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Aurukun

Prospect 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. Nearby scientific data
  8. Ore body information
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Mining district
  11. Mineral rights holdings
  12. Land status
  13. Ownership information
  14. Production statistics
  15. Reserves and resources
  16. Workings at the site
  17. Links to other databases
  18. Bibliographic references
  19. General comments
  20. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10134407
MAS/MILS ID 6020350017
Record type Site
Current site name Aurukun

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 141.73219, -13.34727 (WGS84)
Elevation 20
Location accuracy 5000(meters)

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
Boehmite Unknown
Gibbsite Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 141.73219, -13.34727
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Thickness 0.05M
    Length 69M
    Width 29M
    Depth to top 1M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 LATERITE
    Shape of Orebody #1 TABULAR
    Type of Orebody #2 REPLACEMENT
    Primary mode of Origin RESIDUAL CONCENT
    Secondary mode of Origin OXIDATION
    Primary Ore Control LITHOLOGY
    Type of Wallrock Alter. #1 OTHER
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. .6
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 900802
  • Area 15000HA
    Field Value
    Total Surface Area (HA) 15000
    Date of Last Modification 910418

Comments on the geologic information

  • BOEHMITE AND GIBBSITE ARE HYDROXIDES.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Prospect
Commodity type Metallic
Significant No
Discovery year 1968
Year of first production 1989

Comments on exploration

  • ALL HISTORY OF EXPLORATION CAME FROM BACKUP DATA, DATA WAS CHECK IN 1983.

Mining district

District name Cape York Peninsula

Mineral rights holdings

Type of mineral rights Minerals Only

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Tipperary Land And Exploration Corp.
    Interest 40
    Home office Texas
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Billiton Aluminium Australia B. V.
    Interest 40
    Home office Australia
    Year 1981
  • Type Owner
    Owner Aluminum Pechiney Holdings Pty. Ltd.
    Interest 20
    Home office France
    Year 1981
  • Type Operator
    Owner Aurukum Associates (Joint Venture)
    Interest 100
    Home office Australia
    Year 1981

Comments on the ownership information

  • THE 3 CORPORATE OWNERS OF THIS MINE TOGETHER FORMED AURUKUN ASSOCIATES. A CORPORATION CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS MINING PROJECT.

Production statistics

  • Year 2044
    Period 1989 To 2044
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Bauxite Ore Production 1989 To 2044 2141550 Mtpy
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Ore Aluminum Aluminum 2141550mt

Comments on the production information

  • THE YIELD GRADE IS IN TERMS OF CONTAINED ALUMINUM (AL), NOT THE AL2O3 CONTENT OF THE BAUXITE ORE SENT TO THE REFINERY THE YIELD PRODUCT IS THE SAME PRODUCT ON THE PRODUCT DATA SET.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Total resources 1016000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Aluminum Al2O3 53.5 wt-pct Aluminum Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 400000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 400000000mt ore
    Total resources 400000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Aluminum Al2O3 52.5 wt-pct Aluminum Major 1981
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1981
    Indicated 370000000mt ore
    Demonstrated 370000000mt ore
    Total resources 370000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Aluminum Al2O3 52.5 wt-pct Aluminum Major 1981

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • THIS IS THE RESERVE/RESOURCE ESTIMATE USED IN THE 1980, 81 EVAULATION. SEE GOLDER ASSOCIATES DEPOSIT PROFILE REPORT AND THE 1981 ETD. THE GRADE IS IN TERMS OF PCT. AL2O3. QM1C3=QM9C6; Q-MATRIX 1 COLUMN 3 EQUALS Q-MATRIX 9 COLUMN 6 THIS IS THE ESTIMATED RESERVE/RESOURCE DATA FOR THE 1987 UPDATED EVALUATION. BASES FOR ESTIMATE UNKNOWN. GRADE DATA IS IN TERMS OF CONTAINED ALUMINUM (AL) IN THE BAUXITE ORE, NOT THE AL2O3 CONTENT OF THE ORE.
  • NO PLANS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. OWNED BY SHELL-BILLITON (2/3) AND PECHINEY (1/3)

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 15000HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ESTIMATE
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 1
    Primary Material Cover HARDPAN
    Secondary Material Cover SAND, GRAVEL
    Tertiary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Hardness of Ore HARDPAN
    Capacity 8237
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 260
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1987

Comments on other economic factors

  • "MILLED" BAUXITE ORE PRESUMMED TRANSPORTED TO NEAREST OPERATING REFINERY, THE GOVE REFINERY.
  • CAPACITY IS 2,141,550 METRIC TONS ORE/YEAR. SURFACE AREA IS 200100 HECTARES. STRIP RATIO VARIES FROM 1:1 ORE TO WASTE TO 9:1. IN DOING THE CALCULATIONS, AN AVERAGE RATIO OF 5:1 WAS USED. MINING METHOD IS PROBOBLY SOME FORM OF OPER PIT MINING.
  • THE FEED GRADE IS IN TERMS OF THE CONTAINED ALUMINUM (AL), IN THE BAUXITE ORE, NOT THE AL2O3 GRADE OF THE BAUXITE ORE. THIS IS THE FEED TO THE ON SITE "MILL"

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Reserve-Resource

    AUSTRALIAN MINING HANDBOOK, 1977/78 EDITION.

  • Reserve-Resource

    AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIWES, NOVEMBER 10 AND 13, 1980.

  • Reserve-Resource

    REGISTER OF AUSTRALIAN MINING, 1980 EDITION.

  • Deposit

    ANON. 1978. THE AUSTRALIAN MINES HANDBOOK 1977-78, MINEX

  • Deposit

    SERVICES & THE NATIONAL MINER, PERTH.

  • Deposit

    ANON. 1976. "IN THE PACIFIC: AUSTRALIA", ENGINEERING AND

  • Deposit

    MINING JOURNAL.

  • Deposit

    LOUTHEAN, R. 1980. REGISTER OF AUSTRALIAN MINING, NEDLANDS,

  • Deposit

    WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. P. 84.

  • Deposit

    MAHER, P. 1980. "AURUKUN PARTNERS LIKELY TO BUY TIPPERARY

  • Deposit

    STAKE", THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW.. NOVEMBER 10.

  • Deposit

    MAHER, P. 1980. "AURUKUN MAY REVIVE BAUXITE DEPOSIT STUDY",

  • Deposit

    THE AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW. NOVEMBER 13.

  • Deposit

    PERKIN, I. 1980. "ALCOA BIDS $15M FOR A FOOT HOLD IN QLD.

  • Deposit

    BAUXITE", THE AUSTRALIAN, SYDNEY. APRIL 21.

  • Deposit

    PERKIN, I. 1980. "ALCOA CONFIRMS BID FOR DEPOSIT", "THE

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIAN", SYDNEY. APRIL 22.

  • Deposit

    MACGEEHAN, P., 1972, VERTICAL ZONATION WITHIN THE AURUKUN

  • Deposit

    BAUXITE DEPOSIT, NORTH QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA,

  • Deposit

    INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGICAL CONGRESS 24TH SESSION, MINERAL

  • Deposit

    DEPOSITS, SEC. 4, P. 424-434.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, APRIL 1976, P. 164.

  • Deposit

    ENGINEERING & MINING JOURNAL, JANUARY 1976, P. 145, 146.

  • Deposit

    MINING ENGINEERING, P27.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, JANUARY 1976, P ?.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, MARCH 1978, P ?.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING, APRIL 1976, P ?.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING JUNE, 1972, PP. 143,144.

  • Deposit

    WORLD MINING MARCH 1976, P ?.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit THIS IS A NONPRODUCING BAUXITE DEPOSIT. NO DEVELOPMENT HAS TAKEN PLACE, JUST EXPLORATION TESTING AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES. THE PROPERTY EVALUATION WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE 1987 UPDATED AVAILABILITY STUDY ANALYSES. ALL INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE DATA BASE, CONCERNING ORE MINING, PROCESSING AND, TRANSPORTATION IS PRESUMMED. PROPERTY REVIEWED 6/92. NO INFORMATION CHANGED.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 23-DEC-94 Wilburn, David R. 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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