sign in sign up
<<
Home , Scandium

and scandium Opportunities in New South Wales, Australia Co & Sc

JULY 2017

QUEENSLAND LISMORE Ballina

Tibooburra Lightning Ridge Moree Thomson Yamba Inverell Grafton A I L A R T S U A H T U O S Orogen Bourke Walgett

Curnamona Narrabri COFFS HARBOUR Craton Delamerian Orogen Armidale New England Coonamble Gunnedah Orogen Kempsey Summervale TAMWORTH Cobar Hurlls Hill Nyngan PORT MACQUARIE Nyngan Scandium Pacific Highway Broken Hill Project Taree Adelaide To Muswellbrook Thackaringa DUBBO Mudgee Syerston Owendale Lachlan Syerston Flemington Orogen NEWCASTLE Parkes ORANGE BATHURST Murray Basin Cowra Thuddungra SYDNEY REFERENCE

Wentworth West Arm Cobalt Scandium Cobalt-Scandium Thuddungra Occurrence Griffith East Arm WOLLONGONG Small Balranald Goulburn Medium WAGGA Bungonia NOWRA WAGGA Large Owendale Deposit CANBERRA Deniliquin A.C.T. Ultramafic rocks/ Batemans Bay serpentinites N Export port ALBURY Cooma Narooma Railway VICTORIA 200 km Major road, sealed Bega Major road, unsealed

Eden Gas pipeline

Overview Scandium

• Cobalt demand is increasing for -ion batteries for Lightweight scandium super alloys are used for aerospace and new electric vehicles, various other rechargeable devices, and high-tech applications, given their excellent strength and corrosion for super alloys. resistant properties. • New South Wales (NSW) has excellent investment Recent global consumption is 10–15 tonnes per year, mainly from opportunities for cobalt and scandium, which are critical recycling of military airframes and as a by-product of processing specialty with high supply risk. residual ore stockpiles and tailings (source — USGS). • NSW hosts the world’s largest scandium-only resource. Geological setting Cobalt and scandium are key ‘tech metals’ that can add value to nickel and base- projects. Cobalt occurs naturally as the arsenide Co(As2), known as smaltite or speiss cobalt; as cobalt sulfarsenide CoAsS, known as cobaltite or Cobalt cobalt glance; glaucodot (Co,Fe)AsS; and as hydrated arsenate (Co(AsO4)2.8H2O), known as erythrite or cobalt bloom. Cobalt is a hard and lustrous metal and is mainly recovered as a by-product of smelting copper, zinc and nickel. About 36,000 tonnes or 29% of world cobalt production in 2015 was for batteries.

www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au Project highlights Contained Contained Deposit name Current resources and reserves cobalt (t) scandium (t) Hurlls Hill Prospect (inferred) 10.8 Mt @ 0.66% Ni, 0.010% Co & 41ppm Sc 1080 443 Nyngan scandium project (measured & indicated) 16.9 Mt @ 235 ppm Sc (100 ppm cutoff) – 3972 Owendale (measured, indicated & inferred) 25.9 Mt @ 381 ppm Sc, 0.34 g/t Pt, 0.12% Ni, 0.06% Co, 42 ppb Pd, 51% FeO & 1.1% MgO 15 540 9868 Summervale (inferred) 16 Mt @ 0.06% Co 9600 – Syerston (measured, indicated & inferred) 25.4 Mt @ 414 ppm Sc (300 ppm cutoff) 1.2 Mt @ 666 ppm Sc (600 ppm cutoff) – 10 516 Syerston Flemington (measured, indicated & inferred) 3.143 Mt @ 434 ppm Sc – 1363 Thackaringa (Big Hill, Pyrite Hill & Railway) total global resource (indicated & inferred) 54.9 Mt @ 910 ppm Co (500 ppm cutoff) 49 959 – Thuddungra East Arm (inferred) 34.6 Mt @ 0.77% Ni & 0.08% Co 27 680 – Thuddungra West Arm (inferred) 20.5 Mt @ 0.81% Ni & 0.07% Co 14 350 –

World resources World cobalt production (2016)

Cobalt occurs in sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposits in Congo (Kinshasa) and Zambia. Cobalt and scandium commonly Other 7% USA 1% occur in lateritic deposits, mainly developed over orthomagmatic Zambia 4% Australia 4% sulfide deposits and ultramafic and mafic rocks in Australia, Canada, South Africa 2% Canada 6% , and the . In laterite, they are adsorbed into clay 4+ 6% — e.g. Ni-Co asbolite (Ni,Co)2-xMn (O,OH)4.nH2O. Russia 5%

Cobalt is extracted by several processes including flotation, 3% reduction, roasting, with electro-winning being the final stage. New Caledonia 3% Democratic Madagascar 3% Republic NSW occurrences Cuba 3% of Congo 53%

Cobalt has been produced as a by-product of smelting of base-metal ore at Broken Hill, manganiferous grits near Bungonia and has been produced from laterites near Carcoar and Port Macquarie. Extensive Source: http://minerals.usgs.gov/ deep weathering during the ‘Tertiary’ (Paleogene–Neogene) formed numerous laterite-hosted deposits. Cobalt uses (2016) Exploration opportunities 45% Many prospective areas in NSW await systematic exploration for Superalloys (mainly jet turbines) cobalt and scandium. They include: 8% • nickel–cobalt laterites developed over the Owendale–Syerston, Cemented – hardened Tout and Alaskan-type Fifield igneous complexes in the central Lachlan Orogen • deeply weathered serpentinites such as the Great Serpentinite 16% Belt (e.g. Port Macquarie deposits), the Coolac Serpentinite Belt Other metal applications and Jindalee (Thuddungra) • ultramafic rock sequences under shallow cover 31% • residual manganese–cobalt rich ‘grits’ of Tertiary age near Chemical applications Bungonia, 160 km southwest of Sydney. Source: http://minerals.usgs.gov/ Tertiary laterite development Further information

Surface The Advanced Projects & Exploration Highlights in NSW Hematitic (pisolitic) clay Map summarises recent exploration activities and ore reserve/ Scandium-rich resource announcements. This map is updated every six months Limonitic clay Cobalt-rich and is available at www.resourcesandenergy.nsw.gov.au Saprolite (smectitic clay) Nickel-rich

10 – 100 m Weathered serpentinite Fresh serpentinite

Contact: [email protected] | +61 2 4931 6689

Disclaimer: The information contained in this publication is based on knowledge and understanding at time of writing (July 2017), using publicly available information. Because of advances in knowledge, users are reminded of the need to ensure that information upon which they rely is up to date. The information contained in this publication may not be or may no longer be aligned with government policy nor does the publication indicate or imply government policy. No warranty about the accuracy, currency or completeness of any information contained in this document is inferred (including, without limitation, any information in the document provided by third parties). While all reasonable care has been taken in the compilation, to the extent permitted by law, the State of New South Wales (including the NSW Department of Planning and Environment) exclude all liability for the accuracy or completeness of the information, or for any injury, loss, or damage whatsoever (including without limitation liability for negligence and consequential losses) suffered by any person acting, or purporting to act, in reliance upon anything contained herein. Users should rely upon their own advice, skills, interpretation and experience in applying information contained in this publication. The product trade names in this publication are supplied on the understanding that no preference between equivalent products is intended and that the inclusion of a product name does not imply endorsement by the Department over any equivalent product.