The Northern Territory s minerals boom: investment opportunities

Transcription

1 Japan-Australia Minerals Investment Seminar 2012 The Northern Territory s minerals boom: investment opportunities Ian Scrimgeour Director Northern Territory Geological Survey Tokyo 12 th November 2012

2 Northern Territory: a strong resources focus 13% of Australia with 1% of the population Port and bulk handling facility in Darwin on north coast - Australia s closest port to Japan Mining is the Territory s largest industry

3 Northern Territory: a strong resources focus North-south railway line terminating at port Vast, prospective underexplored area new discoveries being made Certainty in regulatory and political environment

4 Northern Territory: rich in mineral resources Proven endowment with 11 currently operating mines producing uranium, bauxite, manganese, gold, zircon, base metals, iron ore 24 projects at feasibility stage including copper, phosphate, rare earths, tungsten and vanadium projects

5 Northern Territory: rich in mineral resources Increase in the Northern Territory s identified mineral resources since January 2011 Copper - >350,000t Cu Gold >5 Moz Au Iron Ore 528 Mt of 40-45% Fe Including % Fe Phosphate 730 Mt of ore (at 10% cut-off) Uranium 34 Mlb U 3 O 8 Rare earths 490,000t REO

6 Northern Territory engagement with Japan Northern Territory has a dedicated strategy to assist Japanese companies identify investment opportunities in exploration and mining 30 resources projects in the Territory currently seeking Japanese investment across a range of commodities Recent $30B investment in NT by Inpex for LNG facility in Darwin

7 Australia s Rock Phosphate Resources GEORGINA BASIN

8 Phosphate Northern Territory Georgina Basin: World class sedimentary phosphorite province past and current production in Qld Wonarah (Minemakers Ltd) % P 2 O 5 including % P 2 O 5 Barrow Creek-1 (Rum Jungle Resources Ltd) % P 2 O 5 Arganara (NuPower Resources Ltd) % P 2 O 5

9 Phosphate Northern Territory Georgina Basin: World class sedimentary phosphorite province past and current production in Qld Wonarah (Minemakers Ltd) % P 2 O 5 including % P 2 O 5 Barrow Creek-1 (Rum Jungle Resources Ltd) % P 2 O 5 Arganara (NuPower Resources Ltd) % P 2 O 5

10 Potash and salt Northern Territory Potential for potash and rock salt in central Australia, close to railway Karinga potash (Rum Jungle Resources Ltd) 530,000t K 2 SO 4 (4.2 kg/m 3 brine) Potential for schoenite production from rechargeable brines Chandler salt (Tellus Holdings Ltd) Large underground rock salt mine under feasibility

11 Australian Rare Earth Element Resources Yangibana: % REO Cummins Range: % total REO, 11.0% P 2 O 5, 187ppm U 3 O 8, 41ppm Th Nolans: In feasibility Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Yttrium Also phosphate Mt Weld: Light rare earths & high in europium (heavy rare earth) Initial mining in % REO Dubbo (Toongi): Updated feasibility study late 2010 Zirconium, Hafnium, Niobium, Tantalum, Yttrium, Rare Earths % Zr0 2, 0.04%HfO 2, 0.46% Nb 2 O 5, 0.03% Ta 2 O 5, 0.14% Y 2 O 3, 0.75% REO, 0.014% U 3 O 8

12 Rare earths Nolans NOLANS Nolans Bore - Arafura Resources Ltd Apatite vein-hosted deposit % REO, 11% P 2 O 5, 0.02% U 3 O 8 High capex (~A$1.8B) but pre-feasibility suggests robust economics (NPV ~A$4.3B) Feasibility study well advanced investment decision expected 2013 Arafura are seeking a strategic partner for development of Nolans Arafura s separated REO products

13 Rare earths Stromberg Stromberg - TUC Resources Ltd Sandstone-hosted HREE (xenotime) deposit, ~0.5% TREO ~80% of contained TREO are heavy REE (mainly Y, Dy, Er) At surface, tabular bodies; soft xenotime-bearing clay Additional new discoveries, potential for new district of HREE deposits Maiden resource expected on basis of 2012 drilling STROMBERG

14 Rare earths Charley Creek Charley Creek - Crossland Uranium Mines Ltd Monazite and xenotime sand in alluvial fans Indicated resource ppm REO for 114,000t REO Inferred resource ppm REO for 121,000t REO Potential for substantial increase in resource Can be upgraded through low cost heavy mineral sand processing techniques 17 % of resource are HREE CHARLEY CREEK

15 Australia s Uranium Resources

16 Uranium Northern Territory Pine Creek Orogen East Alligator U field world-class unconformity-style province high-grade mineralisation includes world s second largest uranium uranium mine (Ranger) Opportunities for investment Alligator Energy Caramal: % U 3 O 8 Uranium Equities Ltd U40: 6.7% U 3 O 8, Cu Thundelarra Exploration Thunderball: 1.5% U 3 O 8

17 Uranium Northern Territory Ngalia Basin Sandstone-hosted deposits Thundelarra Exploration Ltd New discoveries of widespread uranium-rich palaeochannels. Potential for large-scale uranium uranium systems eg Afghan Swan: % U 3 O 8

18 Iron Ore Northern Territory McArthur Basin Large tonnage, near surface hematite in the Roper iron field Roper Bar (Western Desert Resources) % Fe including % Fe Hodgson Downs /Sherwin Creek (Sherwin Iron) % Fe, including % Fe Production scheduled for 2013

19 Copper and gold Northern Territory Numerous emerging copper and copper-gold projects Gecko mine corridor (Emmerson Resources Ltd) % Cu, 8.13 g/t Au Home of Bullion (Kidman Resources Ltd) 6.5%Cu, 53g/t Ag, 0.63% Pb, 2.75% Zn, 0.61 g/t Au Jervois (Kentor Gold Ltd) % Cu, 1.16 g/t Au, 51.3 g/t Ag

20 Australia s Manganese Resources

21 Ferro-alloys Northern Territory Vanadium and titanium: projects approaching development Opportunities for investment Mount Peake (TNG Ltd) % V 2 O 5, 5.0% TiO 2, 23% Fe Molyhil (Thor Mining PLC) % WO 3, 0.22% MoS 2, 18.1% Fe 2 O 3

22 Information on investing in the Northern Territory Northern Territory Investment Guide Overview of requirements for investment in the resource sector within the Northern Territory Northern Territory Investment Opportunities Information on Northern Territory exploration projects seeking investment Websites:

23 Australia s Northern Territory Expanding resources sector with Australia s closest port to Japan Numerous opportunities to invest in projects for a range of commodities, and from early-stage exploration to developing mines. Supportive government, world-class geoscience data available for free Certainty in regulatory and political environment Highly prospective and underexplored, new discoveries are being made

24 For more information Please contact us: Japanese website: Ian Scrimgeour Director Northern Territory Geological Survey Ph: ian.scrimgeour@nt.gov.au Fiona Park Director Resource Trade Development Ph: fiona.park@nt.gov.au