Niobium

Content maintained by Leesa Carson and Roy Towner

• Niobium
• Resources
• Exploration
• Production
• World Ranking
• Industry Developments

Niobium (Nb) and tantalum often are found together in the same ores, namely columbite and tantalite, as a result of their very similar chemical properties. Niobium is used with iron and other elements in stainless steel alloys. Niobium-titanium alloy wire is used in the medical sector for magnetic resonance imaging. Niobium alloys are strong and are often used in pipeline construction. The metal is used in superalloys for jet engines and heat resistant equipment. At cryogenic temperatures (minus 150°C), niobium is a superconductor.

Australia’s Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) of niobium increased by 16.5% in 2010 to 134 kilotonnes (kt) (up from 115kt in 2009). The bulk of the EDR of niobium is associated with the Toongi deposit, 20 kilometres (km) south of Dubbo in New South Wales (NSW). This deposit is a sub-volcanic intrusive trachyte body (vertical) with dimensions of approximately 900 metres (m) by 600m, which has been drilled out to a depth of 55m to provide a Measured Resource of 35.7 million tonnes (Mt) grading 0.46% Nb₂O₅, and between 55m to 100m for an Inferred Resource of 37.5Mt grading 0.46% Nb₂O₅.

The other source of niobium EDR is the Hastings Rare Metals deposit located 18km southeast of Halls Creek, Western Australia (WA). This deposit, owned by Augustus Minerals Limited, is hosted by a fine-grained volcaniclastic unit (informally known as the Niobium Tuff) within a sequence of thick volcano-sedimentary rocks. The Niobium Tuff can be traced over a strike length of 3.5km and varies in width up to 35m. The deposit has a Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC) Code compliant resource of 22.08Mt (grading 0.79% ZrO₂, 0.31% Nb₂O₅, 0.023%Ta₂O₅ and 0.1% Y₂O₃) comprising an Indicated Resource of 8.83Mt grading 0.31% Nb₂O₅ from the surface to 100m depth and an Inferred Resource of 13.25Mt  grading 0.32% Nb₂O₅ from 100m to 250m depth. These resources are based on a 1500 parts per million (ppm) Nb₂O₅ cut-off grade.

Paramarginal Resources totalling 15kt (unchanged from 2009) accounts for all the Subeconomic Demonstrated Resources and occur in the Mount Weld carbonatite deposit in the eastern goldfields, WA.

Inferred Resources are estimated to be 419kt (543kt in 2009). WA is the largest holder of Inferred Resources with 72% associated with the Mount Weld and the Hastings Rare Metal deposits. NSW holds the remaining 28%, which occurs in the Toongi deposit.

All of Australia's EDR of niobium is accessible.

JORC Code reserves comprise total niobium in Proved and Probable Ore Reserves as defined in the JORC Code. In 2010, there were no reserves of niobium reported under the JORC Code.

Exploration for niobium is occurring in WA and NSW, but there are no statistics available on exploration expenditure for niobium.

Currently there is no production of niobium in Australia. However, in previous years niobium concentrates were recovered as a by-product of tantalum mining.

Based on incomplete world estimates published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for 2010, the largest holder of world’s niobium resources of 2900kt are in Brazil while Canada has 46kt. USGS data also estimates that world production of niobium in 2010 was 63kt, a slight increase on 2009 production of 62.9kt and was dominated by Brazil with 58kt and Canada with 4.4kt.

Historically, Global Advanced Metals (GAM) Pty Ltd (formerly Talison Minerals) Greenbushes mine in WA produced tantalite-columbite concentrate for export. Columbite Fe(Nb,Ta)₂O₆ is the main niobium ore mineral. The company’s primary tantalum plant at Greenbushes has been under care and maintenance since 2008 while its secondary processing plant treats primary tantalum concentrates from the Wodgina mine, in the Pilbara region of WA. According to the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum, no tantalite was produced in 2010 compared to 115kt produced in 2009.

Galaxy Resources Limited commenced production from its Mt Cattlin lithium tantalum mine in December quarter 2010. In December 2010, GAM agreed to purchase 200 000 pounds of contained tantalum pentoxide over the next 5 years from the Galaxy Resources Mt Cattlin operation. GAM plans to upgrade this material for sale at its Greenbushes operations. When in full production, Galaxy Resources Limited expects to produce 137 000 tonnes per annum of spodumene and 56 000 pounds per annum of tantalite contained concentrate, essentially as a by-product.

Alkane Resources Ltd is in advanced process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a niobium consumer to form a Joint Venture to produce ferro-niobium from niobium concentrate for specialised alloy markets from the Dubbo Zirconia Project (based on the Toongi deposit). In May 2011, the company signed an MOU with a large chemical company to produce some 15 to 20kt per annum of zirconium oxychloride, also using ore from the Toongi deposit.