Location | |
---|---|
Location | Borroloola |
Territory | Northern Territory |
Country | Australia |
Coordinates | 16°25′34.81″S136°04′38.73″E / 16.4263361°S 136.0774250°E |
Production | |
Products | Lead-zinc-silver bulk concentrate Zinc concentrate |
Production | Zinc (t): 271,200 Lead (t): 55,300 Silver (oz): 1,675,000 |
Financial year | 2019 [1] [2] |
History | |
Opened | 1993 [3] |
Owner | |
Company | Glencore |
Website | http://www.glencore.com/ http://www.mcarthurrivermine.com.au/ |
The McArthur River mine is a zinc-lead mine, [4] situated about 70 kilometres southwest of Borroloola, near the Gulf of Carpentaria in the northeastern Northern Territory, Australia. It is operated by McArthur River Mining (MRM), a subsidiary of the Swiss mining company Glencore. Although discovered in the 1950s, when it was originally called the HYC or "Here's Your Chance" deposit, it only opened as a mine in 1995. Initially an underground mining operation, the mine has been converted to open-cut.
The McArthur River zinc mine is based on one of the world's largest zinc, lead and silver deposits. Tom Lynott, the manager of McArthur River station is attributed with identifying the valuable metals in the area as early as 1887. Small mining ventures were attempted and failed due to the cost of transport. The deposit was proven in 1955 by a survey party from Mount Isa Mines (MIM) and named 'HYC' or 'Here's Your Chance'. The name came out of a conversation between chief geologist Syd Carter and fellow geologist Ron Beresford who were reviewing the progress of the survey party in 1956. Bemoaning that Beresford was naming all the prospects, Carter asked him what the specific area of the zinc deposit was going to be named. Bereford replied "here's your chance Syd" to which Carter replied, "that will do." [5]
Drilling continued during the 1960s. By 1977 the first feasibility studies commenced and a pilot operation and temporary work camp were established. Costs prohibited further development at the time, but by 1989 MIM Holdings were issued the necessary leases to bring the mine into operation. In 1992 it joined forces with Japanese consortium ANT Minerals to develop the mine, forming McArthur River Mining Pty Ltd to operate on their behalf. [6] In November 1993, the McArthur River Project Agreement Ratification Act was passed by the Northern Territory Government and the mine was operational by 1995. [7]
By 2001, most of the accessible underground ore was extracted and MIM reported a $900,000 loss. [5] It began looking at the feasibility of turning the mine into an open-cut operation. Terms of Reference for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) were released in 2003. MIM was acquired by Xstrata in the same year, wholly owning the mine by September 2005. [6]
Plans to expand the mine were announced in 2005. As the main ore body lies directly beneath the river, the expansion required the diversion of 5.5 km of the McArthur River. [8] The mine's expansion was quickly approved, with the support of Prime Minister John Howard. [9] The approval was later revoked by action taken by the Northern Land Council with the support of the traditional owners and the Environmental Defenders Office, through the Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. This decision was also overturned within days and the mine given the go-ahead once more by parliamentary vote. The traditional owners continued to protest, taking the matter to the Federal Court of Australia. They won the case, only to have this decision declared invalid. [10] The final decision was left to Peter Garrett, the Federal Environmental Minister at the time. Xstrata had threatened to sack all 170 staff unless Garrett made a quick decision. [9] On 22 January 2009 he approved the expansion, "subject to a further 10 days of evaluation by Indigenous groups and others", promising also to protect local species such as the sawfish and migratory birds. [11] Later in 2009, a report found that the mine's environmental impact was not being monitored. [12]
In 2012 mining giant Glencore bought the remaining 66% share in Xstrata, taking over the McArthur River Mine. [13] In 2013, the Northern Territory Government approved another $360 million expansion that would double its size and production, extending the life of the mine to 2038. [14] Following an environmental impact study, the expansion is expected to increase production to 5.5 million tonnes per year and increase the workforce to 735 by 2020. It will extend the mine's life until 2038 and is projected to contribute $8.4 billion to the Northern Territory economy and $9.3 billion nationally. [15]
The HYC deposit covers around and area of about two square kilometres and is 55 m in depth. [16] Approximately 2.5 million tonnes of ore containing 383 kt of zinc, 93 kt of lead and 110 t of silver are currently mined per year, supplying markets in Europe, Japan and China. [15] Bulk concentrate is refined to make zinc and lead metal and alloys. [16]
The HYC ore body consists of an extremely fine dissemination of the valuable mineral grains intermeshed with the gangue. The technology to efficiently produce a marketable concentrate from this type of ore was not available until long after the deposit was identified. After Mount Isa Mines successfully introduced the IsaMill, the fine grinding necessary for mineral liberation was available for McArthur River to be developed. This unusual mineralogy combined with the ore's relatively high lead levels makes the lead and zinc virtually inseparable prior to smelting, and there are very few smelters which can process concentrate which is high in lead. These issues led Mount Isa Mines (later Xstrata) to develop a new lead-zinc leaching process in partnership with Highlands Pacific, known as the Albion process. [17] The technology has now been applied to both gold and base metal projects also. [18]
Bulk concentrate is trucked 120 km from the mine to a loading facility in the Gulf of Carpentaria. [19] The concentrate is loaded onto a ship at the Bing Bong loading facility. From here the purpose-built barge called MV Aburri operates a shuttle service from the loading facility to a point fifteen nautical miles offshore where the concentrate is transferred on to overseas bulk carriers. [20] There have been several transportation incidents. [21]
Seepage from the Tailings Storage Facility at the mine have been detected in the nearby Surprise Creek. Monitoring in 2005, 2007 and 2010 shows that soluble sulfate, zinc and, potentially, lead and cadmium are seeping into Surprise Creek. Dust from operations at the run of mine pad and crushing plant is contaminating stream sediments in both Barney Creek and Surprise Creek, affecting macroinvertebrate species. An extreme risk of embankment failure, or "overtopping", of the spillway in the Tailings Storage Facility due to water volumes has also been identified, requiring immediate action. [22]
Local Indigenous people have also raised concerns about contamination of fish in the McArthur River. Testing by the Northern Territory Government and the mine's consultant found that small species, including rainbow fish and bony bream, have been contaminated with lead above maximum-permitted concentrations, making them unsafe for human consumption. [23] [24] In 2015, reports showed that Glencore and the Northern Territory Health Department did not act on a recommendation from the Chief Health Officer to warn people living near the mine to not eat fish from three locations. [25]
A small section of seagrass, which provides food for dugongs has also been destroyed by dredging at the Bing Bong Loading Facility. Potential for bioaccumulation of heavy metals in dugongs, a significant concern for Aboriginals from Borroloola who eat the meat, has been identified as a result from potential ore spillage at the facility. [26]
A waste dump at the mine has been burning since 2013. [27] Pyrite iron sulphide stacked in the dump overheated and ignited. The rock was misclassified in its Environmental Impact Statement as 12 per cent reactive potentially acid-forming rock and the rest non-acid-forming. [23] Workers were allegedly told to cover up details of the extent of the fire and now claim to be suffering from respiratory conditions as a result of breathing toxic smoke from the fire. [28]
After claiming the fire had been brought under control, photos of smoke coming from the mine emerged again in March 2015, sparking an investigation by the Environment Protection Authority. [29] Sightings of smoke again in July 2016, turned out to be dust from the dump, causing the immediate closure of the site and an investigation into why dust mitigation measures were not being complied with. [30]
Rehabilitation of the site is estimated to cost up to $1 billion. [31] In 2015, the Northern Territory Government threatened to close McArthur River Mine unless it improved its environmental practices and agreed to increase the size of the financial bond for the site's final remediation. [32] Local Indigenous people and environmental groups continue to call for the mine's immediate closure and rehabilitation of the site. [33] [34]
The mine closed temporarily in March 2024 after flooding due to record levels of rain, reaching 274 millimetres in just 24 hours due to Tropical Cyclone Megan. Traditional owners then raised concerns over resulting erosion to acidic waste rock piles, however Glencore stated that the "stability and integrity of the dump had not been impacted". [35]
Climate data for McArthur River Mine Airport, elevation 40 m (130 ft), (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 45.0 (113.0) | 45.3 (113.5) | 43.4 (110.1) | 40.2 (104.4) | 37.7 (99.9) | 35.7 (96.3) | 36.2 (97.2) | 38.4 (101.1) | 40.9 (105.6) | 43.7 (110.7) | 44.3 (111.7) | 46.0 (114.8) | 46.0 (114.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 35.8 (96.4) | 35.5 (95.9) | 35.6 (96.1) | 35.2 (95.4) | 32.6 (90.7) | 30.3 (86.5) | 30.8 (87.4) | 32.3 (90.1) | 36.0 (96.8) | 38.2 (100.8) | 38.9 (102.0) | 38.1 (100.6) | 34.9 (94.9) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 25.1 (77.2) | 24.9 (76.8) | 23.9 (75.0) | 21.0 (69.8) | 16.9 (62.4) | 13.4 (56.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 13.3 (55.9) | 17.7 (63.9) | 21.5 (70.7) | 24.2 (75.6) | 25.2 (77.4) | 20.0 (68.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 17.0 (62.6) | 13.8 (56.8) | 7.5 (45.5) | 3.2 (37.8) | 1.6 (34.9) | 1.0 (33.8) | 2.7 (36.9) | 6.0 (42.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 14.5 (58.1) | 16.5 (61.7) | 1.0 (33.8) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 257.4 (10.13) | 195.1 (7.68) | 147.4 (5.80) | 33.4 (1.31) | 3.2 (0.13) | 1.8 (0.07) | 0.2 (0.01) | 0.5 (0.02) | 1.8 (0.07) | 25.5 (1.00) | 62.5 (2.46) | 135.3 (5.33) | 864.1 (34.01) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.0 | 11.8 | 9.0 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 1.7 | 5.0 | 8.8 | 52.6 |
Source: Australian Bureau of Meteorology [36] |
Faro is a town in central Yukon, Canada, the home of the now abandoned Faro Mine. It was the largest open-pit lead–zinc mine in the world as well as a significant producer of silver and other natural resources. The mine was built by the Ralph M. Parsons Construction Company of the United States with General Enterprises Ltd. of Whitehorse being the main subcontractor. As of 2021, the population is 440, down from its peak population of 1,652 in 1981. Faro was named after the card game of the same name.
Mount Isa is a city in the Gulf Country region of Queensland, Australia. It came into existence because of the vast mineral deposits found in the area. Mount Isa Mines (MIM) is one of the most productive single mines in world history, based on combined production of lead, silver, copper and zinc.
Falconbridge Nickel Mines Limited was a Canadian mining company with operations in 18 countries, involved in the exploration, mining, processing, and marketing of metal and mineral products, including nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum. In 1982 the company was renamed Falconbridge Limited. It was listed on the TSX and NYSE (FAL), and had revenue of US$6.9 billion in 2005. In August 2006, it was absorbed by Swiss-based mining company Xstrata, which had formerly been a major shareholder. On 28 October 2007, Falconbridge Limited changed its name to the Xstrata Canada Corporation.
Rum Jungle or Unrungkoolpum is a locality in the Northern Territory of Australia located about 105 kilometres south of Darwin on the East Branch of the Finniss River and it shares a boundary with Litchfield National Park. It is 10 kilometres west of Batchelor.
Xstrata plc was an Anglo-Swiss multinational mining company headquartered in Zug, Switzerland and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It was a major producer of coal, copper, nickel, primary vanadium and zinc and the world's largest producer of ferrochrome. It had operations in 19 countries across Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America and South America.
Kidd Mine or Kidd Creek Mine is an underground base metal (copper-zinc-silver) mine 24 km (15 mi) north of Timmins, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by Swiss multinational Glencore Inc. The mine was discovered in 1963 by Texas Gulf Sulfur Company. In 1981, it was sold to Canada Development Corporation, then sold in 1986 to Falconbridge Ltd., which in 2006 was acquired by Xstrata, which in turn merged with Glencore in 2013. Ore from the Kidd Mine is processed into concentrate at the Kidd Metallurgical Site, located 27 km (17 mi) southeast of the mine, which until 2010 also smelted the ore and refined the metal produced. Following the closure of the majority of the Met Site, concentrate is now shipped to Quebec for processing. Kidd Mine is the world's deepest copper-zinc mine.
Glencore plc is a Swiss multinational commodity trading and mining company with headquarters in Baar, Switzerland. Glencore's oil and gas head office is in London and its registered office is in Saint Helier, Jersey. The current company was created through a merger of Glencore with Xstrata on 2 May 2013. As of 2015, it ranked tenth in the Fortune Global 500 list of the world's largest companies. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Glencore International was ranked as the 484th-largest public company in the world. As of July 2022, it was the world's largest commodity trader. In 2023, the company was ranked 59th in the Forbes Global 2000.
The McArthur Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in northern Australia, with an exposed area of about 180,000 km2. Most of it lies within the northeastern Northern Territory, but extends over the border into the state of Queensland. The basin contains thick marine and non-marine sedimentary rocks which were deposited from the late Paleoproterozoic to the early Mesoproterozoic. The basin also contains some volcanic rocks and related intrusive igneous rocks. The McArthur Basin hosts the world-class McArthur River mine (HYC) zinc-lead-silver deposit and several smaller mineral and diamond deposits.
Mount Isa Mines Limited ("MIM") operates the Mount Isa copper, lead, zinc and silver mines near Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia as part of the Glencore group of companies. For a brief period in 1980, MIM was Australia's largest company. It has pioneered several significant mining industry innovations, including the Isa Process copper refining technology, the Isasmelt smelting technology, and the IsaMill fine grinding technology, and it also commercialized the Jameson Cell column flotation technology.
The McArthur River is a river in the Northern Territory of Australia which flows into the Gulf of Carpentaria at Port McArthur, opposite the Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands. The river was named by Ludwig Leichhardt while he explored the area in 1845. He named the River after James MacArthur and the MacArthur family of Camden, who were enthusiastic supporters of his expedition. The McArthur River has significance for the local Aboriginal communities, who use it for fishing and other traditional activities.
Sphinx Resources Ltd. is a Canadian company focused on exploration of precious and base metals within mining rights in Quebec. It is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The company was formerly named Donner Metals Ltd., headquarters are in Vancouver, and active in other provinces, but changed names in 2014 and moved its headquarters to Montreal, Quebec. As Donner, its principal project was a 35-65 joint venture with Glencore Xstrata in Matagami, Quebec.
The IsaMill is an energy-efficient mineral industry grinding mill that was jointly developed in the 1990s by Mount Isa Mines Limited and Netzsch Feinmahltechnik ("Netzsch"), a German manufacturer of bead mills. The IsaMill is primarily known for its ultrafine grinding applications in the mining industry, but is also being used as a more efficient means of coarse grinding. By the end of 2008, over 70% of the IsaMill's installed capacity was for conventional regrinding or mainstream grinding applications, with target product sizes ranging from 25 to 60 μm.
The Frieda River Project is a large open cast mine and associated infrastructure in the Sandaun and East Sepik Provinces of Papua New Guinea. The mine is located along a tributary of the Sepik River. The deposit is a large copper-gold porphyry deposit. The project includes a hydroelectric scheme to provide electricity. and service by the Frieda River Airport. In 2010, the mine had estimated reserves of 14.3 million oz of gold.
Limmen National Park, announced in 2012, is the third largest national park in the Northern Territory, after Judbarra / Gregory National Park, with an area of approximately 9,369 square kilometres (3,617 sq mi). Located about 600 km south-east of Darwin on the Gulf of Carpentaria, the park incorporates wetlands, sandstone structures and numerous rivers, including the Limmen Bight River from which the park takes its name.
Zinc mining is the process by which mineral forms of the metal zinc are extracted from the earth through mining. A zinc mine is a mine that produces zinc minerals in ore as its primary product. Common co-products in zinc ores include minerals of lead and silver. Other mines may produce zinc minerals as a by-product of the production of ores containing more valuable minerals or metals, such as gold, silver or copper. Mined ore is processed, usually on site, to produce one or more metal-rich concentrates, then transported to a zinc smelter for production of zinc metal.
The George Fisher Mine is a mine located near Mount Isa in Queensland, Australia. It is one of the largest zinc, lead and silver mines in the world. The mine is located 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Mount Isa in North West Queensland. It mine has estimated reserves of 150.4 million ounces of silver. It was named after George Fisher, the former chairman of Mount Misa Mines.
Las Bambas copper mine is an open-pit copper mine in the Cotabambas province of Peru. With over a billion tons of copper ore, the deposit is one of the largest in the world and produces 2% of global copper. Las Bambas also produces molybdenum concentrates. Development began on the mine in August 2015 and production began in early 2016.
Chanston James "Chansey" Paech is an Australian politician. He is a Labor Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Namatjira until 2020 and Gwoja thereafter. He is of Arrente, Arabana and Gurindji descent.
Jack Green is an Garrwa artist and environment activist from the Northern Territory of Australia. He uses his art to campaign for land rights and the protection of his traditional Country and region, particularly against the adverse impacts of mining.