australia's identified mineral resources 2004 - Geoscience Australia

AUSTRALIA’S IDENTIFIED MINERAL RESOURCES 2004
Production
Mine production of tin in Australia has declined since the mid 1980s. At the start of 2003, Australia
had three operating tin mines – Renison Bell underground mine (Murchison United NL), Ardlethon
alluvial mine (Marlborough Resources NL), and Greenbushes open cut mine (Sons of Gwalia Ltd).
Operations at Renison Bell were suspended in May, and by year’s end, there were only two
producing tin mines in Australia.
Production in 2003 was 3818 t tin (40% less than 2002). Total exports for 2003 were 2862 t tin valued
at $18 million.
World Ranking
Australia’s EDR for tin is ranked number ten in the world. The world’s major resources of EDR are in
China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Peru and Bolivia.
Industry Developments
Mining and milling operations at Renison Bell mine were suspended following the company’s failure
to secure capital for development of a decline to access new ore reserves in the high grade Federal
orebodies. Mining in the main stoping areas had been halted earlier in the year due to difficult
ground conditions. Prior to suspension, this mine had been a major producer for almost 40 years and
was one of the world’s largest underground tin mining operations.
Production from the Ardlethon alluvial mining operations increased steadily throughout the year to
reach a monthly rate of 136 t tin for December. The main factors contributing to this increase were:
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Commissioning of a second processing plant,
Ore grades increased from 1.27 kg Sn/bank cubic metre (March quarter) to 2.15 kg Sn/bank cubic
metre (December quarter),
The processing plants have combined capacity to treat 800 000 bank cubic meters of ore per year.
Greenbushes is the world’s largest hard rock tantalum mine. Tin occurs in association with tantalum
minerals and is recovered as a by-product during ore processing. The company operates a smelter at
the site and tin is produced as refined ingot.
Bluestone Tin Ltd purchased the Collingwood project (North Queensland) from the previous
owners in 2000 and completed a feasibility study in 2001. An Environmental Authority enabling the
development of the project was issued to Bluestone in February 2003.
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During the 1980s, an adit and underground development were completed at the Collingwood
deposit, and a major drilling program was carried out from both surface and underground in order to
outline the ore reserves and mineral resources. However, development of the project was deferred by
the former owners in the late 1980s because of low market prices. Bluestone proposes to refurbish
the adit and underground drives in late 2004, and production of tin is scheduled to commence in
2005. At Collingwood, cassiterite mineralisation occurs in a steeply dipping, sheeted vein system and
in flat-lying greisen zones near the top of a granite intrusion.
Uranium
Uranium has two major peaceful uses: as the fuel in nuclear power reactors to generate electricity;
and in the manufacture of radioisotopes for medical applications. Approximately 17% of the world’s
electricity is currently generated by the use of uranium in nuclear reactors. Some 441 nuclear power
reactors with a total net capacity of over 364 gigawatts (electrical) are operating in 31 countries; a
further 33 new reactors are under construction worldwide. A total of 16 countries generate more than
25% of their total electricity requirements from nuclear reactors. Australia has no significant national
demand for uranium and all mine production is exported under nuclear safeguards agreements with
importing countries.