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  3. Mineral Resource Data System (MRDS)

Middleback Range

Producer in South Australia, Australia with commodity Iron
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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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Ownership information
  11. Reserves and resources
  12. Workings at the site
  13. Links to other databases
  14. Bibliographic references
  15. General comments
  16. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134269
MAS/MILS ID 6020400001
Record type Site
Current site name Middleback Range
Alternate or previous names Middleback Ranges

Comments on the site names

  • OTHER NAMES: IRON PRINCE, IRON DUKE, IRON BARON. AND IRON KNIGHT IRON MONARCH.

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 137.1655, -32.99335 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 1000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

South Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia South Australia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Chert Unknown
Hematite Unknown
Limonite Unknown
Magnetite Unknown
Quartz Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 137.1655, -32.99335
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 REPLACEMENT
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Shape of Orebody #2 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin HYDROTHERMAL
    Secondary mode of Origin CONT METASOMATIC
    Primary Ore Control FOLDING
    Secondary Ore Control FAULTING
    Date of Last Modification 860609

Comments on the geologic information

  • THE MIDDLEBACK QUARTZITES CONSIST OF TYPICAL BANDED IRON FORMATION - BANDED HEMATITE, CHERT AND QUARTZITE, BELIEVE TO BE SPECIAL FORMS OF CHEMICAL SEDIMENTS, WITH INTERBEDDED SOFT ARGILLACEOUS OR CHLORITIC SCHISTS. THE BANDED QUARTZITES CONSIST ALMOST SOLELY OF ALTERNATING BANDS OF IRON OXIDES AND SILICA. WEATHERING OF THESE ROCKS RESULTS IN LEACHING OF THE IRON IN THE FORM OF LIMONITE, LEAVING A SILICEOUS GOSSAN.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1900

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Broken Hill Proprietary Co. (Bhp)
    Interest 100
    Year 1982

Comments on the production information

  • THERE IS A $25.06 SMELTING COST FOR PELLETIZATION IN ADDITION TO THE $0.47 MILLING COST FOR PRODUCT A, PELLETS. CRUSHING AND SCREENING OF THE ORE TAKES PLACE AT THE MINE SITE, WITH PELLETIZATION AT WHYALLA, AUSTRALIA.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 85000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 85000000mt ore
    Total resources 85000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1981
    Iron Fe 64 wt-pct Iron Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • TWO THIRDS OF THE KNOWN HIGH GRADE ORE RESERVES HAVE BEEN DEPLETED. THE GRADE OF VARIOUS OREBODIES HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED AS FOLLOWS: IRON DUKE - 62%, 63.5%; IRON MONARCH - 67.2% (HEM. ONLY), 65%, 64% AFTER SCREENING, 63%; IRON PRINCE - 66%, 65%; AND IRON BARON - 63%, 64%. AS IT IS UNKNOWN IN MANY CASES HOW MUCH TONNAGE CORRELATES WITH EACH GRADE, A SIMPLE AVERAGE OF ALL THE GRADES WAS TAKEN AND ASSUMED TO REPRESENT THE ENTIRE MIDDLEBACK RANGE HIGH GRADE RESOURCE - 64%.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Mining Method OPEN PIT
    Percent Waste Rock 77
    Avg. Bench Height (meters) 10
    Capacity 10400
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 8.3
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Year of Information 1981

Comments on other economic factors

  • MIDDLEBACK RANGE CONSISTS OF MANY SMALL OREBODIES, IRON KNOB, IRON MONARCH, IRON DUKE, IRON BARON, IRON PRINCE, IRON KNIGHT, IRON QUEEN, IRON BARON SOUTH, CAVALIER, IRON CHIEFTAIN AND IRON DUCHESS. CURRENTLY MINING OUT OF IRON KNOB AND IRON BARON.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    GUNN, PETER J., GRAVITY AND MAGNETIC SURVEYS OVER IRON

  • Deposit

    FORMATIONS, MIDDLEBACK RANGES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRAL-

  • Deposit

    ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY PROCEEDINGS,

  • Deposit

    SEPTEMBER, 1975, NO. 255, PP 15-24.

  • Deposit

    ASHWORTH, K.L., GEOLOGY OF IRON DUKE, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, BHP

  • Deposit

    TECHNICAL BULLETIN, NO. 22, PP 23-30.

  • Deposit

    OWEN, H.B., THE GEOLOGY OF IRON MONARCH OREBODY, AUSTRAL-

  • Deposit

    ASIAN INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY PROCEEDINGS NO.

  • Deposit

    209, 1964, PAGES 43-67.

  • Deposit

    EDWARDS, A.B., MINERALOGY OF THE MIDDLEBACK IRON ORES,

  • Deposit

    GEOLOGY OF AUSTRALIAN ORE DEPOSITS, 5TH EMP. MIN. MET.

  • Deposit

    CONG., VOL. 1, 1953, PP 464-472.

  • Deposit

    OWEN, H.B., AND WHITEHEAD, S., IRON ORE DEPOSITS OF IRON

  • Deposit

    KNOB AND THE MIDDLEBACK RANGES, PP 301-308.

  • Deposit

    RUDD, E.A., AND MILES, K.R., IRON ORE OF THE MIDDLEBACK

  • Deposit

    RANGES, SOUTH AUSTRALIA, GEOL. AUST. ORE DEPOSIT, 5TH EMP.

  • Deposit

    MIN. MET. CONG., VOL. 1, 1953, PP 449-463.

  • Deposit

    ASHWORTH, K.L., AND FURBER, D.V., MIDDLEBACK IRON ORE,

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, MARCH, 1976, PP 170-179.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit MINING OPERATIONS CEASED AT IRON BARON IN 1990. PRODUCTION SHIFT- TO IRON DUKE OR IRON KNOB, LAT LON IS FOR IRON BARRON

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 23-SEP-1996 Bolis U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

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