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Niobium |
AIMR 2008 |
Niobium
Niobium (Nb) and tantalum often are found together in the same ores due to their very similar chemical properties. Niobium is used in alloys by steel and aerospace industries and niobium-titanium alloy wire is utilised in the medical sector for magnetic resonance imaging. In Australia, niobium is recovered as a by-product of tantalum mining.
Resources
Total niobium EDR was 40 kt in 2007. Most of Australia's EDR of niobium is in the Greenbushes deposit in WA. All of Australia's EDR of niobium is accessible. In 2007, JORC code reserves of niobium accounted for just over 50% of EDR.
Paramarginal resources totalling 144 kt accounts for all the subeconomic demonstrated resources. Almost 80% of the paramarginal resources are in the Toongi deposit (Dubbo Zirconia Project) near Dubbo in NSW. Inferred resources are estimated to be 811 kt. WA is the largest holder of inferred resources with 85% and NSW holding the remaining inferred resources.
Exploration
Exploration for niobium is occurring in WA and NSW but data relating to exploration are not available.
Production
Production of niobium is not reported, but the USGS estimated a total of 0.2 kt of niobium in export tantalum products was produced in Australia during 2007.
World Ranking
Based on world estimates published by the USGS for 2007, the world's largest niobium resources are located in Brazil, which accounts for 2600 kt of the estimated world EDR of 2700 kt. Canada has the second largest EDR with 62 kt, followed by Australia, although data are incomplete for 2007.
Based on USGS, world production of niobium in 2007 amounted to 45 kt. The USGS estimates that production was dominated by Brazil with 40 kt in 2007 followed by Canada with 4.2 kt and Australia with 0.2 kt.
Industry Developments
In August 2007, the assets of Sons of Gwalia were sold to a consortium of five private equity funds which led to the formation of Talison Minerals Pty Ltd comprising the Sons of Gwalia Ltd assets, including the Greenbushes and Wodgina mines and exploration leases near Wodgina mine in WA. Wodgina is an open pit mine with a primary processing plant. The Greenbushes operation consist of an open pit and underground mines, primary and secondary tantalum processing plants, tin smelter and a lithium plant. Greenbushes open pit is operating and the secondary processing plant is processing primary tantalum concentrates from the Wodgina mine. The primary tantalum plant remains under care and maintenance.
Alkane Resources Ltd is undertaking process optimisation and development work for its Dubbo Zirconia Project in NSW. In April 2008, a demonstration pilot plant was commissioned at ANSTO Minerals in Sydney. The pilot plant is testing the mechanical and process integrity of the flow sheet to recover a suite of zirconium chemicals, zirconia, niobium-tantalum concentrate and yttrium-rare earth concentrate.
