Port Pirie

Plant in South Australia, Australia with commodities Cadmium, Copper, Gold, Lead, Refiner, Silver, Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid, Zinc, Refiner
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Nearby scientific data
  7. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  8. Ownership information
  9. Production statistics
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. General comments
  13. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10304740
MAS/MILS ID 6020401027
Record type Site
Current site name Port Pirie
Alternate or previous names Bhas Lead Smelter

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: 138.01548, -33.17945 (WGS84)

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
Cadmium Secondary
Copper Secondary
Gold Secondary
Lead, Refiner Primary
Silver Secondary
Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Secondary
Zinc, Refiner Critical Secondary

Nearby scientific data

(1) 138.01548, -33.17945

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Processing Plant
Development status Plant
Commodity type Both
Significant No
Plant type Smelter
Plant subcategory Smelter-Pyrometallurgy

Ownership information

  • Type Owner-Operator
    Owner The Broken Hill Associated Smelters Pty. Ltd.
    Interest 100
    Home office Australia

Production statistics

  • Year 1981
    Description Refined Lead 204670 Mt Refined Lead/Yr
    Refined Zinc 39000 Mt Refined Zinc/Yr
    Silver 221 Mt Silver/Yr
    Sulfuric Acid 80000 Mt Sulfuric Acid/Yr
    Cd Sponge 42000 Mt Cd Sponge/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Cadmium Cadmium 42000mt
    Major Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Sulfur 80000mt
    Minor Silver Silver 221mt
    Minor Zinc, Refiner Zinc 39000mt
    Major Lead, Refiner Lead 204670mt
  • Year 1982
    Description Refined Lead 238900 Mt Refined Lead/Yr
    Refined Zinc 38900 Mt Refined Zinc/Yr
    Silver 244 Mt Silver/Yr
    Sulfuric Acid 73600 Mt Sulfuric Acid/Yr
    Cd Sponge 52000 Mt Cd Sponge/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Cadmium Cadmium 52000mt
    Minor Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Sulfur 73600mt
    Minor Silver Silver 244mt
    Minor Zinc, Refiner Zinc 38900mt
    Major Lead, Refiner Lead 238900mt
  • Year 1983
    Description Refined Lead 211200 Mt Refined Lead/Yr
    Refined Zinc 47000 Mt Refined Zinc/Yr
    Silver 221 Mt Silver/Yr
    Sulfuric Acid 80000 Mt Sulfuric Acid/Yr
    Cd Sponge 42000 Mt Cd Sponge/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Cadmium Cadmium 42000mt
    Minor Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Sulfur 80000mt
    Minor Silver Silver 221mt
    Minor Zinc, Refiner Zinc 47000mt
    Major Lead, Refiner Lead 211200mt
  • Year 1984
    Description Refined Lead 204670 Mt Refined Lead/Yr
    Refined Zinc 36800 Mt Refined Zinc/Yr
    Silver 219 Mt Silver/Yr
    Sulfuric Acid 75000 Mt Sulfuric Acid/Yr
    Cd Sponge 36000 Mt Cd Sponge/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Cadmium Cadmium 36000mt
    Minor Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Sulfur 75000mt
    Minor Silver Silver 219mt
    Minor Zinc, Refiner Zinc 36800mt
    Major Lead, Refiner Lead 204670mt
  • Year 1985
    Description Refined Lead 200100 Mt Refined Lead/Yr
    Refined Zinc 37600 Mt Refined Zinc/Yr
    Silver 231 Mt Silver/Yr
    Sulfuric Acid 80100 Mt Sulfuric Acid/Yr
    Cd Sponge 37000 Mt Cd Sponge/Yr
    Copper Matte 1300 Mt Cu Matte/Yr
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Minor Copper Copper 1300mt
    Minor Cadmium Cadmium 37000mt
    Minor Sulfur, Sulfuric Acid Sulfur 80100mt
    Minor Silver Silver 231mt
    Minor Zinc, Refiner Zinc 37600mt
    Major Lead, Refiner Lead 200100mt

Comments on the production information

  • ESTIMATED ZINC SMELTER COST FOR 1974-75 NCOST IN DOLLARS/TON ZINC) LABOR 50.40 MATERIALS 124.42 UTILITIES 40.48 GAS & COKE 0.00 TOTAL DIRECT 215.30 DIRECT & OVERHEAD 311.11 DEPRECIATION 27.14 INTEREST 17.09 RETURN ON EQUITY 17.01 TAXES 11.94 TOTAL COSTS 384.29 CASH COSTS 328.20 AU OUTPUT P6=.00005 MT/YR AG PC OUTPUT = .6329 MT AG/DAY CU PG OUTPUT = 3.56 MT AG/DAY COPPER MATTE
  • AU PROD= .3 MT/YR GOLD 1981-84/.2-1985

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    "PASMINCO TO CUT STAFF AT BHAS LEAD SMELTER", METAL

  • Deposit

    BULLETIN, APRIL 22, 1993, P. 5.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit BECAUSE OF LOWER METAL PRICES, THE LEAD SMELTER CUT ITS WORKFORCE BY ABOUT 14% TO CUT COSTS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-AUG-1994 Difrancesco, Carl A. U.S. Bureau of Mines

Beyond USGS

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