Metalliferous Industrial Minerals 2014 Part 3

Industrial minerals
Major operating mines

Queensland is a significant producer of industrial minerals. The
states industrial mineral production provides raw materials for
export and local end users. It is a significant supplier to many
of the states industries, for example, fertiliser manufacture,
cement for the construction industry, and mineral-processing
facilities such as refineries and smelters. The major industrial
minerals include bentonite, kaolin and ceramic clays, diatomite,
dimension stone, dolomite, gypsum, limestone, magnesite,
mineral sands (rutile, ilmenite and zircon), peat, perlite,
phosphate rock, salt, silica sand and zeolite.
Queensland also produces opal, sapphire, chrysoprase, agate,
topaz and zircon as gemstones.
Phosphate Hill (phosphate rock)Incitec Pivot Ltd
Phosphate Hill is a large open-cut phosphate rock mining and
vertically-integrated fertiliser business, 135 km south-southeast of Mount Isa. BHP Billiton acquired Phosphate Hill in 2005
from WMC Fertilisers and onsold it to Incitec Pivot Ltd in August
2006. Incitec Pivot Ltd, although a publically listed company
on the Australian Stock Exchange, has not published resource
figures. The last publically available JORC compliant resource for
Phosphate Hill dates from BHP Billitons Annual Report 2006 and
quotes a proved reserve of 29 Mt at 24.6% P2O5 and a probable
reserve of 52 Mt at 24.3% P2O5. (Geoscience Australia, 2011)
The Phosphate Hill operation includes the mine, a phosphoric
acid facility, ammonia and granulation plants at Phosphate
Hill, a sulphuric acid plant at the copper-smelting operations
at Mount Isa, and storage and port facilities at Townsville. It is
Queenslands most significant industrial mineral operation in
terms of production value and is Australias largest fertiliser
manufacturer and supplier. Incitec Pivot also holds a significant
phosphate deposit at Ardmore, 70 km west of Phosphate Hill.
The phosphate rock ore occurs in a sequence of gently dipping
phosphorite-bearing sandstone and siltstone beds about 10
to 15 m thick. The phosphate rock is first beneficiated using a
crush and washing process and then fed to an acid plant where
it is dissolved in sulphuric acid to produce phosphoric acid. The
by-product gypsum is stockpiled.
The phosphoric acid is converted using ammonia into highquality ammonium phosphate fertiliser for domestic and export
markets. Anhydrous ammonia is manufactured by combining
hydrogen (extracted from natural gas sourced from long-term
gas supply agreements) with nitrogen from the air.
Approximately 2.1 Mt of phosphate rock is mined annually and
used to manufacture di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser (DAP)
and mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP). The fertiliser plant
has the capacity to produce 970 000 tpa of DAP and MAP. The
products are railed 900 km to the port of Townsville.
In May and June 2014 the company carried out major

maintenance with some $80 million of expenditure. The
company regards the impact of gas cost increases from February
2015 and obtaining sulphuric acid supply following the closure
of the copper smelter at Mount Isa in 2016 as challenges
going forward. It is understood that with an amendment of the
environmental authority a four year extension to the Mount Isa
smelters life could be granted to 2020.
Mount Isa (Sulphur dioxide)Incitec Pivot Ltd
Glencore Plc has an agreement with Incitec Pivot Ltd to provide
sulphur dioxide from the copper smelter to the Mount Isa
acid plant. Sulphuric acid is produced at the Mount Isa plant
by collecting and cleaning sulphur dioxide before converting
it, first to sulphur trioxide, and then to liquid sulphuric
acid. Average daily production of the plant is approximately
3000 t. The acid plant has the capacity to take up to 80% of
sulphur dioxide emissions from the copper smelter, thereby
substantially reducing the emissions of sulphur dioxide and
other substances.
Queensland Rail transports the sulphuric acid to Phosphate Hill
where it is used in the production of phosphate fertiliser. It is
also sold to local mining operations for use in solvent extraction
of copper.
In May 2011, the then owner of the Mount Isa mine, Xstrata
Copper, announced that the companys copper smelter will
cease operation at the end of 2016 because of the impact of the
Federal Governments carbon tax. It is understood that with an
amendment of the environmental authority a four year extension
to the smelters life could be granted to 2020. When closure
occurs it will impact on future acid supplies for Phosphate Hill
and other businesses.
North Stradbroke Island (rutile, ilmenite, zircon and silica
sands)Sibelco Australia Ltd
High dune mining commenced on North Stradbroke Island,
35 km east of Brisbane in 1978, and subsequently mining has
developed a number of ore bodies. The current mines are the
Enterprise and Yarraman mines. The Yarraman mine will be
closed in August 2015 and the Enterprise mine is expected
to close about 2035. About 50 Mt of ore is dredged annually
and is expected to decrease marginally once Yarraman ceases
operation.
Concentrates are transported by barge to a dry mill plant
at Pinkenba near the mouth of the Brisbane River, yielding
ilmenite, rutile and zircon for export through the port of
Brisbane. Most of the ilmenite and rutile is processed into
various titanium products, namely titanium metal for aerospace,
flux core welding products and titanium dioxide for paint
pigments while the zircon is used in the ceramic industries.
Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
49
Figure 6: Queensland industrial minerals

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Produced by Publication Graphics, SGS, Geological Survey of Queensland April 2015.

State of Queensland (Department
of Natural Resources and Mines) 2015.
140
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/deed.en
50

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
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The Vance silica sand mine, which ceased full time production
in June 2013, is managed on a campaign basis to suit
customer needs. It produces high-quality silica for use in glass
applications (such as the I-O glass bottle plant at West End in
Brisbane, formerly ACI) and windscreens, plasma TV screens
and solar panels.
Goondicum (ilmenite, feldspar and apatite)Melior Resources
Inc.
The Goondicum mine is located 30 km east of Monto within a
layered gabbroic complex. Significant ilmenite, apatite, titanomagnetite and feldspar are present in a weathered horizon
up to 25 m thick. The previous owner, Monto Minerals Ltd,
appointed administrators in August 2008 following operational
difficulties. The project included an eluvial mining operation
and processing plant to produce ilmenite, feldspar, apatite
and titanomagnetite. Another processing plant was built at
Dakiel, 25 km west of Goondicum, to upgrade the feldspar by
reducing the iron content to meet Australian glass-manufacture
specifications.
A review by Belridge Enterprises Ltd who acquired the mine in
January 2009 identified that a number of flaws in the design
of the project's feed preparation area were the primary cause
of the original project's poor operating performance. Belridge
re-commenced operations in June 2012 and produced ilmenite
and apatite but closed in June 2013 due to a fall in the price of
ilmenite.
Melior Resources bought the Goondicum project in May 2014
and commenced a refurbishment of the mill in August 2014 with
a view to boosting the plant throughput by 50% to 2.8 Mtpa.
They also plan to build a new access road to reduce haulage

distances by about 100 kms. The open-pit mine is on track to
re-commence production of about 200 000 tpa of ilmenite and
associated apatite by June 2015.
In June 2007, Monto Minerals estimated a measured eluvial resource
of 57.7 Mt containing 5.2% ilmenite and 3.1% titanomagnetite, and a
measured eluvial resource of 5.3 Mt containing 12.3% feldspar and
6 Mt containing 1.9% apatite. The indicated eluvial resource was
21.3 Mt containing 4.4% ilmenite and 2.2% titanomagnetite.
A further 68 Mt of eluvium containing similar grades of feldspar and
apatite were also delineated in the indicated and inferred categories.
117 Mt of alluvium containing 4.1% ilmenite was also outlined in the
measured, indicated and inferred categories.
Kunwarara (magnesite)Sibelco Australia Ltd subsidiary
Queensland Magnesia Pty Ltd (QMAG)
The Kunwarara mine is based on the Kunwarara and Yaamba
magnesite deposits that extend from 40 to 70 km north of
Rockhampton beneath a relatively flat, black-soil covered plain.
The deposit is regarded as one of the largest known low-iron
cryptocrystalline magnesite deposits in the western world and
was discovered by 1985. The first product was produced in
November 1991. The operations were acquired by Sibelco in
April 2012 from Queensland Magnesia Pty Ltd (QMAG).
The magnesite deposit is formed within river gravels and sands
of a former north-flowing meandering river system. Magnesite
has been deposited from magnesium-rich groundwaters
derived from the weathering of adjacent serpentinite basement
rocks, and has grown in-situ to form accretionary nodules.
The main deposits occur in an irregular channel over 30 km
Cape Flattery slica mining

Photo: Bob Bultitude, DNRM

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
51
long that ranges in width from 500 m to 3 km. Within the

deposit boundary, high-grade areas of high-density bonetype magnesite with low iron, nodular, cryptocrystalline
characteristics have the quality to provide the raw material for
the production of high-quality refractory magnesia.
QMAG commenced mining at the Yaamba magnesite deposit,
about 40 km north-north-west of Rockhampton in September
2010. Approximately 3 Mtpa of ore is mined from Kunwarara
and 1 Mtpa from Yaamba. The company continues to delineate
additional resources and reserves in advance of future mining
operations, with currently identified resources at Kunwarara
exceeding 87 Mt of 'run of mine' ore.
The ore is crushed, scrubbed, and screened with heavy media
separation and optical sorting before transportation by road to
the Parkhurst processing plant in Rockhampton. At Parkhurst,
calcining operations are conducted in three multiple hearth
furnaces, which operate at 320 000 tpa product capacity. The
raw magnesite is fed into the furnaces, where it is heated by
natural gas to 1000C to produce caustic, calcined magnesium
oxide or magnesia. In addition, upgraded calcined magnesia is
finely ground and compressed into briquettes for dead-burning.
The purpose of the grinding and briquetting steps is to prepare
the magnesia so that dead-burning can proceed efficiently with
even flow through the kilns, thereby producing the highest
quality magnesia with respect to homogeneity and density. The
briquettes are heated to 2300C in three gas-fired vertical shaft
kilns to form sintered or dead-burned magnesia.
View of the Riverton plant from quarry

Photo: Friedrich von Gnielinski, DNRM
52

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
High-quality electro-fused magnesia is also produced at

Parkhurst by melting calcined magnesia at >3000C in electric
arc furnaces. Ingots formed in this process are cooled, stripped
and broken up. The product passes through a series of crushing,
sorting and screening processes before being loaded in bags or
bulk for export. The final product can be crushed and sized to
meet individual customers' requirements.
The products are supplied to the refractory industry and
the caustic, calcined magnesia is supplied for agricultural,
metallurgical, paper and environmental applications. The
plant annually produces about 80 000 t of caustic calcined
magnesia, 110 000 t of dead-burned magnesia and 32 000 t of
electro-fused magnesia. An expansion of the total magnesia
capacity to 345 000 tpa by adding a third multiple hearth
furnace to diversify the markets into hydrometallurgical and
agricultural applications was completed in 2010 following the
commencement of mining operations at Yaamba.
North and far-north Queensland (agricultural lime, dolomite
and gypsum)Wilkins Brothers, Mirriwinni Lime Pty Ltd and
Zinaback Pty Ltd
The Wilkins family in the last decade have grown their
agricultural lime business under the names Mirriwinni Lime
Pty Ltd and Zinaback Pty Ltd though lease purchases and
exploration in north and far-north Queensland and have a
controlling share of the market in the region. The company now
mines and supplies a variety of natural fertilisers relating to
the agricultural lime industry. It also sources magnesite and
magnesium oxide from QMAG at Kunwarara, rock phosphate
from Incitec Pivot and diatomite from Conjuboy for direct sale or
in the production of its blend range.
The company holds limestone leases at Chillagoe (also produces

wollastonite), near Mount Garnet, Christmas Creek 40 km east
of Greenvale, Laroona 110 km east-south-east of Greenvale and
Mount Molloy, dolomite leases at Hillgrove 110 km south-east
of Greenvale and Gunnawarra 35 km south-south-west of Mount
Garnet and gypsum leases centred 110 km south-west of Winton.
The company has plants at Chillagoe, Mount Garnet, Biboohra
near Mount Molloy, Black River near Townsville and Winton.
These businesses have developed to supply the agricultural
lime industry as farmers realised the benefit of the use of lime,
dolomite, calcium-magnesium blends, gypsum and latterly
wollastonite on strongly acidic agricultural soils in Queensland.
There is also the important continuing application of lime in the
treatment of acid sulphate soils.
Cape Flattery (silica sand)Cape Flattery Silica Mines Pty Ltd
The Cape Flattery mine is located 60 km north of Cooktown and
has operated since 1967. It is the worlds biggest producer and
exporter of silica sand. The operator, Cape Flattery Silica Mines
Pty Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary company of Mitsubishi
Corporation.
High-grade silica (99.9% SiO2) sand is produced from deposits
in coastal dunes and exported from Cape Flattery wharf. The
company reports that the estimated resource of silica sand on
their leases is 200 Mt. About 1.5 Mt of silica sand is exported
annually to markets in the glass, foundry and chemical
industries.
Coonarr (silica sand)Earth Commodities Pty Ltd
Earth Commodities operation is 20 km south of Bundaberg
at Coonarr Creek. The sand is pure white, high-grade silica
of about 99.8% SiO2 with traces of aluminium oxide and iron
oxide. The most recent estimate of available coarse sand is
about 480 000 t, although some of the resource has since been
mined.
A plant was constructed in 2001 with a capacity of 100 000 tpa
and the resource is unusual in that it can deliver material from
below 250 microns up to 5 mm pebbles. The company has graded
the resource into three major products which occur as layers
commencing with the superfine at the top and finishing with
very-coarse material at or below the water table. The products
are mainly used in foundry and epoxy industries, architectural
coatings, pool and decorative finishes.
Ningi Sands (silica sand)Southern Pacific Sands Pty Ltd
The Ningi silica sand mining operation, about 50 km north of
Brisbane, produces a range of quality silica sands. The silica
sand deposits are a mixture of fine bay sands and coarse river
sands, allowing the company to provide a wide range of sand
particle sizes for specific clients. The company indicates that
with significant proved reserves, security of a long-term supply
of product can be provided to customers.
The main product streams consist of washed classified sand,

dried processed sands, bio-retention filter media and screened
soils which are sold to a diverse customer base from metal
casting foundries, concrete and asphalt batching plants, the
civil construction industry, local and international supply of
golf course construction and maintenance material, through to
locomotive grit for Queensland Railways.
Lighthouse (lump silica)Solar Silicon Resources Group Pte Ltd
The Lighthouse quartz deposit is about 30 km south-west of
Mount Surprise and held by the Singapore-based Solar Silicon
Resources Group Pte Ltd. The quartz pipes occur as two small
prominent hills containing high-purity quartz grading 99.8%
SiO2. There is a JORC resource of 1.83 Mt and the company
estimates a further resource of 3 to 5 Mt.
Mining at Lighthouse began in mid-2011 and the mining
capacity has varied up to 1000 t a day. Processing is a simple
acid wash to clean the surface and the quartz is trucked
to Townsville for shipping. Early efforts by the company to
commercialise the deposit were based on selling the unrefined
quartz to silicon smelters in China for silicon metal manufacture
but following the global financial crisis this market had almost
disappeared. At the time there was an increasing demand
for much higher-value processed high-purity quartz products
such as solar-grade crucible sand and semiconductor-grade
silica products and the company made a business decision to
commercialise this market, during which time it collaborated
with Chinese, Japanese and Korean entities.
Solar Silicon Resources Group established a test plant facility
in Melbourne to develop the ability to manufacture high-purity
quartz sand from the deposit and has successfully produced
solar-grade high-purity quartz sand at a minimum purity level
of 99.997%. It is believed the company has the capability to
beneficiate this product to semiconductor-grade high-purity
quartz sand (99.999+% SiO2).
In September 2014 Solar Silicon Resources Group Pte Ltd signed
a share exchange agreement with Magnolia Solar Corporation,
a USA-based company, to merge their business interests
and assets. Solar Silicon Resources Group Pte Ltd is now a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Magnolia Solar Corporation. The
merged entity plans to become a dominant supplier of highpurity quartz sand to the solar, semi-conductor and high-end
electronics industries, and to further develop advanced new
solar technologies and plans to change its name to High Purity
Quartz Technologies (HPQT).
The merged entity is regarded as bringing additional expertise
in advanced solar energy technologies that will assist with the
companys plans to establish a large-capacity high-purity quartz
sand processing plant in the United States. It is understood
that high-purity quartz is experiencing an unprecedented global

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
53
demand largely due to the expanded installation of solar farms

for power generation worldwide, but there is a global scarcity
of world-class high-quality silica deposits. High-purity quartz
crucibles are used to grow silicon crystals which the solar and
semiconductor industries use for wafers to produce solar cells
and silicon microelectronic chips.
East End (limestone)Cement Australia Pty Ltd
The East End mine, 10 km south-west of Mount Larcom, is
Queenslands largest limestone mine. Mining operations
commenced in 1980. The Cement Australia Group is owned by
Holcim, a company based in Switzerland and the Heidelberg
Cement subsidiary Hanson which each have a 50% share of the
Cement Australia Group.
The raw material from the mine, which includes impurities such
as clay, is railed to the companys cement plant at Fishermans
Landing near Gladstone by a 31 km rail link loop. Deleterious
materials mined include high-alkali limestone, volcanic rock,
which occurs as dykes within the limestone deposit and
sidewalls, and clay materials, either in excess of requirements
or with unsuitable chemical characteristics.
At Fishermans Landing, the company operates the largest
cement kiln in Australia and uses state-of-the-art technology
to achieve consistency of products and processes. The plant
processes limestone, clay, silica sand and ironstone to
manufacture cement and clinker that is sold throughout Australia
and overseas. The production capacity is over 1.7 Mtpa of cement.
Lime is also produced at the plant in a refurbished cement kiln,
supplying up to 250 000 t of lime per year to Queenslands sugar,
mining and aluminium industries.
The existing mine currently produces approximately 2.5 Mtpa of
limestone and clay. At this rate it is estimated that the overall
mine life will continue for 55 to 70 years. The mine life could
be further extended by the relocation of mine infrastructure.
Currently a new mining lease has been applied for adjacent to
the current lease.
Calliope (Taragoola) (limestone)Sibelco Australia Ltd
The Calliope limestone mining operation is located about 30 km
south of Gladstone. About 1 Mt of limestone per year is produced
from the open-cut, much of which is railed to a kiln at Fishermans
Landing for quick lime production for use in Queensland Alumina
Ltds refinery in Gladstone.
At least 140 000 t of quick lime is used annually in the
production of alumina. The company also supplies various
grades of crushed limestone to government agencies, and the
construction, agriculture and other industries.
54

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
Warwick, Riverton and Murgon (limestone)Sibelco Australia Ltd

In south-east Queensland, limestone is mined at Riverton
located 25 km south of Warwick and 10 km south of Murgon.
The limestone production is supplied to a range of users in
agricultural lime, animal stock-feed, glass, plastic, rubber
and cement manufacturing, construction and environmental
water-treatment applications. The annual production of
limestone from this region depends on the level of industrial
manufacturing, agricultural and construction activities.
Bajool (marble)Omya Australia Pty Ltd
This high-quality marble deposit, 18 km south of Bajool in
central Queensland, was mined in the 1920s for dimension
stone that was widely used in government buildings in Brisbane
under the name Ulam Marble. In the 1960s, larger opencuts and a plant were developed for mining and crushing
marble to stone dust (used as a fire suppressant in the states
underground coal mines), agricultural lime products and for
export. Particular care was taken then (and also by the current
owners) to preserve the historical dimension stone workings,
including Ulam Quarry.
Recently the focus has changed, and Bajool is largely the sole
supplier of a high-purity crushed white calcite product which
is shipped from Gladstone to the companys Geelong plant in
Victoria and for export to other Australian and overseas ports.
The Geelong facility was established in 1993 and expanded in
1995 to include wet milling operations and currently receives
about 130 000 tpa a year from Bajool.
The Geelong plant produces slurry products for copy paper as
well as paper and cardboard coating. Additionally, it produces
a range of high-brightness industrial fillers and extenders for
Victoria's manufacturing industry, and two products that are
specifically manufactured for the food industry.
Chillagoe (marble)Cairns Marble Australia Pty Ltd and
Australian Fine Grain Marble Pty Ltd
Marble occurs within the Late Silurian to Early Devonian
Chilagoe Formation north-west and south-east of Chillagoe.
There are numerous marble quarries, but over the years
the development of the marble industry has been erratic.
The quality of the marble is highly variable with a variety of
colouration, grain size and translucency. The region is starting
to support an export industry (from the port of Brisbane) for
higher-grade stone with qualities unique to Chillagoe.
Cairns Marble is the main operator and has factories in
Chillagoe and Cairns. It produces various end-products
including marble blocks for export, with Italy being the main
market. Australian Fine Grain Marble is also exporting blocks of
high-grade Chillagoe marble.
Ootann (limestone)Phoenix Lime Pty Ltd

The Ootann limeworks are located 34 km south-south-east
of Chillagoe with the products generally used for agricultural
applications. The company reports that the deposit contains a
total resource of 35 Mt.
In May 2007, the operation was bought by Metallica Minerals
Ltd to supply lime and limestone for the companys then
proposed Nornico project (now changed in name to the Sconi
scandium-nickel-cobalt project). Limestone was to be used with
the high-pressure acid leaching operation with the company
constructing a lime burning facility in association with any
development. The companys Star River limestone deposits are
also located within a granted mining lease, 130 km via road
from SCONI, and could provide a further limestone resource.
Port Alma (salt)CK Life Sciences International, (Holdings) Inc.
(Cheetham Salt Ltd)
Port Alma, 35 km south-east of Rockhampton, is Australia's
largest producer and refiner of solar salt, operating the Port
Alma salt works and Bajool refinery. Cheetham Salt Ltd is a
wholly-owned subsidiary of CK Life Sciences International,
(Holdings) Inc a Hong Kong-based company who purchased
the operation from the Ridley Corporation Ltd in March 2013. In
2010, Cheetham Salt completed a major upgrade of the Bajool
refinery and has resumed production after several years of being
on care-and-maintenance.
The process begins by pumping seawater into shallow
concentrating ponds. As the solution becomes denser through
evaporation it is slowly guided through a series of ponds
either by gravity or pumping. After further evaporation the salt
settles into a thick layer on the crystalliser floor which is then
harvested.
Ridley Corporation Ltd has also sold its former salt field assets
at Bowen to Advanced Algal Technologies with a view to
producing Spirulina and Chlorella algae on a large commercial
scale. Advanced Algal Technologies has said the acquisition
of the Bowen salt works would make the company the largest
production facility of algae in the world.
Miles (bentonite)Sibelco Australia Ltd and Amcol
International Corporation
Bentonite is a complex absorbent clay mineral, with unique
swelling properties and a wide range of industrial applications
in drilling and construction/civil projects, foundry, cat-litter,
stock feed and dam sealing. Bentonite is mined at several sites
in south-eastern Queensland from shallow open-cut deposits,
particularly in the Gurulmundi region about 25 km north-west
of Miles.
At Gurulmundi, sodium bentonite (the most commercially

significant form of bentonite) occurs in the Jurassic Orallo
Formation. The main producer is Sibelco Australia Ltd followed
by the Amcol International Corporation subsidiary AMCOL
Australia Pty Ltd and the small producer, Bioclay Pty Ltd.
PCP Douglass Pty Ltd is a small producer near Yarraman. The
bentonite is processed on-site and sold locally or transported to
the port of Brisbane for export.
South-east Queensland (structural clay and shale)Austral
Brick Company Pty Ltd, Boral Bricks Pty Ltd, Claypave Pty Ltd
and CSR Ltd - PGH Bricks and Pavers
Several structural clay mining operations supply brickworks
distributed across metropolitan Brisbane, in suburbs including
Rochedale (Austral), Darra (Boral), Dinmore (Claypave) and
Oxley (PGH). The Darra, Dinmore and Oxley plants utilise blends
incorporating clay and shale from the old open-cuts in the
Ipswich Coal Measures. The Rochedale plant only uses noncoal-bearing clay and shale. The Warwick brick works produce
the traditional dry pressed brick.
Clay and shale are usually blended to manufacture a large range
of bricks and paving products of different colours and textures.
These are kiln-fired at temperatures of about 1100 degrees
centigrade. The total tonnage of clay produced to supply the
local brick industry is about 1 Mtpa valued at about $7 million.
Yearly production of structural clay depends on the local level of
commercial and domestic construction activity.
Major brickworks around Brisbane have been consolidated to
reduce operating costs, with the closure of the PGH Strathpine
brickworks in 2006, the upgrade of the PGH Oxley site, the
closure of a plant at Darra in 2011 and the closure of the
Austral Dinmore site in 2012. In addition, within south-east
Queensland, the PGH Cooroy Brickworks and QC Bricks in
Bundaberg closed in mid-2010 because of declining markets.
A joint venture that will be owned 60% by CSR and 40% by
Boral is expected to be completed in the first half of 2015. Boral
chief executive Mike Kane has said, With Australian brick
manufacturing being challenged as a result of a reduction in
brick usage and high input costs, the joint venture will allow us
to drive efficiencies across the combined network of operations,
creating a more sustainable business.
Numinbah (perlite)X-Cut Tunnelling Pty Ltd
The Numinbah underground perlite mine is located 30 km
south-west of the Gold Coast. The deposit occurs as thin zones
of volcanic glass within the Tertiary Lamington Volcanics. Since
January 2014, the perlite has been expanded at a plant at Carole
Park in Brisbane. (For uses see under Nychum) Since moving the
processing from Sydney to Brisbane the company is hoping to
expand production to some 5000 tpa to 7000 tpa.

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55
The processing involves the expansion by up to 25 times the

original volume because of the presence of water in the volcanic
glass. At temperatures above 850C, the water vaporises
and causes the perlite to soften and expand, creating small
glass-like bubbles and producing an exceptionally lightweight
material.
Nychum (perlite)Australian Chillagoe Perlite Pty Ltd
The Nychum perlite open-cut is located 50 km north-west of
Chillagoe. The perlite occurs as volcanic glass in discrete layers
within the early Permian Nychum Volcanics. The perlite is
trucked to a processing plant in Mareeba where it is crushed to
various sizes and heated to induce expansion. Expanded perlite
products are graded into seven grain sizes from jumbo to ultrafine.
Expanded perlite is adaptable for numerous applications.
It has an indefinite shelf life and can be manufactured to weigh
about 32 kg/m3. In horticulture it is used in propagation mixes,
potting mixes, soil conditioning, hydroponics, bulb storage and
landscaping and rooftop gardens. Industrial applications for
perlite are very diverse, ranging from high-performance fillers
for plastics to cements for petroleum, water and geothermal
wells. Perlite is widely used as loose fill insulation in masonry
construction and as an aggregate in cement and gypsum
plasters. Other applications include its use as a filter media
for pharmaceuticals, food products, chemicals and water for
systems in swimming pools.
Another company, Au Silica, has three granted mining leases
under the name Perlco Pty Ltd in the same perlite horizon. Au
Silica is conducting research and development with a view to
establishing markets for their products, bearing in mind the
remote location of the deposit.
Mount Sylvia (diatomite and palagonite)Mount Sylvia
Diatomite Pty Ltd
The Mount Sylvia diatomite mine is located 35 km south-east
of Toowoomba. Diatomite lenses averaging 2 m thick formed in
a lacustrine environment within basalt lava flows of the Main
Range Volcanics.
The diatomite is processed on-site by calcining to temperatures
of about 450C. A number of products are produced that absorb
up to 200% of any water and oil. They have been developed
to supply niche markets in the pesticide industry, horticulture
where it is used in soil conditioning, absorbent material for catlitter and chemical spillage, and filters for oils and beverages.
The company has also developed diatomite molasses products
for stock feed.
Palagonite, a mixture of smectite clays and poorly crystalline
feldspars, occurs within the basalt overburden, and is recovered
to supply niche markets as an organic soil conditioner. Road
base from the enclosing basalts is also a significant income
generator.
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Conjuboy (diatomite)Greenvale Silicon Pty Ltd

Agripower Australia Ltd through its wholly-owned subsidiary
Greenvale Silicon Pty Ltd is mining the Conjuboy diatomite
deposit located 45 km north-west of Greenvale. The deposit
extends over an area of approximately 7000 m x 9000 m
and averages around 25 m thick with little or no overburden
and contains approximately 2.25 billion cubic metres of
diatomaceous earth.
The deposit has been tested for the potential to produce highquality filter-grade and human health products and has shown
to exceed the requirements of the brewing industry in terms of
product quality. In recent years considerable work has been
done on evaluating the potential to use diatomaceous earth as
a source for silicon fertiliser. Following successful laboratory
tests, extensive field trials were carried out in Australia, India,
Indonesia and Saudi Arabia with extremely good results.
Agripower has developed a high-quality silicon fertiliser that
is certified for organic input in Australia and the USA and has
demonstrated increased crop yields and increased quality
of crops while at the same time lowering the requirement for
chemical based fertilisers.
The raw diatomite is transported by road from the mine
site to a processing facility next to the railway at Charters
Towers, a distance of approximately 300 kms. Agripower has
commissioned the first stage of the processing facility which
has allowed production at the rate of approximately 100 000 tpa
of agricultural-grade product. Having established the market,
the second stage of the facility build is expected to commence
in 2015 with a view to production at a rate of approximately
150 000 tpa of agricultural-grade product. Agripower has
established sales and marketing offices in India, China,
Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco.
Non-operating industrial mines and processing

plants
Mantuan Downs (bentonite)Australian Pacific Coal Ltd
The Mantuan Downs calcium bentonite deposit, located 78 km
south of Alpha, has an inferred resource of over 17 Mt of highgrade calcium bentonite in two main flat-lying bentonite beds. The
upper bentonite zone is the best developed with an average cation
exchange capacity quality of 102 meq/100 g (milliequivalents
denoting the measure has been multiplied by 1000). Near the
centre of the deposit it is 4 to 4.5 m thick. The lower bentonite zone
has similar quality bentonite with an average cation exchange
capacity of 90 meq/100g. This zone is continuous throughout the
deposit and is at least 2 to 4 m thick.
Australian Pacific Coal Ltd has developed calcium bentonitebased technologies for the improvement of the environment.
These technologies include remediation of heavy metal
contaminated soils, the removal of carcinogenic compounds
from high temperature smoke, absorption of oil spills in

water, increasing agricultural productivity through bentonite
blending for fertiliser and the reduction of methane emissions
in livestock.
The major market being targeted is excess fertiliser run-off from
farming lands along the Queensland coast. Generally positive
results from field trials have enhanced the long-term prospects
for use of calcium bentonite in this application. However,
commercial considerations for primary producers in this region
mean changes to traditional farming practice are only likely to
happen in response to Government pressure to fix this problem.
Based on prior research which highlighted the benefit of
bentonite in enhancing soils and composts, the company has
also focused on the agriculture sector end users in broad acre,
high-value market gardens, and feed lots. While feedback from
field trials has generally been positive, the reticence of primary
producers to change long-term farming practice has slowed
market take up.
The project is currently on care-and-maintenance as new
marketing opportunities are being evaluated.
Avoca (zeolite)Zeolite Australia Pty Ltd

The Avoca zeolite mining and exploration project is located about
125 km south-west of Emerald. A resource of over 18.5 Mt is
estimated over areas under the companys tenures. The deposits
occur generally in altered water-lain ash-fall tuff of the early
Carboniferous Ducabrook Formation in the Drummond Basin.
The deposit has been mined intermittently on a small scale to
supply emerging local markets. Zeolite Australia is investigating
the possibility of producing zeolite products for export. The
ore contains up to 65% Ca-type clinoptilolite with quartz
and smectite as accessory minerals. Analyses on whole-rock
samples have shown excellent ammonium-cation exchange
capacity values.
Zeolites are used as a soil conditioner, fertiliser, herbicide,
pesticide and fungicide, and in animal nutrition and
aquaculture. Zeolites are also used for odour control, oil spills,
energy and heat exchanges and nuclear waste treatment.
Zeolite Australia has developed ZELflocc, a product used in
sewerage and waste-water treatment and ZELBRITE, a waterfilter product.
Queensland Zeolite Pty Ltd is a small intermittent zeolite
producer in the same area from the same formation.
Stockpiles of diatomite (left) and aggregate basalt produced at the Mt Sylvia deposit, 35 km south-east of Toowoomba, near Gatton

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57
Industrial mineral projects at feasibility or

advanced exploration stage
Wateranga (feldspar, ilmenite and apatite)Queensland
Industrial Minerals Pty Ltd
The Wateranga project is located 30 km south-east of Mount
Perry and consists of a large multi-mineral eluvial resource,
containing mainly feldspar, ilmenite and apatite, with
accessory zircon, rutile, corundum, scandium and magnetite.
The Wateranga gabbro hard-rock resource, which sits under
the eluvial deposit, contains significantly higher-grades of
magnetite, ilmenite, apatite and zircon.
The company has calculated a resource of 204 Mt of
unconsolidated material with a composition comprising
5% ilmenite, 0.2% zircon, 20% feldspar, 0.8% apatite and
0.1% rutile. Of this, there is a proved reserve of 58 Mt, a
measured and indicated resource of 84 Mt and an inferred
resource of 62 Mt. The inferred hard-rock resource is 345 Mt
with an indicative composition of 23% magnetite,
7.3% ilmenite, 1% zircon and 7.7% apatite. Mining at a rate of
3.75 Mtpa to produce 500 000 tpa of mineral concentrate
containing ilmenite, feldspar, magnetite, zircon, rutile,
corundum and mica, would give a mine life in excess of
30 years.
The company has completed process plant design work and
is waiting for a mining lease to be granted and upon grant is
expected to commence construction of a mine. A memorandum
of understanding has been signed with Queensland Sugar Ltd
(port facilities owner) and port authority for the utilisation of the
Bundaberg BST ship loading facilities for product export and
land for further development.
Lighthouse Quartz
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Paradise South (phosphate rock)Paradise Phosphate Pty Ltd

a subsidiary of Legend International Holdings Inc.
The Paradise phosphate project is located 115 km north of Mount
Isa in an outlier of the Georgina Basin. During the early 1970s,
the then main deposit at Paradise South was investigated by BH
South Pty Ltd with a pilot plant processing 100 t per day. At that
time it was known as the Lady Annie phosphate project and the
Paradise North deposit was known as Lady Jane. Other phosphate
deposits held by the company are the D Tree deposit, Highland
Plains, Lily, Sherrin Creek and Quita Creek.
In February 2012, following a review, Legend International
Holdings Inc, a company on the American NASDAQ exchange,
transferred its phosphate assets to a 100% owned subsidiary
company, Paradise Phosphate Ltd. Previous studies by Legend,
mainly involved the mining and beneficiation of the Paradise
South deposit based on a feasibility study carried out by Wengfu
Group Ltd of China, a partner in the project. The study confirmed
that the proposed project is technically and economically viable
and has a projected 30 year mine life.
The beneficiated phosphate concentrate at 32% P2O5 would be
transported to the 'Mount Isa Phosphate Fertiliser' complex at
a rate of 1 Mtpa if the product is trucked (60 year mine life) or at
a rate of 2 Mtpa (30 year mine life) if a slurry pipeline is used.
This complex would include a 600 000 tpa sulphuric acid plant,
a 300 000 tpa phosphoric acid plant, a 600 000 tpa ammonium
phosphate plant and a 15 000 tpa aluminium fluorine plant. The
products would be railed to the port of Townsville for export. Total
capital cost for the project was estimated at US$808.16 m.
Initially the company planned to mine 1 Mtpa of direct shipping
ore from Paradise North at an average grade of about
28% P2O5, and commence shipments to customers in the Asian

and Australasian region by the second quarter of 2014, but this
has not proceeded. The known high-grade ore is estimated at
7.3 Mt at 28.1% P2O5 of JORC compliant indicated and inferred
resources. No ore reserve has been declared.
While the company is focused on near-term production from the
Paradise North project, its longer term objective is to progress
plans for the development of a phosphate beneficiation plant at
the Paradise South project. The as mined proved ore reserve
is 129 Mt at 13.2% P2O5 and the probable ore reserve is 68.7 Mt
at 11.9% P2O5. The proved recoverable rock concentrate postscreening and processing through the floatation beneficiation
plant is 35.5 Mt at 32.2% P2O5 and probable 17.2 Mt at 31.9%
P2O5. An Environmental Authority was issued by the Department
of Environment and Heritage Protection in October 2012, which
stipulates the environmental limits for an operation of up to
7.5 Mt of ore per year for 30 years.
Various funding options have been investigated to advance
the phosphate projects and, in addition to the Wengfu Group,
other project partners include the Indian Farmers Fertiliser
Cooperative, Glencore Plc with respect to the supply of sulphuric
acid, Coogee Chemicals and infrastructure providers.
In August 2011, Legend International Holdings signed a
memorandum of understanding with Alcoa of Australia to
investigate a potential off-take agreement to supply Alcoa with
aluminium fluoride. The aluminium fluoride will be derived from
the phosphate project and there is also potential for Alcoa to
supply Legend with aluminium hydroxide used in the production
process. The processing plant at Mount Isa will be based on the
Buss ChemTech fluoro-silicic acid/hydrogen fluoride process,
which will require aluminium hydroxide feedstock. Alcoa needs
aluminium fluoride for its two smelters in Victoria.
In June 2012, the company signed a non-binding memorandum
of understanding with Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd, a New Zealand
agricultural nutrient specialist and fertiliser manufacture, with
respect to off-take agreements for phosphate rock and shipped
a bulk sample of direct shipping phosphate rock from Paradise
North to New Zealand. Ballance tested the sample in its single
superphosphate manufacturing facility for its suitability for use
as reactive phosphate rock with a view to negotiating an off-take
agreement.
Korella (phosphate rock and yttrium)Australian New
Agribusiness and Chemical Group Ltd
The Korella phosphate deposit, about five kilometres south
of the Incitec Pivot Ltd Phosphate Hill mine, was discovered
by Krucible Metals Ltd in 2008 and sold to the Australian New
Agribusiness and Chemical Group Ltd in January 2014. Korella
has an inferred phosphate resource of 19.3 Mt grading 19.0%
P2O5. This includes a high-grade resource of 5 Mt at 30.8%
P2O5. Yttrium contained in the phosphate mineral xenotime

(YPO4), is present as an enriched layer overlying the high-grade
phosphate, and a high-grade resource of 7.03 Mt grading
0.93 kg/t Y2O3 has been identified.
The high-grade phosphate ore is direct shipping quality, and
has the potential to be mined at the beginning of the project
for six years based on 600 000 tpa. Whereas the lower-grade
ore has the potential to be mined for a further 12 years and can
possibly be upgraded by a beneficiation process.
The Australian New Agribusiness and Chemical Group Ltd has
entered into a joint investment cooperation agreement with
ZLD International Holdings Ltd for development of the Korella
deposit. It is anticipated that trial production of about 10 000 t
will commence by April 2015. Following the trail production from
April to June, the company forecasts a sales volume of 50 000 t
per month.
Kendall River (kaolin)Gulf Minerals Ltd
Kendall River kaolin deposit is located 110 km west of Coen in
Cape York Peninsula. In 2000 the company demonstrated the
homogeneity of the crude kaolin and calculated total resources
of about 100 Mt of de-gritted, crude, high-quality kaolin, which
occurs in a channel-fill depression. The kaolin layers average
about 12 m in thickness with shallow overburden. The crude ore
brightness is 82% to 88%, and the brightness for processed
kaolin is 88% to 90%. Testing of the kaolin for the paper coating
market has demonstrated superior qualities to other kaolin
products in Australia, USA and Brazil.
Since 2008, the Kendall River Kaolin project has been fully
funded through Beijing and Hong Kong sources. The company
has applied for an mineral development license (MDL) over the
area and the deposit is expected to be developed in the near
future.
Urquhart Point (mineral sands)Oresome Australia Pty Ltd
The Urquhart Point mineral sands project is located about three
kilometres south-west of Weipa. The rutile and zircon ore body
occurs in sand dunes and strandlines along the coast with an
average depth of 2 to 3 m. Oresome Australia (a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Metallica Minerals Ltd) has completed a positive
feasibility study for a five year mine based on the current ore
reserves. A 50% interest is being earned by a private Chinese
investor, Ozore Pty Ltd, who is funding bringing the mine into
production by mid-2015. The heavy mineral sands processing
rate is expected to be about 270 000 t of sand per year to
produce heavy mineral concentrate over a four year mine life
from the current reserve.
The measured resource is 1.78 Mt of mineral sand containing
6.85% of heavy mineral sand containing 122 090 t of heavy
mineral with 9.8% zircon, 12.0% rutile and 12.4% ilmenite. The

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59
indicated resource is 1.30568 Mt of mineral sand containing

4.70% of heavy mineral sand containing 62 150 t of heavy
mineral with 11.4% zircon, 10.9% rutile and 13.2% ilmenite.
The proved ore reserve is 967 000 t at 10.6% heavy mineral
containing 1.2% zircon, 1.4% rutile and 1.4% ilmenite and
the probable ore reserve is 210 000 t at 4.8% heavy mineral
containing 0.9% zircon, 0.6% rutile and 0.7% ilmenite. The
ore reserves are based on a zircon equivalent cut-off grade of
0.90% and the mineral resource is constrained by the mining
lease, environmental buffers and a cut-off grade of 2% heavy
mineral sand. It is estimated the project will produce 87 000 t of
concentrate with an average grade of 14.8% zircon, 17.3% rutile
and 16.2% ilmenite.
The company is exploring the Cape York coastline for mineral
sands elsewhere with some success, including the discovery
in early 2014 of zircon-rich sands about 60 km south-west of
Bamaga (160 km north of Urquhart Point). The company is also
exploring for bauxite.
Mourilyan Sands (silica sand)Solar Silicon Resources Group
Pte Ltd
Solar Silicon Resources Group Pte Ltd has MLAs over the
Mourilyan Sands deposits located 13 km by road from Mourilyan
Harbour, 100 km south-east of Cairns. The deposit is in coastal
dunes and contains a JORC compliant resource of 6.74 Mt of
silica sand which is 99.83% pure in its raw state.
The high-purity sand is in considerable demand for the
manufacture of new LCD television screens, optical lenses,
paint filler and many other low-end products. Prior to its current
merger with Magnolia Solar Corporation, several Japanese and
Korean corporations had expressed interest in involvement with
developing the deposit.
Mourilyan harbour was originally established as the main sugar
shipping facility in far north Queensland but is now used for a
maximum of about three months per year for transporting sugar.
The sugar railroad runs immediately adjacent to the Mourilyan
Sands mine site and the Queensland Government is keen to
find other uses for the port.
Adavale (salt and potash)various companies
The Boree Salt Member, known for its significant salt and
potash potential, is located about 50 km south of Blackall
and identified from petroleum drilling and seismic surveying.
It is Devonian in age and restricted to the eastern edge of the
Adavale Basin. Companys with exploration ground in the region
are currently Underground Storage Solutions Pty Ltd, Mineore
Pty Ltd and Reward Minerals Ltd.
Interpretation of the 2D seismic data has been carried out and
reprocessing of the data has produced a new robust model
of the Boree Salt Member. With this new interpretation, an
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approximate resource of 100 billion tonnes of salts has been

estimated by RPS Boyd PetroSearch. Key challenges in the
area are the availability of water in sufficient quantities to use
in the proposed extraction process and securing access to
infrastructure.
In September 2011, Sirius Minerals, who had ground in the
region, engaged Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading engineering
firm, and RMIT University in Melbourne to explore how synergies
between the potash solution mining and coal seam gas
industries could enable more sustainable development options
for the Adavale project.
The potential exists to directly use the wastewater from coal
seam gas extraction for potash solution mining. This water
source provides a unique benefit in that the salt content of the
wastewater could improve the recovery rate of potash and the
economics of potash extraction. For the coal seam gas industry,
solution mining at Adavale potentially represents a low-impact
method for permanently and safely storing the salt and mineral
impurities deep below the surface (>1500 m) in underground salt
cavern storage facilities.
Another area of focus for the Adavale Synergy study was to
explore the potential to generate power and industrial heat
from advanced solar thermal ponds (being developed in
collaboration with RMIT). The study was also to evaluate the
potential to add value through the construction and operation
of an on-site chloralkali plant. The Adavale deposits could
also provide salt for the manufacture of caustic soda which is
imported and utilised in substantial quantities at the Gladstone
Alumina operations of Comalco Ltd.
Grafton Range (sodium bicarbonate)Australian Pacific Coal Ltd
The Grafton Range sodium bicarbonate deposit is located 15 km
north-east of Roma. The project covers part of the Surat Basin,
where elevated concentrations of sodium bicarbonate occur in
the Precipice Sandstone aquifer which in the Grafton Range area
is at about 1100 m depth.
An estimated 2.2 Mt of in-situ bicarbonate in brine has been
estimated. Using resource information obtained from petroleum
and gas wells drilled from 196993, independent experts
engaged by the company prepared a preliminary commercial
feasibility analysis of the project. The company is seeking to
divest this project.
Queensland 201314 mineral exploration

The evolving mining industry
Over the past four years, expenditure on mineral exploration
(other than coal and petroleum) in Queensland while cyclical has
recently declined dramatically. The Australian Bureau of Statistics
(ABS) figures for Queensland show a decrease of over 40% from
$255.8 million in 200708 to $151.1 million in 200809 before
recovering to $174 million in 200910, $207 million in 201011,
and $249.2 million in 201112 before declining to $209.8 million
in 201213 and falling to $127.2 million in 201314, and in
the September 201415 quarter, which is traditionally the dry
exploration drilling season, $26.3 million.
The ABS reported that exploration expenditure for copper in
Queensland increased from $63.9 million in 200910 to
$96.1 million in 201011 and declined from $147.9 million in
201112 to 91.1 million in 201213 and $36.7 million in 201314.
Exploration expenditure for gold in Queensland was $45.8 million
in 200910, $44.4 million in 201011, $44.6 million in 201112
rising to $74.6 million in 201213, $60.9 million in 201314 before
showing a rapid decline in the September 201415 quarter to
$7.6 million. Exploration expenditure for others, was $32.5 million
in 200910, $30.4 million in 201011, $31.1 million in 201112 and
$15.7 million in 201213 and $12.3 million in 201314. Exploration
expenditure for uranium in Queensland was $17.6 million in
201011, $13.4 million in 201112, $10.8 million in 201213 and
$7.8 million in 201314 with the September 201415 quarter
showing $0.9 million. Exploration expenditures for silver, lead,
zinc, nickel and cobalt were collectively $23.5 million in 200809,
$8.7 million in 2009-10 and $15 million in 2010-11, $9.1 million in
201112, $13.7 million in 201213 and $7.2 million in 201314.
A feature of these data is the large expenditures for copper and
gold exploration compared with silverlead and the decline in
the exploration expenditure for other commodities that include
rare earths and molybdenum in Queensland. The increased
expenditure on copper and gold exploration when compared
with silver, lead and zinc in Queensland partly reflects the
availability of modern regional geophysical datasets acquired
through Queensland Government exploration initiatives
(see below). There is an increase in exploration tenures in
undercover areas of north-west Queensland, where the high
quality geophysical (especially magnetic) data has proven itself
to be an effective exploration tool for magnetite-rich iron oxidecopper-gold deposit styles.
Since hitting a low of 18% in the September quarter 2009
following the global financial crisis, the proportion of total
exploration spend in greenfield projects in Queensland
(including coal but not petroleum) has increased steadily to
around 40% to December 2013. This represents a one third
increase on the long-term trend of around 30% greenfield
exploration seen in Queensland over most of the past decade.
However, there has been a recent decline to about 28% in the
September 2014 quarter. This is comparable to other Australian

states other than South Australia where the proportion of
greenfield exploration was 58%.
While the cyclical nature of mineral exploration expenditures
largely reflects commodity prices, currently an additional factor
is investor sentiment which is very low. Without being able to
raise funds from investors junior explorers can achieve little.
This funding crisis for junior explorers is a major factor in the
current exploration expenditure decline as prices for many
commodities relevant to Queensland are holding relatively firm
in Australian dollar terms including aluminium, zinc, tin, nickel,
gold and uranium.
After a downturn during the global financial crisis, worldwide
exploration expenditures peaked in 2012 when metal prices
were at near record highs but have steadily declined during
2013 and 2014. Higher operating and capital costs, lower ore
grades, and uncertain demand for commodities have required
major companyies to focus on a return to healthy margins after
years of growth-oriented spending. In effect they are optimising
efficiencies through production, productivity and technology
improvements rather than focusing on operational and strategic
development opportunities.
To that end, the majors have been divesting non-core assets
and cutting back on capital project and exploration spending,
particularly grass roots exploration, which has led to a 25% drop
in the majors exploration budget total in 2014. With lacklustre
investor interest, mining juniors have also been forced to cut
exploration spending to conserve funds. The juniors total
exploration budget fell 29% in 2014, after falling 39% in
2013, dropping their share of the overall budget total to 32%
from a high of 55% in 2007. This is an alarming development
with junior's (previously the main instigator of grassroots
exploration) share of the overall exploration mix falling in
favour of the majors supported by mine production. Indeed,
while many majors are focussed on near mine activities, they
have overtaken the juniors as the main driver of grassroots
exploration worldwide. In effect there is a trend towards a focus
on the near-term rather than the future project pipeline with
grass roots exploration now critically undercapitalised and at an
all-time low worldwide comprising 30% of overall exploration
budgets.
With metalliferous mining being such an important contributor
to Queenslands economy, the mining industry requires
adequate financing to support ongoing project development
to maintain its competitive position. With the lack of liquidity
in the junior resources sector, investment opportunities have
been created for entities with access to capital. However
during 2013/14 there was a noteworthy decline in merger and
acquisition activity, although foreign acquisition of the States
metalliferous and industrial minerals sector started to involve
www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
61
North American investors. Future sustainability of the State's

mining industry requires ongoing discovery of good quality
resources and the upgrading of known deposits. However, the
decline of the small mining company sector in the Australian
share market, along with adverse policy and legislative
changes, has discouraged many investors from participating in
the industry.
The application of a wide range of innovative exploration
models and methods by the large number of companyies of all
sizes exploring in Queensland is well suited to the states highly
diversified geological terrain and varied mineral endowment.
While brownfield exploration near mines and known mineral
deposits has been successful and has helped sustain the
mining industry to date, deeper brownfields drilling and more
remote greenfields exploration under cover will be necessary
to replenish current reserves. Currently, there is a slowing
project pipeline for copper and zinc deposits compared to other
commodities as new copper and zinc mines are developed and
not replaced by discoveries.
However, positive developments for industry sustainability
are the adoption of new exploration methods including
advanced geophysical and geochemical techniques as well as
cheaper drilling technologies. Local mining operations have
also benefitted from this approach, with Evolution Mining Ltd
applying 3D seismic techniques to successfully locate blind

epithermal orebodies at both the Cracow and Pajingo mines.
A number of other innovative greenfields explorers have
had some recent positive results in northern and eastern
areas of the state. Red Metal Ltd is continuing exploration
at Maronan, 120 km north of the Cannington mine. The
exploration has identified two separate styles of mineralisation,
with bedded lead-silver mineralisation partially overprinted
by structurally controlled copper-gold mineralisation. The
silver-lead mineralisation is of a similar style to Cannington
and the copper-gold mineralisation is comparable with the
mineralisation style at the Eloise and Osborne mines.
Further north, greenfields prospects at Walford Creek (135 km west
of Burketown) were acquired by Aeon Metals Ltd in April 2014.
Subsequently the company has actively explored the area and
has increased the resource to indicated 16.2 Mt at 0.46% copper,
0.83% lead, 1.02% zinc, 20.1g/t silver and 909 ppm cobalt and
inferred 57.1 Mt at 0.39% copper, 0.86% lead, 0.80% zinc,
24.5 g/t silver and 785 ppm cobalt.
The most significant recent discovery in Queensland, Minotaur
Exploration Ltds Artemis deposit, has been discussed earlier
under the Eloise mine because of its proximity to that deposit
and the relationships within the companys holdings on the
surrounding tenures.
Hand specimen of epithermal quartz veins (gold ore) with adularia alteration from the Golden Plateau open cut at Cracow
62

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In eastern Queensland Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd

announced their intention to infill drill the Coronation shear
and undertake a formal scoping study of their Granite Castle
project in 2015, and have indicated a potential mining date of
2016. Granite Castle, located 90 km north of Hughenden is the
company's most advanced prospect in north Queensland where
it also holds two other projects near Charters Towers.
At the Develin Creek prospect, located 80 km north-west of
Rockhampton, Zenith Minerals Ltd have a right to acquire 100%
of the project from Fitzroy Resources Ltd to July 2016. Develin
Creek hosts several volcanogenic-hosted massive sulphide
deposits and in February 2015 the company announced a new
inferred resource of 2.57 Mt at 1.76% copper, 2.01% zinc,
0.24 g/t gold and 9.6 g/t silver.
Another interesting potential project is Horn Island where
a Restricted Area (RA295) over the former gold mine has
been lifted to allow further exploration for gold resources by
Kauraru Gold Pty Ltd. In 1989 Giant Resources Ltd announced a
combined measured, indicated and inferred resource of 2.35 Mt
at 2.37 g/t gold for the stage 1 open cut area at Horn Island to a
depth of 40m. Subsequently 640 495 t of ore were mined to a
depth of 18 m, yielding 1435 kg of gold bullion (52% gold).
At the south-eastern end of the Welcome Lode (mined in the
stage 1 open cuts) an additional measured and indicated
resource of 134 000 t at 3.9 g/t gold was identified. Due to
the company going into receivership the mine was closed
in December 1989 and the Queensland Government has
undertaken rehabilitation work since 1991 over the Restricted
Area.
At the Shamrock tailings dam near Kilkivan in south-east
Queensland, DGR Global Ltd announced in August 2014 a
resource of 770 000 t at 0.58 g/t gold (indicated) and 11 g/t silver
(inferred). At the Tick Hill gold mine in north-west Queensland,
Superior Resources Ltd is investigating the potential for treatment
of the tailings as well as the potential for alluvial deposits in
the area.
Government assistance for exploration

The Queensland Government recognises the key role that
mineral exploration will need to play in Queenslands future
economic and regional development, and encourages the
search for new discoveries to replace older mines as they close.
The opportunities for major new discoveries lie either in wellexplored brownfields regions at depths beyond conventional
company drilling (> ~150m), or in little-explored greenfields
regions where significant deposits may lie buried beneath
varying thicknesses of blanketing cover rocks. However,
discovery of new deposits in these circumstances is relatively
expensive and high risk.
The Queensland Government has introduced a number of
funding programs over recent years to stimulate exploration
investment and reduce exploration risk by gathering new
geoscientific data and subsidising selected exploration
activities. The current three year Future Resources Program
concludes in mid-2016 and builds on themes developed in
the earlier Greenfields 2020 Program. The Future Resources
Program includes the Industry Priorities Initiative, the Mount
Isa Geophysics Initiative, the Geochemical Data Extraction
Initiative, the Core Library Extension Initiative, the Cape York
Mineral Resource Assessment Initiative, the Seismic Section
Scanning Initiative and the Collaborative Drilling Initiative.
The latter involves co-funding of drilling costs for selected
innovative exploration projects, while the Industry Priorities
Initiative implements projects identified by industry as likely to
have the greatest impact on exploration success in Queensland.
Queensland Government exploration initiatives since 2005
have significantly increased the identification of Queenslands
potential for further discoveries, and this, along with the
availability of new data and ideas, has been reflected in
a continuing modest pipeline of new discoveries and new
explorers and mining investors in Queensland in spite of the
overall activity downturn.

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63
Conclusion and references

Conclusion
To meet the challenges of the current constrained economic
environment, the resources industry has moved towards
focussing on the near-term through cost minimisation and
enhancing productivity rather than investment in developing
new deposits. As a result, grass roots exploration is now
critically undercapitalised at a time when the case for more
greenfields exploration to sustain our mining industry has never
been higher.
This contrasts with the previous decade, when high levels
of resource-related investment and activity fuelled by high
Chinese demand for coal and Western Australian iron ore, led
to a boom in mining and associated construction, peaking in
2013. While prices for many of the non-bulk commodity sectors,
such as base metals and aluminium, that are important for
Queensland, have effectively stabilised in Australian dollars,
the effects from the collapse in prices due to oversupply of bulk
commodities and oil have been carried over. In addition, the
challenges confronting discovery and development have grown
as ore body grades decline and operating costs put pressure on
producer margins.
Because of the capital shortfall, overseas (rather than local)
investment in ongoing development of the States mineral
resources, has been a major source of funding for new mine
development in 2014 and is projected to continue into 2015.
Putting this in context, a snapshot of Queenslands resource
inventory was published by Geoscience Australia in 2014,
indicating known resources of bauxite, magnesite, phosphate
rock and a number of industrial minerals are expected to
last in the medium to long term. In contrast, the accessible,
demonstrated economic resources of the more valuable
metalliferous commodities in Queenslands mines are
scheduled to be largely exhausted by about 2025 with the very
productive Century mine scheduled for closure this year.
Exceptions are Dugald River, which is in development and
has an expected mine life until 2035 and George Fisher which
potentially has a life of 30 years. Queenslands production of
gold, titanium and zircon mineral sands is also expected to
decline markedly in about 10 years unless further deposits are
identified and developed. While there is considerable potential
for a long-life gold mine at Charters Towers, the small tonnages
involved will not affect this trend.
In the highly-productive north-west Queensland region,
discovery rates have been erratic and modest since the
peak discovery period, following an airborne magnetics data
release in the 1990s. During 2014, the number of promising
announcements from the handful of innovative explorers in this
region has been encouraging with the most notable success
being the Artemis deposit near Cloncurry.
64

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Exploration in far northern and eastern Queensland has

mirrored this pattern.
Queenslands exploration expenditure decline is being
addressed as a matter of urgency by a number of supportive
organisations. These include the Queensland Exploration
Council, the Queensland Resources Council and the
State Government who are examining a range of industry
issues to foster long-term sustainability and international
competitiveness. Both the federal and state governments are
also implementing programs to reduce excessive bureaucracy
and provide increased incentives rather than heavy taxation. In
this context, the Exploration Development Incentive scheme of
the federal government has now passed the senate and is due
to come into effect on 1 July 2015.
Exploration in north-west Queensland will be further assisted
by infrastructure developments including the provision of
additional electrical capacity, and a recently completed
study into the creation of business opportunities within the
Carpentaria Mount Isa Minerals Province. However, long
transport distances to ports remains a problem for both the
north and north-west Queensland regions.
The difficulty of undertaking ongoing greenfields exploration
in Queensland will be compounded by investment competition
from other Australian and overseas jurisdictions where
exploration costs may be lower. However, the global trend to
resource nationalism in some countries with very prospective
and immature exploration terrains could benefit some local
operators such as bauxite and nickel miners. Resource
nationalism may also negatively affect our refining industries
if impediments are placed on the supply of imported raw
materials making local ore sources essential.
Despite these challenges, north-west Queensland is a worldclass metalliferous resource destination and far north and
eastern Queensland is also an important mining region, albeit
largely for a different range of commodities. Past investors
in Queensland, many of them now foreign, have successfully
participated in the States mining industry, but with the
number of potential new projects diminishing as new mines are
developed, the need has never been greater to explore. New
technologies, innovative exploration models and economies of
scale will be required to fully realise Queenslands long-term
exploration potential.
References
Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics 2014, Resources
and energy quarterly, September quarter 2014, Australian
Government.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Report 8412.0 Mineral and
Petroleum Exploration, September 2014.
Geoscience Australia 2014, Australias Identified Mineral

Resources 2013.
Vigar, A J; Jiang, G; Morgan, M; MacDonald, G; Smith, L; Taylor,
I; Recklies, M and Grobler, C, Resource estimation for the
Aurukun bauxite deposit, in Proceedings Seventh International
Mining Geology Conference 2009, pp 273-280 (The Australasian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).
Geoscience Australia 2011, The Australian Atlas of Mineral

Resources, Mines, and Processing Centres, Phosphate.
Harlequin opal open-cut in the Quilpie opal fields and rough opal from the Harlequin opal open-cut

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
65
Table 5: Queensland annual mineral summary Quantity and value of minerals produced in Queensland 201314
201314
Type of mineral
201213
Unit of Quantity
Quantity
Value (a)
Quantity
Value (a)
Tonnes
26 234 743
462 436 834
25 276 338
688 286 178
Metallurgical
Tonnes
26 234 743
25 276 338
Copper cathode
Tonnes
308
1 904 874
34 068
252 059 297
Copper content
Tonnes
308
34 068
Tonnes
821 806
1 657 049 574
919 512
1 625 758 692
Metallic minerals
Bauxite (total, of which)
Copper concentrate
Copper content
Tonnes
106 021
225 394
Gold content
Kilograms
1418
1179
Silver content
Kilograms
59 363
546
Tonnes
4 274 253
157 235 826
Tonnes
37 043
Tonnes
1842
2 309 671
1922
3 726 616
Tonnes
459
372
Kilograms
53
2 432 892
44
1 905 059
Gold content
Kilograms
23
21
Silver content
Kilograms
Copper Ore
Copper content
Copper sulphate ***
Copper content
Gold alluvial
Kilograms
11 550
443 702 626
18 224
562 380 178
Gold content
Kilograms
10 562
10 620
Silver content
Kilograms
7777
7158
Kilograms
24 926 631
66 455 293
Tonnes
844
Gold bullion
Gold concentrate
Copper content
Gold content
Kilograms
1223
Silver content
Kilograms
8537
Tonnes
1 272 978
2 383 179 161
1 463 180
2 921 895 086
Lead concentrate
Copper content
Tonnes
525
Gold content
Kilograms
Lead content
Tonnes
219 508
386 639
Kilograms
977 036
1 329 997
Tonnes
388 981
472 949
Tonnes
288 608
18 669 435
634 508
Tonnes
26 720
409 100
Tonnes
58
598 996
Silver content
Zinc content
Magnetite
Iron oxide content
Molybdenite
Molybdenite content
Tonnes
28
Tonnes
4293
Tonnes
41
Kilograms
29 460 612
56 832 544
Tonnes
282
Kilograms
86 012
Tonnes
19 833
36
328 761
Tin content
Tonnes
24
Ilmenite (sub-total, of which)
Tonnes
191 432
24 273 282
Other and/or unspecified
Tonnes
151 450
40 662 671
Rutile (sub-total, of which)
Tonnes
50 375
57 666 609
Tonnes
6133
14 276 017
Leucoxene
Tonnes
3581
1 798 056
Tonnes
703
13 520 175
457
7 039 685
Nickel
Nickel content
Silver concentrate
Copper content
Silver content
Tin concentrate
Wolfram concentrate
continued ...
66

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201314
Type of mineral
Tungstic oxide content
Zinc concentrate
Lead content
Silver content
Zinc content
continued
201213
Unit of Quantity
Quantity
Value (a)
Quantity
Value (a)
Tonnes
454
226
Tonnes
1 103 487
241 182 511
1 208 435
1 051 546 684
Tonnes
47 151
34 910
Kilograms
11 416
143 583
Tonnes
75 860
498 476
Total metallic minerals
5 591 268 193
7 169 864 924
Fuel minerals
Coal black
Tonnes
Petroleum **
228 893 977
22 871 671 660
208 328 456
22 760 720 774
no longer collected
Total fuel minerals
22 871 671 660
22 760 720 774
Other non-metallic minerals

Clays
Bentonite (Other and/or unspecified)
Tonnes
30 806
4 644 476
68 220
6 242 020
Kaolin (Other and/or unspecified)
Tonnes
357
1069
Palygorskite (Other and/or unspecified)
Tonnes
760
38 000
637
38 000
Structural Clays
Tonnes
383 826
1 130 474
465 943
1 863 773
Brick and paver clay and shale
Tonnes
318 638
Cement clay and shale
Tonnes
Diatomite (total, of which)
5 228 423
Tonnes
1311
826 789
9238
Absorbents
Tonnes
9238
Tonnes
Granite
Tonnes
Marble
Tonnes
4999
1 086 612
1814
1 155 010
Sandstone
Tonnes
98 588
6 792 965
40 791
4 326 030
Slate
Tonnes
850
27 412
10
7500
Tonnes
5 000
Dimension stone
0
Gems (b)
Garnet
Opal
714 916
571 278
Other
66 298
36 166
Sapphire
950 108
1 964 528
Topaz
1842
2550
Zircon
61 630
55 450
26 126
743 400
Agricultural
Tonnes
15 100
634 200
17 700
Tonnes
38 617
865 230
8 426
Tonnes
Gypsum (total, of which)
Lime sand (total, of which)

Lime
Limestone (total, of which)
Tonnes
9 832 167
90 104 797
3 513 856
33 516 603
Agricultural
Tonnes
6172
261 209
6869
Cement
Tonnes
2 087 465
4 529 799
1 764 883
Lime
Tonnes
7 201 913
69 399 765
1 220 366
Metallurgical flux
Tonnes
129 623
Tonnes
536 618
392 115
15 914 024
continued ...
www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
67
201314
Type of mineral
continued
201213
Unit of Quantity
Quantity
Value (a)
Quantity
Value (a)
Magnesium rich minerals

Dolomite (total, of which)
Tonnes
24 816
1 971 356
Agricultural
Tonnes
Tonnes
10 103
450 365
Magnesite (total, of which)
Tonnes
586 495
34 135 724
Tonnes
503 735
35 281 041
Tonnes
7 930
601 028
2 683
223 583
Tonnes
1300
113 556
Tonnes
1 948 626
208 892 729
2 062 509
184 670 447
Tonnes
119 810
15 893 337
126 839
20 294 304
Tonnes
2 630 668
51 775 282
2 336 281
58 841 347
Tonnes
81 293
102 400
78 231
Raw
Peat (total, of which)
Perlite (total, of which)
Phosphate rich minerals (total, of which)
Phosphate rock
Salt (total, of which)
Silica (total, of which)
Lump (sub total, of which)
Flux
Tonnes
78 231
Tonnes
2 549 375
51 672 882
2 258 050
Foundries
Tonnes
429 654
9 345 856
381 358
Glass
Tonnes
1 669 760
34 852 905
1 500 625
Tonnes
449 960
7 474 121
376 067
Tonnes
745
93 125
685
85 626
Tonnes
42 956
51 797 217
83 731
128 500 866
Sand (sub total, of which)
Zeolite (total, of which)

Zircon (total, of which)
Total non-metallic minerals
Total all minerals
666 658 508
484 212 935
29 129 598 361
30 414 798 633
(a) Value at mine

(b) Value only collected for gemstones
*** Copper precipate renamed to Copper sulphate
The data published in this document is sourced from information provided by Queensland mineral and metal industries as required by the Mineral Resources Act 1989. The Department of Natural
Resources and Mines (DNRM) has not independently verified or validated the accuracy of the data. Accordingly, DNRM does not represent that the information contained in this document is accurate or
complete and it should not be relied upon as such. DNRM is under no obligation or duty to notify anyone if there is any change in any information or any new information.
Approximately 80% of Queensland mining lease holders responded to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines 201314 annual return survey.
Petroleum and gas statistics can be viewed on the below webpage
https://www.business.qld.gov.au/invest/investing-queenslands-industries/mining/resources-potential/petroleum-gas-resources/petroleum-gas-statistics
68

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Table 6: Principal contents of metallic minerals produced in Queensland 201314

Contained metal
Ore concentrate or mineral

form in which contained
COPPER
GOLD
IRON
LEAD
SILVER
TIN
WOLFRAM
ZINC
Unit of quantity
Quantity of contained metal
Copper cathode
Tonnes
308
Copper concentrate
Tonnes
106 021
Copper ore
Tonnes
n.p.
Copper sulphate **
Tonnes
459
Gold concentrate
Tonnes
844
Silver concentrate
Tonnes
282
Total copper
Tonnes
107 914
Copper concentrate
Kilograms
1418
Gold alluvial
Kilograms
23
Gold bullion
Kilograms
10 562
Gold concentrate
Kilograms
1223
Lead concentrate
Kilograms
Silver Ore
Kilograms
Total gold
Kilograms
Magnetite
Tonnes
26 720
Total magnetite
Tonnes
26 720
Lead concentrate
Tonnes
219 508
Zinc concentrate
Tonnes
47 151
Total lead
Tonnes
266 659
Copper concentrate
Kilograms
59 363
Gold alluvial
Kilograms
Gold bullion
Kilograms
7777
Gold concentrate
Kilograms
8537
Lead concentrate
Kilograms
977 036
Silver concentrate
Kilograms
86 012
Silver Ore
Kilograms
Zinc concentrate
Kilograms
11 416
Total silver
Kilograms
1 138 726
Tin alluvial
Tonnes
Tin concentrate
Tonnes
TOTAL TIN
Tonnes
Tungstic oxide
Tonnes
454
TOTAL WOLFRAM
Tonnes
454
Lead concentrate
Tonnes
388 981
Zinc concentrate
Tonnes
75 860
TOTAL ZINC
Tonnes
464 841
** Copper precipiate named amneded to Copper sulphate

The data published in this document is sourced from information provided by Queensland mineral and metal industries as required by the Mineral Resources Act 1989. The Department of Natural
Resources and Mines (DNRM) has not independently verified or validated the accuracy of the data. Accordingly, DNRM does not represent that the information contained in this document is accurate or
complete and it should not be relied upon as such. DNRM is under no obligation or duty to notify anyone if there is any change in any information or any new information.
Approximately 80% of Queensland mining lease holders responded to the Department of Natural Resources and Mines 201314 annual return survey.

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
69
Gypsum processing plant near Winton, held by Zinaback Pty Ltd

Gypsum deposit south of Winton, held by Zinaback Pty Ltd

70

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
Table 7: Queensland significant mineral mines

Mine name and resource
Location and web
Postal address
Principal contact
Aquamarina
Marble
8 km south-south-east of Chillagoe
S & A Pty Ltd

PO Box 292
Browns Plains QLD 4118
S & A Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 3711 3244
Fax: (07) 3711 3255
B M Webb Quarry
Lime
45 km south of Townsville
www.bmwebb.com.au
BM Webb Quarries Pty Ltd

PO Box 2136
Townsville QLD 2136
BM Webb Quarries Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4774 7880
Fax: (07) 4774 6449
Baal Gammon
Copper
7 km west of Herberton
www.spmining.com.au
Snow Peak Mining

PO Box 4
Mount Garnet QLD 4872
Snow Peak Mining

Ph: (07) 4097 4100
Fax: (07) 4097 9056
Bajool (Ulam)
Marble
50 km south-south-east of Rockhampton
www.omya.com.au
Omya Australia Pty Ltd

1911 South Ulam Rd
Bajool QLD 4699
Omya Australia Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4934 6233
Fax: (07) 4934 6299
Balcooma
Copper, silver, lead, zinc and gold
130 km south-south-west of Mount Garnet

www.csdtin.com.au
Consolidated Tin Mines Ltd

PO Box 4
Mount Garnet QLD 4872
Consolidated Tin Mines Ltd

Ph: (07) 4097 4100
Fax: (07) 4097 9056
Beechmere/Ningi
Silica sand
12 km east of Caboolture
www.southern-pacific-sands.com.au
Pacific Silica Pty Ltd

Ningi Sand Mine
PO Box 283
Caboolture QLD 4510
Pacific Silica Pty Ltd

Ningi Sand Mine
Ph: (07) 5497 6293
Fax: (07) 5497 6844
Biancamist /Crystal and other mines

Marble
Chillagoe
www.cairnsmarble.com
Cairns Marble Pty Ltd

94 Cook St
Portsmith QLD 4870
Cairns Marble Pty Ltd

Ph : (07) 4035 2211
Fax: (07) 4035 2212
Boral Brisbane
Brick clay
Darra Brisbane
www.boral.com
Boral Bricks
Harcourt Rd
Darra QLD 4076
Boral Bricks
Ph: (07) 133035
Fax: (07) 3215 2166
Brolga
Nickel
50 km north of Rockhampton
www.qni.com.au
Queensland Nickel Group

1 Greenvale St
Yabulu QLD 4818
Queensland Nickel Group

Ph: (07) 4720 6200
Fax : (07) 4720 6251
Calliope
Limestone
30 km south of Gladstone
www.sibelco.com.au
Sibelco Australia Ltd

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 3909 4500
Fax: (07) 39094501
Cannington
Silver, lead, zinc
140 km south-south-east of Cloncurry

www.bhpbilliton.com
BHP Billiton Ltd Cannington

PO Box 5874
Townsville QLD 4810
BHP Billiton Ltd Cannington

Ph: (07) 4769 2100
Fax: (07) 4769 2222
Cape Flattery
Silica sand
220 km north of Cairns

www.cfsm.com.au
Cape Flattery Silica Mines Pty Ltd

PO Box 6212
Cairns QLD 4870
Cape Flattery Silica Mines Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4051 5099
Fax: (07) 4051 8960
Cathedral Quarry
Sandstone (C/M)
4 km north-west of Helidon
Ablatio Pty Ltd

GPO Box 421
Brisbane QLD 4001
Ablatio Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 46976011, 0413 756 593
Cedars
Bentonite
10 km south-west of Yarraman
PCP Douglass Pty Ltd

PO Box 20
Yarraman QLD 4614
PCP Douglass Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4163 9110, 0419 686 268
Fax: (07) 4163 8651
Cement Mills
Limestone
54 km south-west of Warwick
South Queensland Lime

Cement Mills Rd
Gore QLD 4352
South Queensland Lime

Ph: (07) 4667 4178
Century
Zinc, lead, silver
235 km north-north-west of Mount Isa

www.mmgroupltd.com
MMG Century Ltd

PO Box 8016 Garbutt BC
Garbutt QLD 4814
MMG Century Ltd

Ph: (03) 9288 0888
Fax (03) 9288 0800
Christmas Creek
Limestone
150 km west-north-west of Townsville
Zinaback Pty Ltd

PO Box 2
Miriwinni QLD 4871
Zinaback Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4067 6133
Fax (07) 4067 6421
Claypave
Brick clay, clay tile
Ipswich
www.claypave.com
Claypave Pty Ltd

PO Box 142
Booval QLD 4304
Claypave Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 3282 1444
Fax: (07) 3282 2686
Collingwood
Tin (C/M)
150 km north of Cairns
Bluestone Nominees Pty Ltd

PO Box 694
Cooktown 4895
Bluestone Nominees Pty Ltd
Conjuboy
Diatomite
45 kms north west of Greenvale

www.agripower.com.au
Agripower Australia Ltd

PO Box 1457
Charters Towers QLD 4820
Agripower Australia Ltd

Ph: (07) 4787 2600
Fax (07) 4787 1844
Coonar Creek
Silica sand
20 km south of Bundaberg
Earth Commodities Pty Ltd

PO Box 4251
Bundaberg South Qld 4670
Earth Commodities Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4159 7811
Fax (07) 4159 7656
Coralime
Limestone
4.5 km north-east of Mount Garnet
MJ Wilkins
PO Box 2
Miriwinni QLD 4871
MJ & RJ Wilkins
Ph: (07) 4067 6133
Fax: (07) 4067 6421
continued ...
www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
71
continued
Location and web
Postal address
Principal contact
Cork (Zinaback)
Gypsum
110 km south-west of Winton
Zinaback Pty Ltd

PO Box 2
Miriwinni QLD 4871
Zinaback Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4067 6133
Fax (07) 4067 6421
Cracow
Gold, silver
3 km west of Cracow
www.evolutionmining.com.au
Evolution Mining Ltd

Level 7, 282 Oxford St
Bondi Junction NSW 2022

Ph: (02) 8383 2100
Fax: (02) 8383 2101
Dugald River
Zinc, lead,silver
65 km north-west of Cloncurry
www.mmg.com
MMG Century Ltd

PO Box 8016 Garbutt BC
Garbutt QLD 4814
MMG Century Ltd

Ph: (03) 9288 0888
Fax (03) 9288 0800
East End
Limestone, clay
30 km west of Gladstone
www.cemaust.com.au
Cement Australia Pty Ltd

PO Box 24
Mt Larcom QLD 4695

Ph: (07) 4970 2200
Fax: (07) 4970 2224
Eden Valley
Gypsum
Eden Valley Mining Ltd

PO Box 1307
Ayr QLD 4807
Eden Valley Mining Ltd

Ph : (07) 4782 8455
Fax (07) 4782 8499
Eidsvold
Siltstone
15 km south-east of Eidsvold
Eidsvold Siltstone Pty Ltd

PO Box 50
Eidsvold QLD 4627
Eidsvold Siltstone Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4165 1610, 0428 765 569
Fax (07) 4165 1950
Eloise
Copper, gold
60 km south-east of Cloncurry
FMR Investments Pty Ltd

Level 2, 2 Hardy St
South Perth WA 6151
FMR Investments Pty Ltd

Ph: (08) 6216 5400
Fax: (08) 6216 5499
Enterprise
Rutile, ilmenite, zircon
North Stradbroke Island

www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 3909 4500
Fax: (07) 3909 4501
Ernest Henry
Copper, gold
38 km north-east of Cloncurry
www.glencore.com
Ernest Henry Mining Pty Ltd

PO Box 527
Cloncurry QLD 4824

Ph: (07) 4769 4500
Fax: (07) 4769 4555
Flinders
Earthy lime, dolomite
45 km west of Brisbane
www.flinderstrading.com
Flinders Trading Pty Ltd

PO Box 2092
Strathpine QLD 4500
Flinders Trading Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 3263 2344
Fax: (07) 3263 6704
Forsayth
Gold (C/M)
Forsayth region
www.altiusmining.com.au
Australia United Mining Ltd

Level 3 521 Toorak Rd
Toorak Victoria 3142
Australia United Mining Ltd

Ph: 1300 136 453
Fax: 1300 232 784
George Fisher/Handlebar Hill

Zinc, lead, silver
19.2 km north of Mount Isa

www.glencore.com
GlencoreXstrata Zinc
Private Mail Bag 6 Delivery Point I804
Mount Isa QLD 4825
Ph: (07) 4744 2011
Fax: (07) 54744 6637
Goondicum
Ilmenite, feldspar, apatite,
titanomagnetite
110 km south of Gladstone

investors@meliorresources.com
Melior Resources Inc

Level 19 241 Adelaide St
Brisbane QLD 4000
Melior Resources Inc

Ph: (07) 3233 6300
Fax: (07) 3233 6330
Great Australia
Copper (sulfate)
2 km south of Cloncurry
www.copperchem.com.au
CopperChem Ltd
PO Box 28
Cloncurry QLD 4824
CopperChem Ltd
Ph: (07) 4742 1344
Fax: (07) 4742 1688
Greenwood No 2
Limestone
51km east of Cloncurry

www.glencore.com
GlencoreXstrata Copper, Attn: Property

Management Co-ordinator, Private Mail
Bag 6 Mount Isa QLD 4825
GlencoreXstrata Copper
Ph: (07) 4744 2345
Fax: (07) 4744 3993
Gumigil
Chrysoprase
15 km south of Marlborough
Gumigil Pty Ltd

PO Box 9
Marlborough QLD 4705
Gumigil Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4935 6644
Fax: (07) 4935 6185
Hill of Stone
Sandstone
14 km west of Beaudesert
www.stonehousecreations.com.au
Stonehouse Creations Pty Ltd

1812 Beaudesert/Boonah Rd
Beaudesert QLD 4285
Stonehouse Creations Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 5541 0143
Fax: (07) 5541 0856
Hillgrove Dolomite
Dolomite (C/M)
74 km north-west of Charters Towers
Miriwinni Lime Pty Ltd

375 Bucklands Rd
Miriwinni QLD 4871
Miriwinni Lime Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4067 6133
Fax 07 4067 6421
Hughenden
Gypsum
8 km west of Hughenden
Wieben Earth Moving

PO Box 111
Hughenden QLD 4821
Wieben Earth Moving

Ph: (07) 4741 1276
Fax: (07) 4741 1486
Inkerman Lime
Limestone
24 km south of Home Hill
Inkerman Lime and Gypsum

2 Homestead Rd
Home Hill QLD 4806
Inkerman Lime and Gypsum

Ph: (07) 4782 8114, 0418 833 148
Iveragh
Silica sand
2 km south-east of Tannum Sands

www.cemaust.com.au

PO Box 285
Gladstone QLD 4680

Ph: (07) 4970 2201
Fax: (07) 4970 2224
Kennedy Creek
Dolomitic lime
95 km south-south-west of Mackay
CQ Dolomite Pty Ltd and Macegate Pty Ltd

PO Box 101
Mackay QLD 4740
CQ Dolomite Pty Ltd and Macegate Pty Ltd

Ph: 0418 185 853
continued ...
72

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
continued
Location and web
Postal address
Principal contact
Kunwarara/Yaamba
Magnesite
60 km/40 km north-west of Rockhampton

www.qmag.com.au
Queensland Magnesia Pty Ltd

PO Box 5798
CQMC QLD 4702

Ph: (07) 4920 0200
Fax: (07) 4936 1380
Lady Annie
Copper (cathode)

www.cstmining.com
CST Mining Group Ltd

Level 7/333 Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
CST Mining Group Ltd

Ph: 03 8644 1300
Fax: 03 9620 5444
Lady Loretta
Zinc, lead, silver

www.glencore.com
GlencoreXstrata Zinc Private Mail Bag 6

Delivery Point I804
Mount Isa QLD 4825
Ph: (07) 4744 2011
Fax: (07) 54744 6637
Leichhardt
Copper (cathode)
110 km north-north-east of Mount Isa

www.malaco.com.my
Malaco Mining Sdn Bhd

32 Harrogate St
West Leederville WA 6007
Malaco Mining Sdn Bhd

Ph: (07) 4742 5188
Lighthouse
Lump silica
30 km south-west of Mount Surprise

www.ssrg.com.sg
Solar Silicon Resources Group Pty Ltd

58 Lorimer St
Docklands VIC 3008
Solar Silicon Resources Group Pty Ltd

Ph: (03) 9008 6388
Fax: (03) 8677 7682
Malcolm Guy
Sandstone
17 km east of Warwick
Freesport Pty Ltd

Unit 7 Octal Plaza 2, 26 Octal St
Yatala QLD 4207
Freesport Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 3287 3600
Fax: (07) 3287 3555
Mantuan Downs
Bentonite (C/M)
96 km south-west of Springsure
www.pevltd.com
Pacific Enviromin Ltd

PO Box 3210
Newstead QLD 4006
Pacific Enviromin Ltd

Ph: (07) 3221 0679
Fax: (07) 3229 9323
Marule Lime
Limestone
21 km north-north-west of Childers
KD Scarlett
PO Box 87
Childers QLD 4660
KD Scarlett
Ph: (07) 4126 7167
Fax: (07) 4126 7167
Mayne River
Gypsum
Mayne River Gypsum

PO Box 466
Winton QLD 4735
Mayne River Gypsum

Ph: (07) 4657 1292
Fax: (07) 4657 0279
Merlin
Molybedum, rhenium (C/M)

www.inovaresources.com
Chinova Resources Ltd

PO Box 1534
Milton Qld 4064

Ph: (07) 3246 7700
Fax: (07) 3246 7799
Miles
Bentonite
30 km north of Miles
www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 4628 2195
Fax: (07) 3909 4501
Miles
Bentonite
30 km north of Miles
www.amcolminerals.com.au
Amcol Australia Pty Ltd

Gurulmundi Rd
Gurulmundi QLD 4415
Amcol Australia Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4628 2339
Miles
Bentonite
5 km south of Miles
Bioclay Pty Ltd

PO Box 110
Miles QLD 4415
Bioclay Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4627 1422
Fax: (07) 4627 1354
Montgomerys Quarry
Sandstone
www.chongherr.com.au
Chongherr Investments Ltd

GPO Box 2917
Brisbane QLD 4001
Chongherr Investments Ltd

Ph: (07) 3221 1166
Fax: (07) 3221 2188
Moreton Dolomite
Dolomite
24 km south of Ipswich
Moreton Dolomite Pty Ltd

Lot 82 Lubes Rd
Purga QLD 4306
Moreton Dolomite Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 5464 6818
Fax: (07) 5464 6818
Mount Carbine
Lump silica
80 km north-west of Cairns
Mount Carbine Quarries Pty Ltd

PO Box 3
Mount Molloy QLD 4871
Mount Carbine Quarries Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4094 1241
Fax: (07) 4094 1067
Mount Carbine
Tungsten
Carbine Tungsten Ltd

PO Box 1040
Bungalow QLD 4870
Carbine Tungsten Ltd

Ph: (07) 4052 2400
Fax: (07) 4052 2444
Mount Carlton
Gold, silver and copper
45 km north-west of Collinsville

Strathalbyn Rd
Gumlu QLD 4805

Ph: (07) 4422 0101
Mount Colin
Copper
48 km west of Cloncurry
www.copperchem.com.au
CopperChem Ltd
PO Box 28
Cloncurry QLD 4824
CopperChem Ltd
Ph: (07) 4742 1344
Fax: (07) 4742 1688
Mount Gordon
Copper (C/M)
115 km north of Mount Isa

www.adityabirlaminerals.com
Birla Mt Gordon Pty Ltd

PO Box 2543
Mount Isa QLD 4825
Birla Mt Gordon Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4748 9809
Fax: (07) 4748 9164
Mount Isa/Black Star

Copper, silver, lead and zinc
1.3 km west of Mount Isa

www.glencore.com
GlencoreXstrata Plc
Private Mail Bag 6 Delivery Point I804
Mount Isa QLD 4825
GlencoreXstrata Copper
Ph: (07) 4744 2011
Fax: (07) 4744 3731
Mount Margaret Mining Project

Copper and gold
8 km east of Ernest Henry

www.glencore.com

PO Box 527
Cloncurry QLD 4824

Ph: (07) 4769 4500
Fax: (07) 4769 4555
continued ...
www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
73
continued
Location and web
Postal address
Principal contact
Mount Molloy
Limestone
MJ Wilkins
PO Box 2
Miriwinni QLD 4871
MJ & RJ Wilkins
Ph: (07) 4067 6133
Fax: (07) 4067 6421
Mount Moss
Magnetite
105 km west-north-west of Townsville
Curtain Bros (Qld) Pty Ltd

22 Ross St
South Townsville QLD 4810
Curtain Bros (Qld) Pty Ltd

Ph (07) 4750 6222
Fax: (07) 4750 6209
Mount Norma
Copper (sulfate) (C/M)
30 km south-east of Cloncurry
www.queenslandminingcorporation.com.au
Queensland Mining Corporation Ltd

GPO Box 4876
Sydney NSW 2001
Queensland Mining Corporation Ltd

Ph: (02) 9251 6730
Fax: (02) 9247 4844
Mount Rawdon
Gold, silver
80 km west-south-west of Bundaberg

Level 7, 282 Oxford St
Bondi Junction NSW 2022

Ph: (02) 8383 2100
Fax: (02) 8383 2101
Mount Sylvia
Diatomite
38 km south of Gatton
www.mtsylviadiatomite.com
Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd

35 Wongoola Close
Canberra ACT 2602
Mount Sylvia Diatomite Pty Ltd

Ph: (02) 6161 5992
Fax: (02) 6248 6066
Mungana
Copper, Silver, lead, zinc and gold
(C/M)
100 km north-west of Mount Garnet

www.munganagoldmines.com.au
Mungana Goldmines Ltd

Level 12, 500 Queen St
Brisbane QLD 4000
Mungana Goldmines Ltd

Ph: (07) 3835 0800
Fax: (07) 3832 5045
Murgon
Limestone
70 km west of Gympie
www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 3909 4500
Fax: (07) 3909 4501
Numinbah Perlite
Perlite
McPherson Range south-east of Beechmont
X-Cut Tunnelling Pty Ltd

885 Piggabeen Rd
Piggabeen NSW 2486
X-Cut Tunnelling Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 5590 7236, 0409 273 754
Fax: (07) 5590 7236
Nychum
Perlite
50 km north-west of Chillagoe
Chillagoe Perlite
PO Box 1948
Mareeba QLD 4880
Chillagoe Perlite
Ph: (07) 4092 5222
Fax: (07) 4092 5999
Ootann
Limestone
35 km south-south-east of Chillagoe
www.phoenixlime.com.au
Phoenix Lime Pty Ltd

Ootann Siding via
Almaden QLD 4871
Phoenix Lime Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4094 8270
Fax: (07) 4094 8260
Osborne
Copper, gold (C/M)


PO Box 1534
Milton Qld 4064

Ph: (07) 3246 7700
Fax: (07) 3246 7799
Oxley
Brick clay, clay tile
12 km south west of Brisbane

www.pghbricks.com.au
PGH Bricks and Pavers

Kimberley St
Oxley QLD 4075
PGH Bricks & Pavers

Ph: (07) 3710 3600
Pajingo
Gold, silver
60 km south-south-east of Charters Towers


PO Box 1435

Ph: (07) 4793 1200
Fax: (07) 4793 1302
Pauleeson
Dolomite
120 km west-south-west of Townsville
Ellis Mining
PO Box 52
Euramo QLD 4854
Ellis Mining
Ph: (07) 4066 7722
Fax: (07) 4066 7711
Phosphate Hill
Phosphate rock
140 km south-east of Mount Isa

www.incitecpivot.com.au
Incitec Pivot Ltd

PO Box 568
Aitkenvale QLD 4814
Incitec Pivot Ltd

Ph: (07) 4727 0001
Fax: (07) 4727 0092
Porphyry
Porphyry stone
24 km west of Herberton
www.porphyrystone.com.au
Porphyry Stone Products Pty Ltd

PO Box 15
Roseville NSW 2069
Porphyry Stone Products Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4096 2837
Fax: (02) 4096 2910
Port Alma
Salt
Port Alma
www.cheethamsalt.com.au
CK Life Sciences International (Holdings) Inc

c/- Post Office
Bajool QLD 4699
CK Life Sciences International (Holdings) Inc

Ph: (07) 4935 2900
Fax: (07) 4934 6308
Ravensbourne
Kaolin
5 km north-east of Ravensbourne
www.hansoncm.biz
Hanson Construction Materials

124 Philp Rd
Ravensbourne QLD 4352
Hanson Construction Materials

Ph: (07) 4697 8188
Fax: (07) 4697 8226
Ravenswood/Mount Wright
Gold, silver
Ravenswood
www.resolute-ltd.com.au
Carpentaria Gold Pty Ltd

PO Box 5802
Townsville QLD 4810
Carpentaria Gold Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4752 3100
Fax: (07) 4752 3131
Regent
Sandstone
3 km north-east of Helidon
Helidon Sandstone Industries Pty Ltd

Lot 92 Seventeen Mile Rd
Helidon QLD 4344
Helidon Sandstone Industries Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4697 6033
Fax: (07) 4697 6433
Riverton
Limestone
35 km east of Texas
www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07)3909 4500
Fax: (07) 3909 4501
Rochedale
Brick clay
Rochedale/Redland Bay
www.australbrick.com.au
Austral Brick Co Pty Ltd

PO Box 269
Mount Gravatt QLD 4122
Austral Brick Co Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 3347 2111
Fax: (07) 3849 4028
Rocklands
Copper
17 km west-north-west of Cloncurry
www.cudeco.com.au
CuDeco Ltd
19 Brolga Ave
Southport QLD 4125
CuDeco Ltd
Ph: (07) 5503 1955
Fax: (07) 5503 0288
continued ...
74

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
continued
Location and web
Postal address
Principal contact
Royal Ice
Marble
jwaust@bigpond.net.au (John Woodward)

PO Box 171
Sumner Park QLD 4074

Ph: (07) 3715 7991, 0418 987 300
Fax: (07) 3725 5900
Stanwell
Sandstone
2 km south-east of Stanwell
www.capricornsandstone.com.au
Capricorn Stone Products Pty Ltd

PO Box 5164
Rockhampton Mail Centre QLD 4702
Capricorn Stone Products Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4934 7336
Fax: (07) 4934 7433
Starra
Copper, Gold (C/M)


PO Box 1534
Milton Qld 4064

Ph: (07) 3246 7700
Fax: (07) 3246 7799
Sunstate Sands
Silica sand
20 km south of Bundaberg
www.sunstatesands.com.au
Sunstate Sands (Australia) Pty Ltd

PO Box 366
Clayfield QLD 4011
Sunstate Sands (Australia) Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4159 7811
Fax: (07) 4159 7656
Tanamerah
Sandstone
7 km northwest of Warwick
www.tanamerahsandstone.com.au
Tanamerah Sandstone Pty Ltd

161 Evans Rd
Warwick Qld 4370
Tanamerah Sandstone Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4661 8517
Fax (07) 4661 8519
Tanby 1
Silica sand
33 km north-east of Rockhampton
Barlows Earthmoving
2816 Emu Park Rd
Rockhampton QLD 4701
Barlows Earthmoving
Ph: (07) 4939 7122
Fax: (07) 4939 7175
Taragoola
Limestone
30km south of Gladstone

24 Taragoola Rd
Calliope QLD 4680

Ph: (07) 4975 7144
Fax: (07) 4975 7056
Tartana
Copper (sulfate) (C/M)
Solomons Mines
PO Box 28
Chillagoe QLD 4871
Solomons Mines
Ph: (07) 4094 8377
Fax: (07) 4094 8399
Thalanga/West 45
Copper, silver, lead, zinc and gold (C/M)
60 km south-west of Charters Towers
Red River Resources Ltd

Level 6 350 Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Red River Resources Ltd

Ph: (03) 9017 5380
Tropical Peat
Peat
45 km south of Mareeba
T& C Palmer
12 Belson Rd
QLD 4883
T& C Palmer
Ph: (07) 4095 0266
Fax: (07) 4095 0227
Twin Hills
Silver (C/M)

www.alcyone.com.au
Alcyone Resources Ltd

PO Box 928
West Perth WA 6872
Alcyone Resources Ltd

Ph: (08) 9476 3000
Fax: (08) 9322 8912
Wagners
Quarry Sandstone
JH Wagner & Sons Pty Ltd

449 South St
Toowoomba QLD 4350
JH Wagner & Sons Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4634 7422
Fax: (07) 4633 1652
Warrior/Central Charters Towers

Gold, silver
Charters Towers
www.citigold.com
Citigold Corporation Ltd

PO Box 414
Citigold Corporation Ltd

Ph: (07) 4787 8300
Fax: (07) 4787 8600
Warwick
Brick clay
www.warwickbrickworks.com.au
Warwick Brick Works Pty Ltd

16 Conrad St
Warwick QLD 4370
Warwick Brick Works Pty Ltd

Ph: 0409 872 565
Fax: 4661 2132
Warwick
Limestone
20 km south-east of Warwick
www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 3909 4500
Fax: (07) 3909 4501
Weipa/Andoom/Ely
Bauxite
Weipa
www.riotintoalcan.com
Rio Tinto Aluminium

GPO Box 153
Brisbane QLD 4001
Rio Tinto Aluminium

Ph: (07)3625 3531
Fax: (07)3625 3001
Willows
Zeolite
73 km west-south-west of Emerald
Queensland Zeolite Pty Ltd

PO Box 779
Biloela QLD 4715
Queensland Zeolite Pty Ltd

Ph: (07) 4995 1178, 0447 363 063
Fax: (07) 4995 1178
Wolfram Camp
Tungsten, molybdenum
90 km south-west of Cairns
Almonty Industries Inc

100 King St West Suite 5700
Toronto ON Canada M5X 1C7
Almonty Industries Inc

Ph: +1 (647) 438-9766
Fax: +1 (416) 628-2516
Yarraman
Rutile, ilmenite, zircon
North Stradbroke Island

www.sibelco.com.au

1/58 Metroplex Ave
Murarrie QLD 4172

Ph: (07) 3909 4500
Fax: (07) 3909 4501

www.dnrm.qld.gov.au
75
Abbreviations and definitions

C
degree celsius
ABS
Australian Bureau of Statistics
ANSTO
Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
DAP
di-ammonium phosphate fertiliser
EIS
environmental impact statement
gram
g/t
grams per tonne
HK
Hong Kong
HPAL
high pressure acid-leach plant
HPQT
High Purity Quartz Technologies
joule
JOGMEC
Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
JORC
Joint Ore Reserves Committee
kg
kilogram
km
kilometre
kt/a
kilotonne per annum
LME
London Metal Exchange
Ltd
Limited
metre
cubic metres
MAP
mono-ammonium phosphate
MDL
mineral development license
Mdptpa
million dry product tonnes per annum
meq
milliequivalent/s
MLA
mining lease application
Mlb
million pounds
MoO3
molybdenum trioxide
Moz
million ounces
MRA
Minerals Rights Agreement
Mt
million tonnes
Mtpa
Million tonnes per annum
MW
megawatt
NSR
net smelter royalty
ppm
parts per million
ppm
parts per million
Pte
Private
Pty
Proprietary
QMAG
SWAN
South West Anomaly
SWELL
South West Elliott
SX-EW
solvent extraction electro-winning
tpa
tonnes per annum
TREEYO
total rare earth elements and yttrium oxide
76

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CC15-GSQ014
www.dnrm.qld.gov.au

Metalliferous Industrial Minerals 2014 Part 3

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Industrial minerals

Major operating mines

In May and June 2014 the company carried out major

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Figure 6: Queensland industrial minerals

Port Alma NaCl

East End Ls, Cl

* Wateranga Il, Fd, Ap

See MinesOnlineMaps at www.dnrm.qld.gov.au

* Adavale NaCl KCI

Produced by Publication Graphics, SGS, Geological Survey of Queensland April 2015.

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

They also plan to build a new access road to reduce haulage

Cape Flattery slica mining

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

long that ranges in width from 500 m to 3 km. Within the

View of the Riverton plant from quarry

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

High-quality electro-fused magnesia is also produced at

The company holds limestone leases at Chillagoe (also produces

The main product streams consist of washed classified sand,

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

demand largely due to the expanded installation of solar farms

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Warwick, Riverton and Murgon (limestone)Sibelco Australia Ltd

Ootann (limestone)Phoenix Lime Pty Ltd

At Gurulmundi, sodium bentonite (the most commercially

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

The processing involves the expansion by up to 25 times the

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Conjuboy (diatomite)Greenvale Silicon Pty Ltd

Non-operating industrial mines and processing

from high temperature smoke, absorption of oil spills in

Avoca (zeolite)Zeolite Australia Pty Ltd

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Industrial mineral projects at feasibility or

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Paradise South (phosphate rock)Paradise Phosphate Pty Ltd

28% P2O5, and commence shipments to customers in the Asian

P2O5. Yttrium contained in the phosphate mineral xenotime

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

indicated resource is 1.30568 Mt of mineral sand containing

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

approximate resource of 100 billion tonnes of salts has been

Queensland 201314 mineral exploration

September 2014 quarter. This is comparable to other Australian

North American investors. Future sustainability of the State's

applying 3D seismic techniques to successfully locate blind

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

In eastern Queensland Mantle Mining Corporation Ltd

Government assistance for exploration

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Conclusion and references

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

Exploration in far northern and eastern Queensland has

Geoscience Australia 2014, Australias Identified Mineral

Geoscience Australia 2011, The Australian Atlas of Mineral

Queenslands metalliferous and industrial minerals 2014

462 436 834

688 286 178

252 059 297

1 657 049 574

1 625 758 692

157 235 826