australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
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AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES <strong>2005</strong><br />
Copper-Gold<br />
■<br />
WMC Resources Ltd reported an increase of 29.2% in total <strong>mineral</strong> <strong>resources</strong> at its Olympic Dam<br />
mine (SA). Total <strong>mineral</strong> <strong>resources</strong> are estimated to be 3.81 billion tonnes @ 1.1% Cu, 0.4 kg/t<br />
U 3 O 8 and 0.5 g/t Au. Total copper in the resource increased by 7 Mt to an estimated 42.7 Mt,<br />
while uranium increased by 230 000 t to an estimated 1.4 Mt. Gold <strong>resources</strong> have risen by about<br />
24% to an estimated 55.1 Moz.<br />
■<br />
Drilling by Minotaur Resources Ltd to test the eastern extension of <strong>mineral</strong>isation at the Prominent<br />
Hill deposit in central South <strong>Australia</strong> continued to yield good intersections. Some were: 41 m<br />
@ 2.85 g/t Au, 30 m @ 3.52% Cu and 0.93 g/t Au and 111.5 m @ 1.30% Cu and 0.59 g/t Au.<br />
An initial resource estimate was released for part of the deposit. At a 0.5% Cu cut-off grade the<br />
inferred resource was 97 Mt @ 1.5% Cu and 0.5 g/t Au but does not include gold <strong>resources</strong> from<br />
areas of gold-only <strong>mineral</strong>isation.<br />
■<br />
Tasman Resources N.L. reported that it had intersected at least 225 m of hematite-altered breccias<br />
in a drill hole at its Marathon South prospect located 24 km northeast of the Olympic Dam mine.<br />
The company reports that the rock is very similar to rocks known from the upper un<strong>mineral</strong>ised<br />
parts of the Olympic Dam deposit.<br />
■<br />
In the Curnamona Craton (SA), 100 km west of Broken Hill, Havilah Resources NL reported an<br />
intersection of 36 m @ 3.1% Cu and 1.0 g/t Au at its Kalkaroo prospect. They note that mineable<br />
grades of molybdenum are also present. Mineralisation has been traced over 1 400 m around a<br />
large arc. The company has drilled 14, 100 m–spaced, drill traverses and each has produced<br />
ore-grade intersections.<br />
■<br />
Alkane Exploration Ltd reported encouraging first results from its Galwadgere prospect in the<br />
Wellington project, 15 km southeast of Wellington, NSW. Results include 4 m @ 1.69% Cu and<br />
0.08 g/t Au, 26 m @ 1.09% Cu and 0.26 g/t Au and 47 m @ 0.9% Cu and 1.58 g/t Au.<br />
■<br />
Pre-feasibility drilling at Conquest Mining Limited’s Mount Carlton epithermal project in central<br />
Queensland returned intersections including 20 m @ 3.52 g/t Au, 61.3 g/t Ag and 0.65% Cu from<br />
35 m and 25 m @ 2.08 g/t Au, 88.2 g/t Ag, and 1.26% Cu from 67m.<br />
Production<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>n gold production reported by ABARE for 2004 was 259 t, a reduction of 25 t on 2003<br />
production. The Super Pit at Kalgoorlie in Western <strong>Australia</strong> was again the largest producer with<br />
an output of nearly 0.9 Moz. In 2004, Western <strong>Australia</strong> dominated <strong>Australia</strong>n production with 166 t,<br />
which was just under two-thirds of total <strong>Australia</strong>n output.<br />
TABLE 2. <strong>Australia</strong>n gold production 2000 to 2004.<br />
2000 (t) 2001(t) 2002 (t) 2003 (t) 2004 (t)<br />
New South Wales 18.58 17.10 23.48 27 29<br />
Victoria 4.23 3.50 3.24 4 4<br />
36<br />
Queensland 37.01 31.89 25.06 26 23<br />
South <strong>Australia</strong> 2.95 4.31 3.14 5 4<br />
Western <strong>Australia</strong> 203.74 196.59 187.20 188 166<br />
Tasmania 6.68 6.18 6.05 10 11<br />
Northern Territory 23.14 20.51 17.95 24 22<br />
<strong>Australia</strong> 296.41 280.08 266.14 284 259<br />
Source: ABARE <strong>Australia</strong>n Commodity Statistics 2003 and ABARE <strong>Australia</strong>n Mineral Statistics March and December Quarters 2004.