Mining in Western Australia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Western Australian mining industry is the largest and most diversified resource industry in Australia^[1]. The state encompasses about one-third of the Australian continent and includes rich mineral resources including iron ore, nickel, diamonds, bauxite, uranium, gold, coal and mineral sands

Currently, there are 560 commercial mineral projects including 1,222 operating mine sites and 171 operational processing plants.^[1]

In 2002-03, Western Australia accounted for 43% of sales and service income for the total Australian mining sector (all minerals, including oil and gas), followed by Queensland at 24%; New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory contributed 16% of the total^[2]. Total revenues were A$23.9 billion in the same period.

1 Lead
2 Gold
3 Coal
4 Asbsetos
5 Iron ore
6 Nickel
7 Diamonds
8 Bauxite
9 Salt
10 See also
11 References

[edit] Lead

Possibly the earliest mining operations in the state after European settlement came about shortly after Augustus Gregory discovered lead on the Murchison River in 1839. A mine was subsequently established and named Geraldine after Governor Charles Fitzgerald. The town of Geraldton was named after the mine.

[edit] Gold

In 1869, John Forrest led a party into the Leonora area searching for a lost expedition led by Ludwig Leichhardt. Subsequently, the first gold claims were pegged at Leonora and nearby Gwalia. Discovery of gold in Colgardie in 1892 by William Ford and Arthur Bayley set off a gold rush which would shortly expand to Kalgoorlie in 1893 and bring the state out of many years of economic doldrums.

Western Australia extracts up to 75% of Australia's 240 tonnes of gold per annum.

[edit] Coal

Coal was known to be in the Collie district for many years, but wasn't fully developed as a viable industry until the establishment of the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme in the early 1900s when the State government pushed for its development to provide a source of energy to power the pumps which moved water from Mundaring Weir to Coolgardie. Cut timber had been used in the first few years of the scheme's operations.

[edit] Asbsetos

blue asbestos was discovered at Wittenoom Gorge in the 1930s by Lang Hancock and claimed as a mining tenement in 1934. The mine supplied much of the world's demand for asbestos until it closed in 1966 due to health concerns for its workers.

[edit] Iron ore

95% of Australia's iron ore occurs in Western Australia, and Australia is the world's largest exporter of the mineral. Brazil and Australia supply about 60% of the world's production.

Iron ore was first discovered in Western Australia in 1952 by Lang Hancock in the Hamersley Range near Newman. The mine is world's largest open cut iron ore mine.

[edit] Nickel

About 99% of Australia's nickel is produced in Western Australia which supplies about 13% of the world's nickel production. The state produces 140,000 tonnes per annum which is valued at A$1.0 billion.

The discovery in Kambalda, Western Australia in 1966, Mt. Windarra in 1969 and Agnew in 1971 coinciding with rising world nickel prices and a prolonged strike at a major nickel in Canada, meant that the discoveries were rapidly developed, bringing about a "nickel boom" between 1967 and 1971.^[3]

[edit] Diamonds

Alluvial diamonds had been found occasionally for many years by prospectors searching for gold. A systematic search for the source began in 1969, and on October 2, 1979, the Argyle pipe was discovered. Over the following three years, the deposit was assessed for economic viability, and in 1983 the decision was made to commence mining operations. Alluvial mining operations commenced immediately, while the open pit mine was constructed over a period of 18 months at a cost of A$450 million. The mine was commissioned in December 1985.

[edit] Bauxite

The Darling ranges contain considerable deposits of bauxite, and these have been mined by Alcoa and Worsley Alumina for the production of alumina.

Alcoa's first bauxite mine at Jarrahdale was opened in 1963 to service the Kwinana alumina refinery. 168 million tonnes of bauxite was mined from Jarrahdale until it's closure in 1998. The Huntly mine was established in the early 1970's to supply bauxite for both the Kwinana and Pinjarra refineries. It is currently the biggest bauxite mine in the world. The Wagerup refinery is serviced by the Willowdale bauxite mine, established in 1984.^[4]

Worsley Alumina constructed a mine site and refinery in the early 1980's. The mine site is located near Boddington and the bauxite is transported by a 51km conveyor belt to the refinery at Worsley. Following a $1 billion AUD expansion in 2000, Worsley now export 3.1 million tonnes of alumina.^[5]

[edit] Salt

Western Australia accounts for 93% of the nation's salt production. 2005-06 saw sales of 10.8 million tonnes of salt to the value of $280 million AUD.

The major miner of salt is Dampier Salt Limited with their operations in Dampier, Port Hedland and Lake Macleod. Other smaller operations include Onslow Salt Pty Ltd at Onslow, the Shark Bay Joint Venture at Useless Loop, and the WA Salt Supply at Lake Deborah (near Koolyanobbing) and Pink Lake (Esperance).^[6]