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Updated:  18 December 2008

Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2007

Table 1 Australia's resources of major minerals and world figures as at 31 December 2006

 

Commodity Units AUSTRALIA WORLD
Demonstrated
Resources		 Inferred
Resources
(a)		 Accessible
EDR
(b)		 JORC
Reserves
(c)
(% of AEDR)		 Mine
Production
2006
(d)		 Economic
Demonstrated
Resources
(e)		 Mine
production
2006
(f)
Economic
(EDR)		 Subeconomic
Para-
marginal		 Sub-
marginal
Antimony kt Sb 93 31 53 52 93 58 (62%) - 1 800 117
Asbestos  
Chrysotile ore kt - 46.2 - 75 - - - large 2.3(g)
Crocidolite fibre kt - 0.4 - 2 - - - large  
Bauxite Gt 5.7 0.7 1.4 1.1 5.4 1.8 (33%) 0.062 25 0.169(e)
Black coal  
in situ Gt 57.3 3.7 10.7 94.2  
recoverable Gt 39.6 2 7.2 58.9 39.5 12.1(h) (31%) 0.404(i) 734(j) 5.1(j)(k)
Brown coal  
in situ Gt 41.5 43.4 18.1 112  
recoverable Gt 37.3 39 16.3 100.8 29.8 4.9(h) (16%) 0.067(j) 155(j) 0.85(j)
Cadmium kt Cd 62.9 9.6 18.6 1 62.9 53 (84%) 0.46 583 18
Cobalt kt Co 1 399 239 104 1 523 1 399 469 (34%) 5.02 7 000 57
Copper Mt Cu 42.4 6.4 1.1 34.8 42.4 18.1 (43%) 0.875 498 15.3
Diamond  
gem & near gem Mc 109.9 96.8 0.2 12.9 109.9 108.4 (99%) 14.4 - 101
industrial Mc 114.3 100.7 0.3 13.4 114.3 112.8 (99%) 14.9 600 75
Fluorine Mt F - 0.2 23.7 21.3 - - - 112(l) 2.4
Gold t Au 5 480 1 265 128 4 499 5 420 3 329 (61%) 246 42 480 2 500
Iron ore Gt 18.6 0.2 1.8 17.9 18.5 7.8 (42%) 0.275 163 1.7
Lead Mt Pb 23.5 7.9 2.6 19.6 23.5 10.6 (45%) 0.668 75 3.36
Lithium kt Li 170 54 26 7 170 145 (85%) (m) 4 100 21.3(n)
Magnesite Mt MgCO3 344 22 35 931 344 37.5 (11%) 0.447 7 630 14.05(n)
Manganese ore Mt 139 23 167 160 139 112 (80%) 4.6 1 200 31
Mineral sands  
Ilmenite Mt 218.5 48.8 0.1 126 182 41.3 (23%) 2.4 1 124 9.47
Rutile Mt 21.7 13.7 0.14 28 16 4.19 (26%) 0.232 55 0.51(n)
Zircon Mt 33.9 19.9 0.15 30 25.7 5.3 (21%) 0.49 78 0.93
Molybdenum kt Mo 0.4 282.5 3.7 441 0.4 0
(-)		 - 8600 179
Nickel Mt Ni 23.7 2.3 1.2 22.2 23.7 7 (29%) 0.185 63.8 1.5
Niobium kt Nb 194 129 0 389 194 21 (11%) (o) 4400 59.9
Phosphate rock Mt 85* 980* - 1 085* 85* 85* (100%) 2.145 18 000 145
PGM
(Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh)		 t metal 19.9 119 39.3 135 15.6 0.7 (4%) 0.72 71 000 445(p)
Rare earths
(REO & Y2O3)		 Mt 0.5 2 12.2 12 0.1 0
(-)		 - 89 0.1
Shale oil GL 4.6 202 3 719 41 425 4.6 4.6 (100%) 0 612 363(q) 0.668(r)
Silver kt Ag 45.6 19.8 7.7 34.1 45.6 26.4 (58%) 1.727 285 19.5
Tantalum kt Ta 52 32 0.2 69 52 40.3 (78%) 0.58(s) 55 1.14
Tin kt Sn 247 48 128 309 247 137
(56%)		 1.478 6 100 273
Thorium kt Th - 46.3(t) - 406 - -
-		 - - -
Tungsten kt W 72.1 10 27.5 48 72.1 68.1
(94%)		 0 2 900 73.3
Uranium kt U 714 12 0 518 562 342
(61%)		 7.584 2 643(u) 39.35(v)
Vanadium kt V 832 213 1 710 3 051 0 0
(-)		 0 13 000 62.4
Zinc Mt Zn 40.6 17.1 2.5 27.2 40.6 21.7 (54%) 1.362 228 10

Notes for Table 1

Abbreviations

t = tonne; m3 = cubic metre; L = litre; kt = 103t; Mc = 106 carat; Mt = 106t; Gt = 109t; GL = 109L.

Notes

  1. Total inferred resources in economic, sub-economic and undifferentiated categories.
  2. Accessible EDR (AEDR) is the portion of total EDR that is accessible for mining. AEDR does not include resources which are inaccessible for mining because of environmental restrictions, government policies or military lands.
  3. Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Proven and Probable Ore Reserves as stated in company annual reports and reports to Australian Stock Exchange.
  4. Sources: Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE).
  5. Sources: Geoscience Australia for Australian figures, USGS Mineral Commodities Summaries for other countries.
  6. World mine production for 2006, mostly USGS estimates.
  7. Includes chrysotile production.
  8. Black and brown coal reserves include both JORC reserves and Geoscience Australia estimated reserves for operating mines that do not publish JORC reserves.
  9. Raw coal.
  10. Geoscience Australia estimate.
  11. Saleable coal.
  12. Excludes Morocco and USA.
  13. 222 101 t of spodumene concentrate (Sons of Gwalia Ltd).
  14. Excludes USA.
  15. Not reported by mining companies.
  16. Latest production figure is 358 t for 2003 from USGS Mineral Commodities Summaries 2004.
  17. Source: WEC Survey of Energy Resources 2004.
  18. Latest production figures for end 2002 from WEC Survey of Energy Resources 2004.
  19. Tantalum production from company data.
  20. Paramarginal resources 29.2 kt from Nolan's Bore and 17.1 kt from Toongi, inferred resources include 24.1 kt from Nolan's Bore and 17.9 kt from Toongi.
  21. Source: OECD/NEA & IAEA (2006). Compiled from the most recent data for resources recoverable at
  22. Source: Ux Weekly, 26 March 2007.

Contact:

minerals@ga.gov.au

Updated: 18 12 2008