Overview
Middle Tennessee is comprised of two underground zinc mines; Gordonsville and Cumberland, and a processing plant located at the Gordonsville mine site.
Middle Tennessee is a zinc mine with significant resource potential.
Zinc mineralisation at the mine complex occurs in Mississippi Valley type deposits as open-space fillings of breccias and fractures within limestone and dolomites.
Similar to the East Tennessee zinc mine complex, the Middle Tennessee zinc mine complex has a history of close association with Nyrstar’s Clarksville smelter, which was originally constructed to treat zinc concentrate from the mines. Ore mined at the three mines is processed into zinc concentrate at the Gordonsville zinc mine complex.
Quick facts
Mine type: underground zinc mines
Products: zinc concentrate
Employees: ~325
Conformance with the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management:
Location
The Middle Tennessee Mines are located within approximately 10 miles of each other in Smith County, Tennessee. The complex is located approximately 100 miles from Nyrstar’s Clarksville smelter.
History
Middle Tennessee Mines have a nearly 50 year history. Nyrstar acquired and consolidated the operations in 2009. In December 2015, the Middle Tennessee Mines were put on care and maintenance, but Nyrstar commenced actions to restart operations in September 2016, and recommenced production in Q2 2017 with the site now being ramped up to full capacity.
