australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
australia's identified mineral resources 2005 - Geoscience Australia
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES <strong>2005</strong><br />
and 85 000 tpa of ilmenite over a mine life of 10.8 years. All of the project’s planned output will be<br />
contracted under long term supply arrangements with off-take partners for the first five years of the<br />
mine life.<br />
<strong>Australia</strong>n Zircon NL is also earning an 80% participating interest in its WIM 150 Joint Venture with<br />
Austpac Resources NL. Metallurgical testwork is being carried out to recover a zircon product from<br />
the WIM 150 heavy <strong>mineral</strong> deposit that would be suited to the premium ceramic grade market.<br />
Olympia Resources NL announced an upgraded heavy <strong>mineral</strong> resource status for its Keysbrook<br />
deposit to 64 Mt of measured, indicated and inferred tonnes of <strong>mineral</strong> sand at 2.6% heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s<br />
for 1.66 Mt of heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s at a cut-off grade of 1.5%. The resource is reported to contain proved<br />
and probable reserves of 41 Mt of <strong>mineral</strong> sand at 2.7% heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s containing 1.174 Mt of heavy<br />
<strong>mineral</strong>s. The company is anticipating completing a feasibility study on the deposit by mid-<strong>2005</strong>.<br />
In other developments during 2004, Gunson Resources Limited announced, for their Coburn Project<br />
in Western <strong>Australia</strong>, an indicated resource of 250 Mt with 1.4% heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s containing about<br />
3.5 Mt heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s grading at 46% ilmenite, 5% rutile, 6% leucoxene and 23% zircon with<br />
additional 460 Mt of inferred resource at 1.4% heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s. The company completed a bankable<br />
feasibility study in late 2004 and construction is anticipated to commence once mining permits are<br />
granted. Current plans are for production to commence late in 2006.<br />
In early <strong>2005</strong>, Matilda Minerals Ltd announced reserves of 2.05 Mt at 6.01% heavy <strong>mineral</strong>s for their<br />
Tiwi Islands <strong>mineral</strong> sands project in Northern Territory. The Tiwi Islands are located north of Darwin<br />
and comprise the Melville Island in the east and the Bathurst in the west. The reserves are contained<br />
in three deposits, Andranangoo and Lethbridge on the north coast of Melville Island and Puwanapi<br />
on the west coast of Bathurst Island. The company reported that feasibility studies indicate that the<br />
project could produce 35 000 t of concentrate per year for at least three years containing 13 000 tpa<br />
zircon, 9 000 tpa rutile/leucoxene and 11 000 tpa ilmenite. Matilda Minerals Ltd reported that it has<br />
an offtake agreement with Astron Limited to take all production from the project and concentrate<br />
would be shipped direct to China.<br />
Nickel<br />
More than 80% of the world’s nickel production is used in alloys. When alloyed with other elements,<br />
nickel imparts toughness, strength, resistance to corrosion, and various other electrical, magnetic<br />
and heat resistant properties. About 65% of world nickel output is consumed in the manufacture<br />
of stainless steel. Stainless steels are widely used in the chemical industry, consumer products<br />
(eg. sinks, cooking utensils, cutlery and white-goods), motor vehicles and the construction industry.<br />
Resources<br />
EDR decreased marginally (1%) in 2004 from 22.8 Mt to 22.6 Mt. This was partly due to some<br />
companies reclassifying lateritic nickel <strong>resources</strong> to inferred category JORC, pending more detailed<br />
resource definition. Of this amount, just over 40% of EDR was in sulphide ores, and the remaining<br />
associated with laterites.<br />
52<br />
Western <strong>Australia</strong> remains the largest holder of nickel <strong>resources</strong> with 90% of total EDR. Nickel<br />
production continued at the operating sulphide mines of WMC Resources Ltd’s Leinster and Mt Keith;<br />
LionOre Mining International Ltd’s Black Swan and Emily Ann; Jubilee Mines NL’s Cosmos; Mincor<br />
Resources NL’s Miitel, Wannaway, and production commenced at Redross in September 2004 and at<br />
Mariners in the first quarter of <strong>2005</strong>. Production also commenced from Sally Malay Mining Ltd’s Sally<br />
Malay mine in August 2004. Sulphide nickel production continued or commenced at another eight<br />
mostly small mines. Mining of lateritic nickel continued from Minara Resources NL’s Murrin Murrin<br />
mine and from the OMG’s Cawse mine. Despite ongoing production from the sulphide nickel mines,<br />
EDR for sulphide nickel increased marginally from 9.4 Mt to 9.7 Mt in 2004 whereas lateritic nickel<br />
decreased from 13.5 Mt to 12.9 Mt.