The 60 or so mines in the Kalgoorlie-Boulder region of Western Australia are back in full production after a magnitude 5.0 earthquake shook the area.
Many of the mines surrounding the Goldfields city undertook emergency evacuations after the quake struck at 8.20am (WST) on Tuesday.
None reported significant structural damage, so workers returned to duty within hours, WA Chamber of Minerals and Energy spokesman Matthew Payne said on Wednesday.
"There were some precautionary procedures in place but most mines progressed as normal," Mr Payne said. But engineering assessments at the mines continued, he said.
"So once that is complete, then we'll know (the extent of the damage)," he said.
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Australia's largest open cut mine, the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) operated Super Pit, was closed for the day shift but workers returned to the night shift, KCGM spokeswoman Holly Phillips said.
Mr Payne said that operation and the Barrick Gold Corporation-operated Kanowna gold mine, 18km northeast of Kalgoorlie, were the only mines in the region that had a lengthy suspension of operations.
"The others seemed to go as normal," he said. "KCGM was the only one that sent employees home.
"A nickel smelter 15km south of Boulder didn't have any disruption at all, likewise at St Ives, the second largest gold mine in the eastern Goldfields."
Ms Phillips said the structural assessment of the Fimiston open pit and Mount Charlotte underground mine at the Super Pit on Tuesday lasted six to seven hours and only debris was encountered.
"The crews were given the OK to recommence a progressive start up in the late afternoon," she said.
"We were back at full speed as of 9pm (WST) yesterday evening."
