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 />
Mineral Sands<br />
The principal components of <strong>mineral</strong> sands are the titanium <strong>mineral</strong>s – rutile (TiO 2 ) and ilmenite<br />
(FeTiO 3 ), and zircon (ZrSiO 4 ). Rutile and ilmenite are mainly used in the production of titanium<br />
dioxide pigment with a small portion, less than 4% of total titanium <strong>mineral</strong> production, typically<br />
rutile, used in making titanium sponge metal. Zircon is used as an opacifier for glazes on ceramic<br />
tiles, in refractories and for foundry industry.<br />
Resources<br />
The EDR of ilmenite increased 4% to 217.2 Mt in 2004, from 208.8 Mt in 2003.<br />
About 62% of <strong>Australia</strong>’s EDR of ilmenite is in Western <strong>Australia</strong>, 24% in Queensland and the rest<br />
in New South Wales (7%), Victoria (6%) and South <strong>Australia</strong> (2%). A small quantity of ilmenite EDR<br />
(33 000 t) is reported for the first time for Northern Territory in early <strong>2005</strong> but this figure is not<br />
included in the 2004 calendar year totals.<br />
The EDR of rutile (which includes leucoxene in Western <strong>Australia</strong>) declined by 5.2% from 21.3 Mt in<br />
2003 to 20.2 Mt in 2004. Queensland has the largest share of <strong>Australia</strong>’s rutile EDR with 35% followed<br />
by Western <strong>Australia</strong> with about 22.8%. New South Wales accounts for about 22.2% of the <strong>resources</strong><br />
with Victoria holding 18.7% and South <strong>Australia</strong> 1.3%.<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>’s EDR of zircon decreased by 6.8% from 32.2 Mt in 2003 to 30 Mt in 2004 with Western<br />
<strong>Australia</strong> and Queensland accounting for 76.8% of total zircon EDR. The balance of zircon EDR was<br />
distributed among New South Wales (11.4%), Victoria (8.3%) and South <strong>Australia</strong> (3.4%).<br />
Subeconomic demonstrated <strong>resources</strong> of ilmenite, rutile and zircon remained unchanged in 2004 at<br />
51 Mt, 12 Mt and 19 Mt, respectively. Over 99% of these <strong>resources</strong> are recorded in the paramarginal<br />
category and are associated with the WIM deposits in the Murray Basin in Victoria. The WIM deposits<br />
also contain 14.38 Mt of leucoxene.<br />
Inferred <strong>resources</strong> of ilmenite increased to 118.9 Mt from 106.8 Mt in 2003. Most of this increase was<br />
in Victoria and to a lesser extent in Western <strong>Australia</strong>. Victoria has the largest proportion of inferred<br />
ilmenite <strong>resources</strong> with 49% followed by New South Wales with 18%, Western <strong>Australia</strong> 17% and<br />
Queensland, with 10%.<br />
Inferred <strong>resources</strong> of rutile rose by 12.6% with increases of 21% in New South Wales and 12% in<br />
Victoria. Victoria has the largest share of inferred rutile <strong>resources</strong> with 55% of the total followed by<br />
New South Wales (32%) and South <strong>Australia</strong> (8%).<br />
Inferred <strong>resources</strong> of zircon increased by 23.6% with the largest increases in South <strong>Australia</strong>, which<br />
rose by more than 260%, followed by Victoria and Western <strong>Australia</strong>. Victoria is the main holder of<br />
zircon inferred <strong>resources</strong> with 54% of the <strong>Australia</strong>n total, followed by New South Wales (17%),<br />
South <strong>Australia</strong> (15%) and Western <strong>Australia</strong> (7%).<br />
48<br />
In addition to ilmenite, rutile and zircon, <strong>Australia</strong> also had <strong>resources</strong> of leucoxene reported in 2004.<br />
Leucoxene <strong>resources</strong> comprise 3.5Mt of EDR, 17.7Mt of paramarginal <strong>resources</strong> and 15.5Mt of inferred<br />
<strong>resources</strong>. About 90% of the leucoxene EDR is in Western <strong>Australia</strong> and Queensland.<br />
Accessible EDR<br />
A significant portion of <strong>mineral</strong> sand EDR are in areas quarantined from mining. These areas are<br />
largely within national parks and <strong>Geoscience</strong> <strong>Australia</strong> estimates that some 17% of ilmenite, 28% of<br />
rutile and 27% of zircon EDR is unavailable for mining. Deposits in this category include Moreton<br />
Island, Bribie Island and Fraser Island; Cooloola sand mass; Byfield sand mass and Shoalwater Bay<br />
area, all in Queensland, and Yuraygir, Bundjalung, Hat Head and Myall Lakes National Parks in<br />
New South Wales.