Jacinth-Ambrosia Heavy Mineral Sands Mine: Discovery to Production
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313368300 Jacinth-Ambrosia heavy mineral sands mine: discovery to production Article · March 2010 CITATION READS 1 601 2 authors, including: John L Keeling Geological Survey of South Australia 198 PUBLICATIONS 1,100 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Sedimentary Uranium View project Asbestos and mineral fibres View project All content following this page was uploaded by John L Keeling on 04 November 2018. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Jacinth-Ambrosia HM mine Jacinth-Ambrosia heavy mineral sands mine: discovery to production Laura Otrakdjian1 and John L Keeling2 1 Iluka Resources Limited 2 Geological Survey Branch, PIRSA Secondary? P Introduction Primary? aP Palaeovalley la lea eo Palaeovalley od Iluka Resources Limited’s Jacinth- d rra ai in a Ambrosia heavy mineral (HM) Hurricane g Cyclone ee Secondary? d sands mine is located on the margin di Interpret vi r ed iv Inte pret d ed B Tertiary clastic i of the Eucla Basin in the state’s Ba ar ed rt to deposits e on n ( (L. L. Far West, ~200 km NW of Ceduna Eo Eo reted Ooldea ce c terp (M. Eo n en (Fig. 1). Production commenced on In gshore cene e) e Lon drift ) Ba B ) rrie ar B r ri ar 17 November 2009, a mere five years er ri Bunda Plateau Willy Willy er after discovery of the mineral sands Barton West deposits in November and December Immarna Minor? Interpreted strandlines 2004. The Premier, Hon Mike Rann A A Primary? S W MP, officially opened the mine on Kalgoorlie AMBROSIA EUCLA BASIN Eucla 9 February 2010. JACINTH The project has the capacity to Typhoon Interpreted major faults Tripitaka supply ~25% of the global zircon Late Eocene (36–34 Ma) coastline 0 100 kilometres Mojave demand, and will cement Iluka’s Primary? Neogene (15–5 Ma) coastlines Middle Eocene (39 Ma) Dromedary coastline Heavy mineral deposits/prospects position as the largest global supplier Gullivers of zircon — which is used in ceramic, Potential source of heavy minerals foundry, refractory and chemical 203949_048 applications, with China now the major Figure 1 Locality map of HM sands global consumer. occurrences in the Eucla Basin in South Australia superimposed on SRTM (Shuttle From discovery to commissioning NT Radar Topography Mission) imagery. Also in five years represents a great QLD shown are interpreted Middle Eocene, achievement. This ‘best in class’ result WA SA Late Eocene and Miocene shorelines and Eucla palaeovalleys, and potential source regions Basin is the culmination of a successful NSW of heavy minerals. (After Hou et al. 2008.) collaboration between Iluka Resources ENLARGEMENT ADELAIDE ACT and the South Australian Government VIC to make Jacinth-Ambrosia the fastest TAS established mining venture in the state. The project was delivered ahead margin (Benbow 1990) stimulated decouple zircon from titanium mineral of schedule and within budget, and resource companies to explore the production, of particular significance was completed without a lost time region for HM. Reconnaissance at a time when zircon prices are injury and in full compliance with its drilling during the late 1980s to early increasing, while titanium pigment environmental obligations. Final capital 1990s produced limited successes, prices remain low. Iluka has made expenditure for the project was $390m, locating thin HM zones, with low rutile further HM discoveries that are yet to compared with an approved budget of content, beneath thick overburden. be fully evaluated (Table 1; Fig. 1). $420m. Iluka was attracted to the area by Jacinth and Ambrosia were named by Support from the local community intercepts recording zircon dominant the exploration teams who discovered was also a key factor that enabled over titanium minerals and new them. Jacinth is after the striking such successful delivery. Iluka’s models for HM accumulation based on yellow gemstone variety of zircon; collaboration with the community from reinterpretation of the dune stratigraphy zircon forms ~50% of the deposit’s ore an early stage has established a strong (Hou et al. 2003). Within three weeks assemblage. Ambrosia is named after partnership in the long term. of drilling commencement, the Iluka Australian racing car driver Marcos exploration team had discovered Jacinth Ambrose as an ironic reminder of and Ambrosia. Tripitaka followed in the slow journey out to the drill site Discovery November 2005. The deposits represent from the camp each day. Because of The recognition that Ooldea and Barton a source of high-grade, world-class HM the condition of the track, it took the sand ranges were remnants of coastal with zircon dominant over titanium. exploration team almost an hour to deposits formed along the Eucla Basin They provide the opportunity to travel the short 5 km to the drill site. MESA Journal 56 March 2010 5 New mine Table 1 Iluka’s’ exploration and development activity in the Eucla Basin, 2004–10 Date Activity Nov. 2004 Jacinth high-grade zircon mineral sands discovered in the Ooldea Barrier complex. Dec. 2004 Ambrosia mineral sands discovered, 3 km north of Jacinth. Early 2005 Prefeasibility study for a mineral sands mining operation in the Eucla Basin commenced. Nov. 2005 Tripitaka mineral sands discovered on the boundary of Iluka’s Exploration Licences 2232 and 3316 (operated under the Colona JV with Adelaide Resources NL). Apr. 2006 Gullivers mineral sands discovered, 60 km east of Ceduna. June 2007 Definitive feasibility study for Jacinth-Ambrosia commenced. July 2007 Typhoon mineral sands discovered, 5.5 km SE of Jacinth-Ambrosia. Dec. 2007 Dromedary mineral sands discovered, 45 km NE of Ceduna — a PACE-funded project. May 2008 Jacinth-Ambrosia development approved by the Iluka Board with project capital expenditure to $420m. July 2008 Mineral lease and two miscellaneous purpose leases granted for the Jacinth-Ambrosia development. Oct 2008 Iluka acquired Adelaide Resources’ interest in tenements held under the Colona JV. Nov. 2008 Mojave mineral sands discovered — Iluka’s first success in the Barton Barrier system, 100 km north of Penong. Nov. 2008 Construction phase of the mining and rehabilitation program (MARP) for Jacinth-Ambrosia approved. May 2009 Operation phase of MARP approved. Nov. 2009 Production of HM concentrate commenced from Jacinth — project ahead of time and within budget. Dec. 2009 First full shipment of HM concentrate dispatched from Port Thevenard to Iluka’s Narngulu mineral separation plant in Western Australia. Feb. 2010 Jacinth-Ambrosia Mine officially opened by Premier Mike Rann. Geological setting Deposit geology or aeolian backshore dunes (Ruperto The Eucla Basin in southern Australia Jacinth and Ambrosia formed on the et al. 2006). Concentration of HM in is one of the world’s largest onshore western, basinward side, of the Ooldea the swash zone increases from north to extents of Cenozoic marine sediments. barrier system with HM concentrated south. The top of the high-grade zone Early Cenozoic coastal deposits remain on a prograding beach complex that is an unconformity marked by patchy largely intact and can be traced along developed in a ‘J-shaped’ bay. A and generally weak silicification and a a 2000 km basin margin that extends prominent headland at the southern narrow zone of bioturbation in the form up to 380 km inland of the present day end of the bay is the result of sand of intensive burrowing. This is overlain coastline. This includes over 650 km accumulation on shallow crystalline by up to 20 m thickness of iron-stained of coastal dune complexes along the basement of Palaeoproterozoic quartz sand that contains 3–5% HM. northeastern basin margin that have metagranite, part of the Fowler Domain Average ore zone thickness is 20 m at been modified by aeolian processes of the western Gawler Craton. The 1.0% HM cutoff; overburden thickness to form the Ooldea and Barton sand Jacinth deposit is ~3.2 km long and averages 7 m. Contained in situ HM ranges. Sand deposited along this 0.9 km wide. The orebody has an content is estimated at 6.4 Mt (Table 2). coastline is the result of interaction overall N–S orientation and is slightly The Ambrosia deposit is 3 km to the between a dominant westerly wind, curved in plan view (Hou and Warland north of Jacinth and is ~2.2 km long by driving westerly longshore drift and 2005). 0.7 km wide. The orebody is elongate building coastal dunes, and sea level A high-grade core of >20% HM, NW–SE. Heavy mineral content is more change during Eocene to Miocene between 2 and 10 m thick, is present patchily distributed than for Jacinth times. Marine transgressions during at 5–10 m above the bedrock contact and overall grade is lower. High-grade the late Middle Eocene (39–36 Ma), and extends across the full width of zones of >10% HM are associated Late Eocene (36–34 Ma), and Neogene the deposit. This is interpreted as with beach swash zone aggradations, (15–2 Ma) reworked beach and aggradations of beach swash zone typically <3 m thick, with lower HM backshore dune deposits to concentrate deposits that extend basinward over grades present in overlying sands that HM in suitable trap sites (Hou et surf zone sands and are partly reworked include backshore dunes and backshore al. 2008; Hou and Keeling 2008). into overlying younger beach deposits wash-over sand facies. Ore zone Studies of the zircon age population in sediments indicate the dominant Table 2 Iluka’s Eucla Basin HM deposits with resource estimates (December 2008) source is from the Musgrave Province, Deposit Resource Mineralogy with minor contribution from the Quantity (Mt) HM grade (%) In situ HM (Mt) Zircon (%) Ilmenite* (%) Rutile (%) Albany–Fraser Orogen to the west Jacinth 124.3 5.2 6.4 47 30 5 (Reid and Hou 2006).