Mineral Resources of Western
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MINERAL RESOURCES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA DEPARTMENT OF MINES PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA 1980 Issued under the authority of the Hon. P. V. Jones, M.L.A. Minister for Mines 89686-1 Since the publication of the last issue of this booklet in 1966 a major expansion of mineral production in Western Australia has been achieved. Deposits of iron, nickel, natural gas, bauxite, heavy mineral sands, uranium and diamond are now being worked or are known to be commercial. Over the period 1966 to 1971, following the initial discovery of nickel sulphide at Kambalda, a speculative boom in base metal exploration developed that could only be likened to the gold rush days around the turn of the century. Although not all of the exploration activity in this period was well directed, many new discoveries were made as a result of the ready availability of risk capital. In the wake of the boom it is mainly the true prospectors that remain-the individual, to whom the still sparsely populated areas of the State hold an irresistible appeal and the chance of rich bonanza, and the established and dedicated mining companies for whom exploration is a necessary and vital part of the minerals industry. 1 am confident that the persistence of these prospectors will be rewarded with yet further discoveries of economic mineral deposits. Western Australia, with an area of over 2.5 million square kilometres, has a wide diversity of rocks representing all geological periods, and vast areas have been incompletely prospected. This booklet presents an up to date account of the minerals that are, or have been, economically exploited in Western Australia. The information has been drawn from many sources including the previous edition of this booklet (1966), exploration company brochures and annual reports, press cuttings and records at the Department of Mines. P. V. JONES, M.L.A., Minister for Mines. CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ............................................................................ 5 GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DISTRIBUTION ............................. 5 WATER SUPPLY ............................................................................ 10 MINING LAW ................................................................................. 11 DEPARTMENT OF MINES SERVICES ....................................... 16 METALS ALUMINIUM ........................................................................... 19 ANTIMONY. ARSENIC and BISMUTH ................................ 21 BERYLLIUM ............................................................................ 22 COPPER .................................................................................... 22 GOLD ........................................................................................ 24 IRON ......................................................................................... 21 LEAD ......................................................................................... 33 LITHIUM .................................................................................. 35 MANGANESE .......................................................................... 36 MOLYBDENUM ...................................................................... 31 NICKEL ..................................................................................... 38 RUBIDIUM and CAESIUM ..................................................... 43 SILVER ..................................................................................... 43 TANTALUM and NIOBIUM ................................................... 44 TIN ............................................................................................ 45 TUNGSTEN .............................................................................. 41 URANIUM and THORIUM .................................................... 48 VANADIUM ............................................................................. 49 YTTRIUM and RARE-EARTH ELEMENTS ......................... 50 ZINC .......................................................................................... 50 Page NON-METALS and INDUSTRIAL MINERALS ABRASIVES.............................................................................. 53 AGGREGATE and DIMENSION STONE .............................. 54 ASBESTOS ................................................................................ 56 CLAYS ...................................................................................... 58 COAL ......................................................................................... 62 DIATOMITE ............................................................................. 66 FERTILIZERS .......................................................................... 66 GEMSTONES ........................................................................... 67 GYPSUM ................................................................................... 71 HEAVY MINERAL SANDS.................................................... 72 LIMESTONE and LIMESANDS .............................................. 74 MICA ......................................................................................... 76 PETROLEUM ........................................................................... 76 PIGMENTS and FILLERS ....................................................... 78 REFRACTORIES ..................................................................... 81 SALT ......................................................................................... 83 SILICA SANDS ........................................................................ 85 SULPHUR ................................................................................. 88 INDEX .............................................................................................. 90 Western Australia, with an area of Recent years have seen increased 2 527 635 square kilometres, is one third of development of secondary industry in the Australian continent. It is the most Western Australia and this trend is certain sparsely populated of all the states and at to continue in the future. At present, June, 1978 had a population of 1222 300 however, the economy of the State is still persons, over half of whom lived in the predominantly dependent on primary Perth metropolitan area. The largest production with mining, agricultural and country towns are Kalgoorlie (20 800), pastoral activities of major importance. Bunbury (20 830), Geraldton (19 240) and Gold mining initially occupied a pre- Albany (19 120). eminent position in the Western Australian Most of the rural population is in the mineral industry and still accounts for a significant part of the total recorded value southwestern corner of the State, an arable of mineral production. In recent years, and generally fertile region which receives however, its relative importance has an annual rainfall of between 350 mm and declined as new mineral fields have been 1 300mm. Primary production from this developed. region consists mainly of wheat, wool, meat, timber, fruit, dairy products and Such development has taken place with vegetables. iron ore, nickel, bauxite, oil and mineral sands. In the drier central areas of the State, Since 1950 the tempo of geological where the rainfall is generally less than 250 exploration has been greatly accelerated, mm per annum, much of the country is particularly in the fields of base metals and taken up in pastoral leases and most petroleum. mining areas are within this semi-arid zone. There are few areas of the earth which The Kimberley region in the north is also offer prospects comparable with those of mainly pastoral country. This is a hot Western Australia for the discovery of tropical zone with annual rainfall ranging major ore deposits. This book gives an from 1300 mm on the north coast to about outline of the range and diversity of the 250 mm in the southern area. State’s mineral resources. GEOLOGY AND MINERAL DISTRIBUTION In broad outline the geological structure These are the oldest rocks in the continent, of Western Australia is simple. their age having been indicated by Most of the central and southern part of radiometric methods, at between 2400 and the State is underlain by Precambrian rocks 3 500 million years. of both Archaean and Proterozoic age which The larger southern Archaean block, comprise the Western Shield. Upon this which is called the Yilgarn Block, includes there have been marginal transgressions of all the eastern and central goldfields and younger Palaeozoic and Mesozoic extends almost to the south coast. Its sediments. western termination is marked by the An extensive zone of Proterozoic rocks Darling Fault. forms the greater part of the Kimberley Division in the far north of the State. This The Yilgarn Block is flanked on the is separated from the central Precambrian eastern and southern sides by Proterozoic zone by the broad sedimentary Canning rocks which probably continued beneath the Basin. Eucla Basin to the east. The Western Shield, which covers an The smaller northern Archaean block, area of nearly 1300000 square kilometres, termed the Pilbara Block, is separated from includes two blocks of Archaean rocks. the Yilgarn Block by a deep geosynclinal 5 trough infilled with a great thickness of cycles in post-Precambrian time. Palaeozoic Proterozoic sediments and volcanics. In and later sediments are flat-lying, or, at past literature these Proterozoic rocks have the most, only very gently folded. The same often been referred to as the Nullagine applies to great areas of the Proterozoic