver |
| Mining method | Conventional open pit mining |
| Processing method | Conventional grinding and flotation |
| Commenced Operation | 2000 |
| Reserves* | 4.3 million tonnes zinc, 0.43 million tonnes lead, 29.5 million ounces silver |
| Resources* | 5.8 million tonnes zinc, 0.7 million tonnes lead, 52.7 million ounces silver |
| 2008 production | 513,571 tonnes zinc, 56,387 tonnes lead, 4,178,964 ounces silver |
| Sales | Zinc concentrates are transported via a pipeline to a de-watering and shipping facility in Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria then on-sold to smelters in Europe, Australia, China, and Asia. |
| Workforce** | Over 1,100 |
| * As at 30 June 2008 (see OZ Minerals ASX Release 23 December 2008 for full statement of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves) | |
| ** Includes all employees (full-time, part-time and casual) and contractors as at 31 December 2008 | |
Century is the world’s second largest open pit zinc mine. The operation is located in the remote lower Gulf region of north-west Queensland and comprises two sites – the mine at Lawn Hill, and associated concentrate dewatering and ship-loading facilities at Karumba, on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Operations
In 2008, 513,571 tonnes of zinc in concentrate and 56,387 tonnes of lead in concentrate was produced at Century. This was in line with guidance for the year and slightly above the previous year’s production.
The Century orebody is covered by a large volume of un-mineralised waste material which must be removed to access the orebody. Costs were elevated in 2008 due mainly to the large volumes of pre-strip mining required. Cash costs associated with this pre-strip mining are expected to be lower in 2009, with a reduction in pre-strip from 40 million bank cubic metres to 24 million bank cubic metres. In addition, all waste will be placed in-pit in 2009 compared to only 10 million bank cubic metres in-pit in 2008 with the balance hauled to the surface waste dumps.
During the year a new ball mill was installed to enable increased zinc recovery from ore.
Production planned at Century for 2009 is 480,000 - 505,000 tonnes of contained zinc in concentrate.
Exploration
Exploration at Century is focused on a number of targets in the Century mine lease including the Watson’s Lode prospect, 10 kilometres south of Century. Drilling in 2008 extended mineralisation to over 1,200 metres of strike and further work is required to evaluate the resource potential of this high grade zinc-lead lode. Exploration extended the Silver King zinc-lead lode to over 800 metres of strike, however, scoping studies indicated that the mineralisation is unlikely to be economic at current commodity prices.
The tenements around the Century mine are being explored for similar shale hosted deposits and a comprehensive targeting exercise has generated a suite of quality targets which are being systematically tested by drilling.
