Tantalum

Content maintained by Leesa Carson

• Tantalum
• Resources
• Exploration
• Production
• World Resources And Production
• Industry Developments

Tantalum minerals have more than 70 different chemical compositions, of which tantalite, microlite, and wodginite are of greatest economic importance. It is common practice to name any mineral concentrate containing tantalum as 'tantalite' primarily because it will be processed for the tantalum.

Australia, through the Greenbushes and Wodgina operations in south west WA, is the world's largest producer of tantalum in the form of tantalum concentrates, producing almost half of the world mine output.

In WA, granitic rare-metal pegmatites are almost exclusively the dominant style of primary tantalum mineralisation. The only exceptions are the carbonatite style at the Mount Weld deposit in the eastern goldfields, WA and an unusual form of subalkaline granite-syenite mineralisation at the Brockman deposit, south east of Halls Creek, WA.

Australia's tantalum EDR are estimated to be 41 kt in 2007. All tantalum EDR are accessible for mining. Approximately 98% of EDR comprises JORC Code ore reserves as reported by industry. Subeconomic demonstrated resources accounts for about 44% of total demonstrated resources. The paramarginal and submarginal resources amount to 32 kt and 0.2 kt, respectively. Inferred resources are estimated to be 87 kt. WA is the largest holder of total resources of tantalum at 89% while NSW accounts for 27% of paramarginal resources.

Data relating to exploration for tantalum are not available. Talison Minerals Pty Ltd is undertaking exploration near the Wodgina mine in the Pilbara region of WA.

In 2007, production of tantalite was estimated to be 435 t. Production decreased by about 25% in 2007 as a result of lost production as a result of Cyclone George. All production was from the Wodgina mine where the ore is crushed at a primary plant before being transported to Greenbushes mine for secondary processing and upgrading to a final product.

USGS revised the world total resources to 130 kt in 2007, an increase of 135% from 2006 due to revised resources estimates for Brazil. The world's largest tantalum resource holder is Brazil with an estimated 88 kt, followed by Australia with 41 kt and Canada with 3 kt.

World production of tantalum in 2007 was estimated by Geoscience Australia (using Western Australian Department of Industry and Resources and USGS data) to be 985 t, a decrease of about 14% in 2006. Production was dominated by Australia, with 435 t in 2007, which amounted to about 44% of world output, although this figure is not complete for 2007. According to the USGS, other main producers were Brazil with 250 t, Mozambique, Canada and Ethiopia each producing 70 t.

Over the past few decades, the tantalum market has been characterised by long periods of stability because the world's two largest tantalum processors have entered into long-term, fixed price supply contracts. The market has been over supplied for the past five years but is starting to show signs of tightening.

In August 2007, the assets of Sons of Gwalia were sold to a consortium of five private equity funds. Talison Minerals Pty Ltd was formed and comprises the Sons of Gwalia Ltd assets, which includes the Greenbushes and Wodgina mines in WA and exploration leases near Wodgina mine. Wodgina is an open pit mine with a primary processing plant. The Greenbushes operation consist of an open pit, underground mine, 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.