Wonnerup Mine, Australia

Prospect in Western Australia, Australia with commodities Titanium, Metal, Zirconium, REE
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Ore body information
  10. Controls for ore emplacement
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Ownership information
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079632
MRDS ID W029681
Record type Site
Current site name Wonnerup Mine, Australia

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 115.41601, -33.66263 (WGS84)
Relative position 2.5 KM SOUTH OF WONNERUP SIDING ON THE BUSSELTON TO BUNBURY RAILWAY LINE, 10 KM EAST OF BUSSELTON.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Western Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Western Australia

Comments on the location information

  • THE MINE IS ON SUSSEX LOCATION 7

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Titanium, Metal Critical Primary
Zirconium Critical Primary
REE Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ilmenite Ore
Monazite Ore
Zircon Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Sand and Gravel

Nearby scientific data

(1) 115.41601, -33.66263

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Length 1700M
    Width 180M

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Fossil Shoreline

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE MINERAL SANDS UNCONFORMABLY OVERLIE THE LEEDERVILLE FORMATION. THE EASTERN DEPOSIT, CURRENTLY MINED, IS A LOW SAND DUNE WITH UP TO 15 % HEAVY MINERALS. THE SEDIMENT IS A FINE TO MEDIUM-GRAINED QUARTZ SAND WITH FINE-GRAINED HEAVY MINERALS. LIME AND QUARTZ SANDS COVER THE DEPOSIT. THE SANDS CONTAIN LESS THAN 3 % H.M. AND ARE CLASSED AS OVERBURDEN.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Year of first production 1966

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Cable Ltd.
    First year 1956

Comments on development

  • SINCE 1966 THE LEASES, FORMERLY HELD BY ILMENITE MINERALS PTY. LTD., HAVE BEEN OPERATED BY CABLE (1956) LTD. PRIOR TO 1971 THE DEPOSIT WAS MINED WITH A DREDGE. THE SOUTHERN END OF THE DEPOSIT IS NOW MINED BY FRONT-END LOADERS. ORE IS CONCENTRATED IN GRAVITY CONES AND CONCENTRATES ARE TAKEN 50 KM TO BUNBURY FOR FURTHER SEPARATION.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    HEAVY MINERAL SAND DEPOSITS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, J.L. BAXTER, 197

  • Production

    8-12

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit SOUTH OF THE ABBA RIVER THE SEAWARD DEPOSIT (NOT YET MINED) IS SEPARATED FROM THE LOW SAND HILL BY A SWAMP,CONCENTRATIONS UP TO 20 % ARE KNOWN.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-MAY-1978 Saam, Henning G. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.