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Westralian Sands Operations

Plant in Western Australia, Australia with commodities REE, Titanium, Zirconium
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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. Ownership information
  12. Production statistics
  13. Workings at the site
  14. Links to other databases
  15. Bibliographic references
  16. General comments
  17. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10256279
MAS/MILS ID 6020550112
Record type Site
Current site name Westralian Sands Operations
Alternate or previous names Yoganup Extended, Boyanup, Tutunup, Yoganup Strand Line

Geographic coordinates

Point of reference Ore Body
Geographic coordinates: 115.60493, -33.55847 (WGS84)
Elevation 40
Location accuracy 10000(meters)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Western Australia(province)

Australia(country)

Australia(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Australia Western Australia

Commodities

Commodity Importance
REE Critical Tertiary
Titanium Critical Secondary
Zirconium Critical Secondary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ilmenite Unknown
Monazite Unknown
Rutile Unknown
Zircon Unknown

Nearby scientific data

Ore Body (1) 115.60493, -33.55847
ListMap

Economic information

Ore body information

  • Strike N00E
    Dip 30W
    Thickness 20M
    Length 27000M
    Width 1200M
    Depth to top 10M
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 1
    Type of Orebody #1 SEDIMENTARY
    Shape of Orebody #1 LENTICULAR
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Strike And Dip N00E:30W
    Minimum Depth to Top 0
    Avg. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 10
    Min. Thick. Unconsol. Mat. 0
    Date of Last Modification 840621
  • Area 1350HA
    Field Value
    MAS Matrix # 1
    MAS Column # 2
    Type of Orebody #1 PLACER
    Shape of Orebody #1 OTHER
    Primary mode of Origin SEDIMENTATION
    Primary Ore Control BEDDING
    Degree of Wallrock Alter. NONE
    Total Surface Area (HA) 1350
    Date of Last Modification 940112

Comments on the geologic information

  • RECORD 3 - LEUCOXENE.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface
Development status Plant
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1955
Mining method Strip-Level
Year of first production 1960
Plant type Beneficiation (Mill)
Plant subcategory Dry
Milling method Magnetic And Electrostatic

Mining district

District name Bunbury Area

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner Westralian Sands Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Australia
    Year 1982

Comments on the ownership information

  • TIOXIDE GROUP LTD. SOLD ITS 44.5% STAKE IN WESTRALIAN SANDS AND ISHIHARA SANGYO KAISHA LTD. SOLD ITS 18.5% STAKE IN SANDS IN 1ST QUARTER OF 1994.

Production statistics

  • Year 1962
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 700000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 700000mt
  • Year 1964
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 750000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 750000mt
  • Year 1966
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 800000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 800000mt
  • Year 1968
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 800000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 800000mt
  • Year 1970
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 160000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 160000mt
  • Year 1972
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 150000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 150000mt
  • Year 1974
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 190000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 190000mt
  • Year 1976
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 140000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 140000mt
  • Year 1976
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 1266699 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Titanium Titanium 1266699mt
  • Year 1977
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 799999 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 Titanium Titanium 799999mt
  • Year 1978
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 375000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Conc. Titanium Titanium 375000mt
  • Year 1978
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 1229999 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Ore Titanium Titanium 1229999mt
  • Year 1979
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 2172300 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Ore Titanium Titanium 2172300mt
  • Year 1980
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 450000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 450000mt
  • Year 1980
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 1378599 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Ore Titanium Titanium 1378599mt
  • Year 1981
    Description Tio2 As Ilmenite And Rutile 1872000 Mt Ore
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor TiO2 TiO2 Ore Titanium Titanium 1872000mt
  • Year 1982
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 510000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 510000mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Diatomite Sales 6783 Mt Diatomite
  • Year 1984
    Description Mineral Conc. Prod. 530700 Mt Conc. Prod.
  • Year 1984
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 490000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 490000mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Mineral Conc. Produced 530700 Mt Conc. Prod.
  • Year 1986
    Description Mineral Conc. Prod. 511400 Mt Conc. Prod.
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 511400mt
  • Year 1986
    Accuracy Estimate
    Description Mineral Conc. + Syn. Rutile Prod. Est. 510000 Mt Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Conc. Titanium Titanium 510000mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Synthetic Rutile Production 51000 Mt Syn. Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Titanium Titanium 51000mt
  • Year 1987
    Description Mineral Concentrates Production 359400 Mt Conc
  • Year 1987
    Description Ore And Overburden Mined 7500000 Mt Material Mined
  • Year 1988
    Description Synthetic Rutile Produced 91100 My Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Titanium Titanium 91100mt
  • Year 1988
    Description Mineral Concentrates Production 407900 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1989
    Description Synthetic Rutile 98000 Mt Rutile Produced
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Titanium Titanium 98000mt
  • Year 1989
    Description Mineral Concentrates Production 436100 Mt Conc Produced
  • Year 1989
    Description Ore And Overburden Processed 9000000 Mt Material Processed
  • Year 1990
    Description Zircon Prod. 45111 Mt Zircon
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Zirconium Zirconium 45111mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Ilmenite Prod. 382507 Mt Ilmenite
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Titanium Titanium 382507mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Syn. Rutile Prod. 117500 Mt Rutile
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Titanium Titanium 117500mt
  • Year 1990
    Description Mineral Conc. Prod. 405580 Mt Conc.
  • Year 1992
    Description Mineral Conc. Produced 475000 Mt Conc. Produced

Comments on the production information

  • WESTRALIAN SANDS LTD. IS DECIDING ON EXPANDING ITS SYNTHETIC RUTILE CAPACITY IN THE END OF 1994. NO DECISION HAD BEEN MADE ON THE FINANCING OF THE EXPANSION. SYNTHETIC RUTILE CAPACITY AS OF 6/90 WAS 100,000 TPY. IN APRIL 1995, WESTRALIAN DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A SECOND SYNTHETIC RUTILE PLANT. THE ADITIONALLY PLANT WILL INCREASE SR CAPACITY TO 230,000 TPA. CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN MID-1995 AND IS SET TO COME ON-STREAM BY MID-1997. TOTAL INVESTMENT OF A$134 MILLION.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING MINES AND DEPOSITS. MINES: NORTH CAPEL (NOW PRODUCING AGAIN)(PREVIOUSLY SEQ.# 6020550033, BUT NOW DELETED AND COMBINED IN THIS #), YOGANUP EXTENDED, YOGANUP NORTH (AKA BOYANUP). PAST PRD: YOGANUP OLD AND MINNINUP BEACH (BOTH DEPLETED). DEPOSITS: TUTUNUP, DARDANUP, WAGERUP, LUDLOW, ELGIN, AND MUNDIJONG. SITE VISITED, 6/90.

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 1350HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 1
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 5769
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Operating Days per Year 312
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1982
  • Type of workings Surface
    Area 300HA
    Field Value
    MAS Development Schedule # 1
    Mining Record # 2
    Status of Mining Method ACTUAL
    Mining Method STRIP-LEVEL
    Percent Waste Rock 99
    Avg. Overburden Thickness 5
    Primary Material Cover SAND, SILT
    Percentage 100
    Hardness of Ore SAND, SILT
    Capacity 1781
    Capacity Units MT ORE/DAY
    Unit Production Cost 1.545
    Units of Production $/MT ORE
    Operating Days per Year 365
    Operating Shifts per Day 3
    Year of Information 1990

Comments on other economic factors

  • NORTH CAPEL MINE CLOSED 1991. OPERATED THROUGH PART OF 1991 AND 1992 TO SUSTAIN SULFATE ILMENITE PRODUCTION. REHABILITATION CONTINUED IN 1992. *YOGANUP EXTENDED PUT ON CARE AND MAINTENANCE IN 5/91, BUT RESOURCES STILL REMAIN. *YOGANUP NORTH WAS WESTRALIAN SANDS LTD. ONLY MINE IN PRODUCTION IN 1992. PRODUCED 475000 MT OF HM CONCENTRATES.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    *AUSTRALASIAN MINERALS QUARTERLY, SEPT. 1992, AME MINERAL

  • Deposit

    ECONOMICS, PP. F-294 - F-295.

  • Deposit

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. "ILMENITE DEPOSIT RE-EVALUATED."

  • Deposit

    DEC. 1994. NO. 327. P.5.

  • Ownership

    * INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, APRIL 1994, NO. 319, P. 9.

  • Ownership

    "ISK AND TIOXIDE IN WESTRALIAN SELL-OUT."

  • Production

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, APRIL 1994, NO. 319, P.9.

  • Production

    *AME MINING WEEKLY, JUNE 3, 1994. V. 24, NO. 19. P.9.

  • Production

    "WESTRALIAN PONDERS EXPANSION."

  • Production

    *INDUSTRIAL MINERALS, APRIL 1995. NO. 331. P. 9.

  • Production

    "WESTRALIAN PROCEEDING WITH NEW SYNTHETIC PLANT."

  • Workings

    *CONVERSATION WITH AERT DRIESSEN, BUREAU OF RESOURCE SCIENCE

  • Workings

    12/13/92.

  • Deposit

    * WELCH, B.K., J. SOFOULIS, A.C.F. FITZGERALD. MINERAL

  • Deposit

    SAND DEPOSITS OF THE CAPEL AREA, W.A. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIA AND PAPUA, NEW GUINEA; 1, METAL. AUSTRALASIAN

  • Deposit

    INSTITUTE OF MINING AND METALLURGY, MONOGRAPH SERIES 5.

  • Deposit

    * BAXTER, JOHN L. GEOLOGY OF MINERALS SANDS DEPOSITS IN

  • Deposit

    WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

  • Deposit

    * BAXTER, JOHN L. MINERAL SANDS. MINING IN WESTERN

  • Deposit

    AUSTRALIA. UNIVERSITY OF AUSTRALIA PRESS, 1979.

  • Deposit

    * B.S. BENNEY AND COMPANY. THE HEAVY MINERAL SANDS

  • Deposit

    INDUSTRY OF AUSTRALIA. JUNE 1976.

  • Deposit

    * JOBSON'S MINING YEARBOOK FOR 1981. WESTRALIAN SANDS LTD.

  • Deposit

    P. 411.

  • Deposit

    * WESTRALIAN SANDS LIMITED. MINERAL SANDS MINING IN

  • Deposit

    * WESTRALIAN SANDS LIMITED. 25 YEARS OF PROGRESS IN

  • Deposit

    MINERAL SANDS PRODUCTION.

  • Deposit

    * WESTRALIAN SANDS LIMITED. 1980 ANNUAL REPORT.

  • Deposit

    * REGISTER OF AUSTRALIAN MINING - 1981. YOGANUP EXTENDED.

  • Deposit

    P. 112.

  • Deposit

    * MACPHERSON, M.H. MINERAL SAND MINING AND WET PLANT OF

  • Deposit

    WESTRALIAN SANDS LIMITED, YOGANUP EXTENDED, W.A. MINING AND

  • Deposit

    METALLURGICAL PRACTICES IN AUSTRALASIA, THE SIR MAURICE

  • Deposit

    MAWBY MEMORIAL VOLUMES, MONOGRAPH SERIES NO. 10, 1980.

  • Deposit

    * GREENHILL, G.W. DRY MINERAL SAND SEPARATION PLANT OF

  • Deposit

    WESTRALIAN SANDS LIMITED, CAPEL, W.A. MINING AND

  • Deposit

    * THE AUSTRALIAN. CRA IN MOVE TO PROCESS W.A. TITANIUM.

  • Deposit

    * INDUSTRIAL MINERALS. WESTRALIAN SANDS. NOVEMBER 1975,

  • Deposit

    P. 46.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit IN 1994, ISK MINERALS PTY LTD. WAS RE-EVALUATING THE DARDANUP DEPOSIT. THE DEPOSIT CONTAINS ESTIMATED RESOURCES OF 70.1 MILLION TONNES OF ORE GRADING 5.7% HEAVY MINERALS. THE ILMENITE IS AMENABLE TO UPGRADING TO SYNTHETIC RUTILE. IN 1992, A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVAL WAS OBTAINED BUT DEVELOPMENT WAS SHELVED DUE TO A WEAK MARKET.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 20-JUN-96 Fantel, Richard J. / Kaiser, Robin C. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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

Maps centered on this site