132 North Ni Mine, Widgiemooltha, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia, Australiai

Regional Level Types
132 North Ni Mine	Open-Cast Mine
Widgiemooltha	Town
Coolgardie Shire	Shire
Western Australia	State
Australia	Country

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A nickel mine located 6 km north-north-west of Widgiemooltha and 80 km south of Kalgoorlie (the earlier reference to a site to the southeast was incorrect).

The 132 North open-pit nickel mine has produced the greatest variety of secondary nickel minerals found anywhere in the world to date, some being the best of their species. It is the only locality for widgiemoolthalite and gillardite and the second known occurrence for kambaldaite and nullaginite. It is one of several small komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposits in the district. The mine is located approximately 6 kilometres north-northwest of Widgiemooltha in low hills. Widgiemooltha itself is between Kalgoorlie and Norseman, and the town consists of a roadhouse and a couple of houses.

The deposit was discovered in 1968 by International Nickel Australia Ltd. Western Mining Ltd then purchased the deposit, and further drilling identified a small nickel sulphide orebody economical to mine. The mine opened in 1980. When the writer visited in 2011, it had closed.

The deposit is part of a 20-kilometre ridge extending north-northwest from Widgiemooltha. On the surface is slightly weathered metabasalt and strongly weathered ultramafic rock, dated at 2,700 Ma. The deposit consists of the lowermost basalt unit called the Mt Edwards Basalt Formation, overlain by the Widgiemooltha Komatiite Formation. The 132 North nickel deposit is within the ultramafic basalt lava flow of the latter. The nickel sulphides within the regolith have been oxidised into a complex series of weathering fronts, including a rare expression of a carbonate front, which has resulted in a host of unusual nickel carbonate minerals.

In 1994, Blair Gartrell recovered over one thousand specimens from the mine, and over one hundred of these were studied by the CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation). Widgiemoolthalite was discovered in this study. Blair sold specimens from 132 North and other Western Australian locations by mail order in the early 1990s. Specimens labelled "Western Australia Mineral Museum" (Beverley, Western Australia) come from this source. When Blair passed away (1950-1994), his collection, including many specimens from 132 North, may have also entered the market. It is known some specimens at this time ended up with the Western Australian Museum, as well-known local prospector Mark Creasy purchased and donated the 'Gartrell Collection'.

Specimens may have also come from a pile of ore set aside at the mine in the early 1990s. Interest in purchasing the pile for specimens came from America. Conflicting oral accounts given to the writer about how this came about mean no more can be confirmed at present.

Notes on the mineral list:

- At least some "Ni-bearing paratacamite" from this mine is in fact gillardite (and some is clinoatacamite).

- Nickel et al. (1993) list "several unnamed hydrated nickel carbonates" and "several apparently new unnamed nickel minerals".

- Nickel et al. (1994) list an "unnamed fibrous nickel carbonate" and an "unnamed vitreous nickel carbonate".

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

Mineral List

49 valid minerals. 2 (TL) - type locality of valid minerals. 1 erroneous literature entry.

Rock Types Recorded