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Australian Mines and Mineral Deposits

Australian Mines and Mineral Deposits

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 Australia is a leading global producer of 19 valuable minerals, sourced from over 350 active mines. This podcast will summarise the geology of important mines and mineral deposits in Australia.Geoscience Podcasts Science Sciences de la Terre
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    • Understanding Rare-Earth Elements – From Earth to Industry

      Understanding Rare-Earth Elements – From Earth to Industry
      Jun 5 2025
      In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of Rare-Earth Elements (REEs), a group of seventeen specialty metals crucial for high-technology industries due to their unique chemical, magnetic, and luminescent properties. We'll explore where these vital elements are found, how they are classified, and the complex processes involved in extracting them from the Earth.What are Rare-Earth Elements?REEs include the lanthanide series (lanthanum to lutetium) and yttrium, with scandium also often discussed in this group.They are strategically important commodities, increasingly attractive targets for the mineral industry.REEs are used in various applications, such as high-strength permanent magnets, catalysts for petroleum refining, metal and glass additives, and phosphors used in electronic displays.Australian REE Deposits and Geological SettingsAustralia holds significant REE resources, found in diverse geological environments including igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.Elevated concentrations of REEs have been documented in various deposit types, including: Heavy-mineral sand deposits (beach, dune, marine tidal, and channel); Carbonatite intrusions and (per)alkaline igneous rocks, Iron-oxide breccia complexes and calc-silicate rocks (skarns); Fluorapatite veins, pegmatites, phosphorites, fluviatile sandstones, unconformity-related uranium deposits, and lignites.The mineral-system approach is used to classify major Australian REE deposits. This framework helps understand the geological processes critical for deposit formation and aids in identifying new areas for mineralization.The highest level of this classification includes four general 'mineral-system association' categories: regolith, basinal, metamorphic, and magmatic.Key REE-Bearing MineralsThe only REE-bearing minerals commercially extracted on a large scale are bastnäsite, monazite, and xenotime.Bastnäsite: A cerium-type mineral that is a major source of light rare earth elements (LREEs).Monazite: A phosphate mineral, primarily a cerium-type mineral rich in Ce, La, Pr, and Nd. It also contains thorium and variable amounts of uranium.Xenotime: A yttrium phosphate mineral that is a major source of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). It is often found with monazite and extracted as a by-product.Ion-adsorbed clays are also important sources of HREEs, occurring as rare earth element ions.Other REE-bearing minerals, such as eudialyte, synchysite, samarskite, allanite, zircon, steenstrupine, cheralite, rhabdophane, apatite, florenceite, fergusonite, loparite, perovskite, cerianite, and pyrochlore, are also found, though only some are economically significant.Beneficiation of REE-Bearing MineralsBeneficiation refers to the processes used to concentrate REE-bearing minerals from raw ore.Common techniques include gravity separation, magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, and froth flotation.Froth Flotation is particularly crucial for complex ores, like the Bayan Obo deposit in China, where fine grain size makes other methods difficult.Flotation often involves using fatty-acid or hydroxamate-based collector systems. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the geological settings, resources, and beneficiation techniques for rare-earth elements, drawing on the latest information from Australian and international sources.Sources:Australian Mines AtlasGeological setting and resources of the major rare-earth-element deposits in Australia.The story of rare earth elements (REEs): Occurrences, global distribution, genesis, geology, mineralogy and global production.A review of the beneficiation of rare earth element bearing mineralsDisclaimer:AI generated content created using Google's NotebookLM.
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      45 min
    • Unearthing the geology of the Winu-Ngapakarra Copper-Gold-Silver deposit – Australia's New Copper-Gold Frontier

      Unearthing the geology of the Winu-Ngapakarra Copper-Gold-Silver deposit – Australia's New Copper-Gold Frontier
      Jun 4 2025
      Join us as we explore the geology of the remarkable Winu-Ngapakarra copper-gold-silver deposit in Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert, a discovery that's reshaping our understanding of mineral potential in the Paterson Orogen. Discovered by Rio Tinto Exploration in late 2017, Winu represents a unique new deposit style and is generating significant excitement for future exploration.Key Takeaways from this Episode:Location and Regional Context: The Winu deposit is situated within the Paterson Orogen, a NNW-trending belt of folded and metamorphosed Proterozoic rocks in northwestern Australia. This region is considered an important and developing mineral province. The deposit itself sits on the Anketell Shelf, a Proterozoic basement high within the Paterson Orogen, largely covered by younger sedimentary rocks.Host Rocks and Metamorphism: Mineralization at Winu is hosted in metamorphosed sub-arkosic sandstones, siltstones, minor greywackes, mafic rocks, and calc-silicates. These rocks are preliminarily correlated with the Lamil Group, specifically the upper Malu Formation, which also hosts the renowned Telfer deposit. The rocks underwent regional metamorphism up to upper greenschist/lower amphibolite facies, with a contact metamorphic overprint, often visible as altered porphyroblasts.Structural Story: The deposit's structure is dominated by a NNW-trending, W-verging monocline, interpreted to have formed during the older Miles Orogeny (~820-810 Ma). This structure was later refolded during the Paterson Orogeny (~550 Ma), leading to the formation of a half-domal structure at Winu. Key regional features include the Thorny Devil Fault, a significant NW-trending normal fault that separates the Winu and Ngapakarra deposits.Intrusion-Related Mineralization: Winu is classified as a wall rock-hosted, intrusion-related copper-gold deposit, genetically linked to granite intrusions. Geochronology dates the main mineralization stages (V2 and V3A) at approximately 658 to 655 Ma, while later veins (V4) are dated around 619.0 ± 8.1 Ma.The "Bismuth Collector Model" for Gold: A fascinating aspect of Winu is that gold precipitation is thought to have occurred via the bismuth collector model. This process involves hydrothermal fluids, initially above 270°C and relatively reduced, forming a bismuth (telluride) melt that efficiently scavenged gold from the gold-undersaturated fluid. Textures show a progression from native bismuth and gold (maldonite) to tellurobismuth minerals and then bismuthinite associated with sulfides. This suggests an early gold system was overprinted by a later copper system.Hydrothermal Vein Systems: The deposit features multiple generations of hydrothermal veins: Early Stockwork (V1), Early Mineralized (V2), Main Stage (V3A-D), Late Quartz Veins (V4), and Late Fractures/Breccias (V5).Supergene Enrichment: The upper parts of the Winu deposit, those not covered by mudstones, show supergene upgrading of mineralization to depths averaging 200 m, and locally up to 340 m. This has resulted in the formation of minerals like chalcocite, malachite, and chrysocolla.Exploration Significance: The discovery of Winu as a significant intrusion-related copper-gold deposit opens up substantial future exploration opportunities in this relatively underexplored part of Australia, particularly in the concealed northern extension of the Paterson Province.Sources:⁠Winu Deposit Summary Report⁠⁠Australian Mines Atlas⁠⁠Rio Tinto Website⁠⁠PorterGeo Database - Winu-Ngapakarra⁠⁠Geology of Winu-Ngapakarra, Great Sandy Desert of Western Australia⁠⁠The Winu-Ngapakarra deposit in the Great Sandy Desert of WA⁠⁠MEGWA18 May 2022: The Winu-Ngapakarra Copper Gold Deposit⁠ (YouTube)⁠Winu Blog Post⁠Disclaimer:AI generated content created using Google's NotebookLM.
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      55 min
    • The Winu Project: Discovery to Development

      The Winu Project: Discovery to Development
      Jun 3 2025
      Welcome to our podcast! Today, we're diving into the Winu Project, a significant copper-gold-silver discovery by Rio Tinto in Western Australia's remote Pilbara region.The Discovery and What Lies Beneath:Discovered in December 2017, Winu is interpreted as a structurally controlled, vein-hosted copper-gold-silver deposit within Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. It is considered a new intrusion-related copper-gold deposit.The project is situated on the Anketell Shelf of the Yeneena Basin, which is entirely covered by Phanerozoic sediments, typically ranging from 50 to 100 meters thick.The mineralisation at Winu features primary sulphide deposits that are overlain by a supergene blanket containing secondary copper minerals and native copper. This supergene zone, where weathering has upgraded the mineralisation, can extend to average depths of 200 meters, and locally up to 340 meters.As of December 2021, the total mineral resource estimate for Winu is 503 million tonnes at an average grade of 0.45% copper equivalent (CuEq). This includes 57 million tonnes in the supergene zone and 446 million tonnes in the hypogene (primary) zone, both reported at a 0.2% CuEq cut-off.How Exploration is Done:Exploration drilling at Winu utilizes a combination ofangled diamond (DD) and vertical and angled reverse circulation (RC) drilling methods. Core recovery from drilling is generally very high, typically exceeding 99%.Samples from both diamond core and RC drilling aremeticulously prepared and sent to an ALS Limited laboratory in Perth, where they undergo processes like drying, crushing, splitting, and pulverizing.Analysis includes 51 elements using 4-acid digestionfollowed by ICP-OES/MS measurements, and gold (Au) analysis by fire assay. Quality control measures, such as the inclusion of duplicates, blanks, and certified reference materials, are consistently applied to ensure acceptable accuracy and precision.Moving Towards Mining Operations:The Winu Project proposes the development of an open-pit mine that will extend below the water table, employing conventional drill and blast, and load and haul operations.Key infrastructure for the mine will include waste rock landforms (WRLs) and a Tailings Storage Facility (TSF). The TSF will be constructed from waste rock, serving as a permanent storage location, and is planned to progressively build out to a final height of approximately 60 meters. Potentially acid-forming (PAF) waste rock will be encapsulated within non-acid forming (NAF) material during operations to manage environmental risks.Environmental and Community Focus:Rio Tinto is actively addressing various environmental considerations for the project. The proposal indicates the clearing of up to 4,868 hectares of native vegetation within the larger 37,344-hectare Development Envelope.Extensive surveys have been conducted on terrestrial and subterranean fauna, identifying potential impacts on species such as the Northern Quoll (Endangered), Bilby (Vulnerable), and Fork-tailed Swift (Migratory). Measures to mitigate these impacts include specifying equipment design to be within Australian standard noise limits and shielding permanent lighting to minimize light spill in active mine areas.The Winu Project is located within the Native Title Determination Areas of the Nyangumarta and Martu people.Significant efforts in cultural heritage surveys, involving both Nyangumarta and Martu representatives, have been undertaken since 2017.This project highlights the complex balance between resource development and environmental and social responsibility in remote Australian landscapes.Sources:Winu Deposit Summary ReportAustralian Mines AtlasRio Tinto WebsitePorterGeo Database - Winu-NgapakarraGeology of Winu-Ngapakarra, Great Sandy Desert of Western AustraliaThe Winu-Ngapakarra deposit in the Great Sandy Desert of WAYouTubeWinu Blog PostDisclaimer:AI generated content created using Google's NotebookLM.
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      29 min

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