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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Weipa

Producer in Queensland, Australia with commodity Aluminum
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Ore body information
  11. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  12. Mining district
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Workings at the site
  16. Links to other databases
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079687
MRDS ID W029769
Record type Site
Current site name Weipa
Alternate or previous names Cape York, Comalco

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 141.91556, -12.66399 (WGS84)
Elevation 40
Relative position 930 KM FROM CAIRNS

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Queensland(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Queensland

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Aluminum Critical Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Bauxite Ore
Boehmite Ore
Gibbsite Ore
Kaolinite Ore
Anatase Gangue
Goethite Gangue
Hematite Gangue
Quartz Gangue

Analytical data

Result AL2O3 50 %, SIO2 2 %, FE2O3: 13 %, LOI 27 %, TIO2: 2

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 111
USGS model code 38b
Deposit model name Bauxite, laterite type

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Unconsolidated Deposit > Silt
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Arkose

Nearby scientific data

(1) 141.91556, -12.66399
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • General form BLANKET
    Thickness 10M

Comments on the geologic information

  • MESOZOIC AND YOUNGER SEDIMENTS OVERLYING A COMPLEX CORE OF BASEMENT GRANITES AND METAMORPHIC ROCKS. TERTIARY BEDS INCLUDE LATERITIC ZONE, BAUXITE AT TOP OF THIS ZONE

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1955
Discoverer H.J. Evans
Year of first production 1963

Mining district

District name Cape York Peninsula

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Comalco

Comments on the production information

  • CAPACITY ABOUT 9 MILLION DRY METRIC TONNES PER YEAR

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1973
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Aluminum Al2O3 52 wt-pct Aluminum Major 1973
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1976
    Total resources 1400000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Aluminum Al 13 wt-pct Aluminum Major 1976

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • 1) RESERVES IN METRIC TONS; 2) 599 MILLION METRIC TONS MEASURED RESERVES + 794 MILLION METRIC TONS ESTIMATED RESERVES.
  • 1) WET ORE, ABOUT 13 % MOISTURE; 2) WET ORE, BENEFICIATED:
  • INFERRED RESERVES

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 260000HA

Comments on development

  • COMALCO:COMMONWEALTH ALUMINIUM CORP. LTD: 45 % CONZINC RIOTINTO OF AUSTRALIA: 45 % KAISER ALUMINUM AND CHEMICAL CORP. OF OAKLAND/CALIFORNIA; 10 % AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND SHAREHOLDERS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Analytical Data

    SRC.REF: INTERNAL INFORM.

  • Deposit

    INGRAM, J.A. 1973: MINERAL RESOURCES REPORT NO. 1 BAUXITE DEPOSITS. DEPT. OF MINERAL AND ENERGY RESOURCES, CANBERRA

  • Deposit

    COMALCO LTD.,1977, ANNUAL REPORT

  • Deposit

    ASIA MINING, DEC. 1975

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, JAN. 1974

  • Production

    5) ANNUAL REPORT 1977, COMALCO

  • Reserve-Resource

    COMPANY REPORTS

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BAUXITE (AVERAGE THICKNESS 2.7 M, OVERBURDEN 0.5 M) COVERS LARGE AREAS OF WESTERN PAP YORK PENINSULA.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JAN-1977 Krauss, Ulrich H. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

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

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