Description Griffin Mining is not a mythical beast, but it has swooped down in China to develop zinc and gold mining projects. Its main operation is a joint venture (with a Chinese mining group) in the Caijiaying zinc project located near Beijing, which produces about 700,000 tons of zinc annually. Production at the mine commenced in 2005. The company shut down production at the mine in late 2008 due to the harsh economic climate and low zinc prices. Operations were restarted in 2009 and Griffin was back at full production by mid-2010. Griffin also owns a 40% share in Spitfire Oil, an energy exploration and production company in Western Australia.