Tin

Content maintained by David Champion, Roy Towner and Aden McKay

• Tin
• Resources
• Accessible EDR
• JORC Reserves
• Exploration
• Production
• World Ranking
• Industry Developments

Tin (Sn) is used in solders for joining metals and pipes, as a coating for steel cans and in metal alloys. The largest single application for tin is in solders, which accounts for about half of current world consumption. Solders are used in light engineering applications such as plumbing and sheet metal work, in the motor vehicle industry and in cans for various uses. Another major application for tin is coating steel sheet in the manufacture of tinplate, which accounts for about 16% of world tin consumption. Tinplate is used for containers in the form of tin cans for food products, drinks, oils, paints, disinfectants and chemicals.

Australia's Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) of tin increased by 203% to 358 kilotonnes (kt) at December 2010, up from 176kt in 2009. This primarily resulted from a large increase in tin resources at Renison Bell in Tasmania (Tas), including a doubling of the resource at Rentails. There was an increase also of about 40% or around 10 kilotonne (kt) in resources in Queensland (Qld) at Gillian, Collingwood and Deadmans Gully.

Australia's EDR are in the deposits at Renison Bell and Mount Bischoff in western Tas, alluvial deposits in northeast Tas, and at Gillian, Baal Gammon and Collingwood in north Qld.

All of Australia's EDR for tin are accessible.

Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC) Code reserves comprise total tin in Proved and Probable Ore Reserves as defined in the JORC Code. In 2010, JORC Code reserves of 141kt accounted for approximately 39% of Accessible Economic Demonstrated Resources (AEDR).

Exploration continued in the historic tin mining areas of Herberton-Mount Garnet in far north Qld, in the northern New England, Bourke and Broken Hill regions of New South Wales (NSW), and at several prospects in western Tas. Data on tin exploration expenditures are not compiled by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.

Venture Minerals Limited announced a significant JORC-compliant resource upgrade for the Mount Lindsay Tin-Tungsten deposit in northwest Tas, with revised combined resources of 43 million tonnes (Mt) at 0.4% Sn equivalent (with a 0.2% cut-off) or 10Mt at 0.7% Sn equivalent (at 0.45% cut-off). The latter figure includes Indicated Resources of 6.2Mt at 0.4% Sn and 0.3% tungsten oxide (WO₃). The deposit also includes an iron resource. The Mount Lindsay prospect is located 15 kilometres (km) northwest of Renison Bell tin mine and 20km west of Rosebery in western Tas. The prospect is in magnetite (Fe₃O₄) rich skarns within the contact aureole of the Meredith granite, which is part of a suite of Devonian granites that are the source rocks for a number of large tin, tungsten and magnetite deposits in western Tas and on King Island in Bass Strait. The company completed a successful prefeasibility study for Mount Lindsay in March, 2011 that confirmed the economics of the project. The company is undertaking a Bankable feasibility study which is expected to be completed in 2012. Ongoing regional and infill drilling has been undertaken during the past year in association with the feasibility study. Infill drilling in the McDonald Tin Zone (Main Skarn) returned results of 26 metres (m) at 2.7% Sn, and 10m at 1.9% Sn. Broad zones of tungsten mineralisation were also identified, including 30m at 0.35% WO₃, and 44m at 0.24% WO₃. Results at the Reward prospect 3.5km from Mount Lindsay comprised 28m at 0.89% Sn, including 7.5m at 1.74% Sn, 18m at 0.69% Sn, including 8m at 0.94% Sn, 31m at 0.45% Sn, including 11m at 0.87% Sn and 6m at 1.4% Sn, and 27m at 0.52% Sn, including 6m at 1.29% Sn. Venture Minerals Limited submitted a Mining Lease Application for the Company's Mount Lindsay Tin/Tungsten Project on 15 September 2011.

Malachite Resources continued exploration at a number of historic tin deposits in the Inverell district in northern NSW – mainly the Karaula alluvial-tin-tungsten deposit at Newstead, the Sheep Station Hill greisen deposit and the Standon vein prospect. Further exploration at Standon was terminated because grades proved to be sub-economic. Similarly, Malachite Resources indicated that greisen-hosted hard rock tin occurrences, such as Sheep Station Hill, were unlikely to be economic for mining. Some bulk sampling continued at the Karaula Lead alluvial-tin prospect to assist with determination of bulk mineable tin grades. The Karaula alluvial deposit occurs as flat-lying paleoalluvial material partly draped around Bruce's Hill at Newstead. Tin grades are variable; commonly in the 0.5 to 1.0 kilogram (kg) per cubic metre range, but up to 3.5kg of contained tin (as cassiterite) per cubic metre. Malachite Resources also continued work on its Conrad Project investigating polymetallic silver deposits, which also contain tin (stannite and cassiterite).

YTC Resources report no activities over the past year at the Giants Den alluvial deposits near Bendemeer in northern NSW. Previously, the company reported that overall results from its 72 hole drilling program were disappointing.

Within YTC Resources' Doradilla project 55km southeast of Bourke, NSW, the Doradilla-Midway-3KEL tin deposits occur within a linear skarn unit which can be traced for more than 17km along strike. The top 40-60m of the skarn is highly weathered. The resource is limited to the weathered zone (laterite) where tin is hosted in stanniferous goethite, garnets, secondary cassiterite and minor primary cassiterite. The company has announced a combined Inferred Resource for the tin laterite (oxide) mineralisation of 7.81Mt averaging 0.28% Sn (at a cut-off grade of 0.1% Sn) for 22.3kt of contained tin. Exploration within the Doradilla Project in 2010 and early 2011 has concentrated on other commodities (bismuth, silver, gold, copper), with minimal exploration for tin.

At its Tallebung tin-tungsten deposit, 70km northwest of Condobolin in central NSW, YTC Resources re-sampled an historic drill hole generating new reported intersections of 14m averaging 29 parts per million (ppm) silver (Ag), 0.15% lead (Pb), 0.25% Sn and 322 ppm tungsten (W). They also undertook a resistivity survey to test for the mineralising granite at depth. The company is currently seeking access to the historic Tallebung Mine site to undertake two deep drill holes aimed at testing targets from the resistivity survey (below outcropping mineralisation) and to assist in scoping of the Tallebung system for a potential large tonnage low grade tin deposit.

In October 2010, YTC Resources reached agreement to sell its New England tin projects, Pound Flat and Torrington, to Taronga Mines Limited. The latter company also controls the adjacent lease over the large, low-grade Taronga tin deposit.

Carpentaria Exploration Ltd continued work at the Euriowie project, 60km north of Broken Hill, NSW, undertaking limited exploratory drilling of a pegmatite dyke testing continuity of tin mineralisation at depth. Results included 4m at 0.38% Sn. The company followed this with mapping and surface rock channel sampling of pegmatite bodies in the lease. Fifteen of the pegmatites were sampled. Best results included 3m at 0.21% Sn and 1m at 0.77% tin from the Trident Pegmatite. In late 2010, the company purchased from Wolf Minerals Limited the Yanco Glen Exploration Licence Application (ELA) located 30 km north of Broken Hill, NSW. The ELA covers the Waukeroo Pegmatite Tin Field and includes the Yanco Glen scheelite (tungsten) deposit with an Inferred Resource of 0.83Mt of 0.21% WO₃. The company also undertook preliminary rock sampling of previously unexplored pegmatite at two locations in its Apollyon tenement, 20km northwest of Broken Hill, returning four anomalous results ranging from 0.27% to 3.2% Sn.

In the Mount Garnet tin field 200km southwest of Cairns, Qld, Consolidated Tin Mine Ltd (CTM) in July,2011completed 8148m of drilling at the Gillian (5km southwest of Mount Garnet), and Windemere (25km northeast of Mount Garnet) tin deposits, and the Coolgarra (15km northeast of Mount Garnet) Project. The Gillian and Windemere deposits are in iron-rich skarns adjacent to granitic intrusions, while the Coolgarra Project area contains sediment-hosted and granite greisen mineralisation. Preliminary results for the Windemere deposit include intersections of 2m at 2.7% Sn, 4m at 1.16% Sn, and 15m at 0.63% Sn. In September 2010, the company announced a revised total JORC Code resource of 7.38Mt at 0.6% Sn, 5.27Mt at 25.78% Fe and 0.96Mt at 15.25% fluorine (F) for its Mount Garnet project, reflecting the inclusion of resources at the Windemere deposit. Included within the total resource, is a JORC Code Measured Resource at the Gillian deposit of 1.2Mt at 0.82% Sn. The company continued metallurgical test work to separate the fine cassiterite from the ironstone skarn material, and sent an 80 tonne sample from the Gillian Project for processing at Greenbushes in WA. The company also initiated a prefeasibility study at the Mount Garnet Project. The company entered into an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the Bar-Barrum Aboriginal Corporation and the Bar-Barrum People on 25 March 2011.

In March 2011, Stellar Resources Limited and Gippsland Limited announced a combined Mineral Resource of 4.4Mt at 1.1% Sn for their Heemskirk Tin Project (Queen Hill, Montana and Severn deposits). The resource includes Indicated Mineral Resources of 1.6Mt at 1.2% tin at the Queen Hill deposit. Stellar Resources Limited has recently completed a scoping study and is undertaking further drilling at Severn, Montana and Stormsdown. Recent intersections include 2m at 1.57% Sn, 2.3% Pb, 9.0% zinc (Zn), 62g/t Ag and 0.17% WO₃ at the Montana deposit. The company is also undertaking metallurgical testing.

MGT Resources acquired 75% subsidiary MGT Mining Limited (formerly Xtreme Resources Limited) and continued limited exploration around their historic tin mines, including Dalcouth, Summer Hill, Extended, Tom Hood and Smiths Creek in the immediate proximity of the Mount Veteran tin plant and smelter. All are located in the Mount Garnet District, north Qld. Drilling in mid-2010 included intersections at Summer Hill of 4m at 1.2% Sn, 2m at 8% Sn and 3m at 1.6% Sn.

Outback Metals continued resource estimation of its Mount Wells tin-copper deposit 200km southeast of Darwin in the Northern Territory (NT).

Australia's mine production in 2010 was 6600¹ tonnes of tin in concentrates, a 17% increase from the 2009 production of 5660 tonnes. There has been no production of refined tin in Australia since 2007 when the Greenbushes (WA) tin smelter closed. Total exports of tin for 2010 were 6011 tonnes valued at $116 million. This compares with 6086 tonnes valued at $97 million exported in 2009.

Australia's EDR for tin was ranked eighth in the world with the major economic resources in China, Indonesia, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, Russia, and Malaysia.

The price of tin on the London Metal Exchange had recovered significantly from the late 2008-early 2009 low point in the global financial crisis (US$10 000 a tonne or A$14 400) to reach new highs (US$33 000 or around A$33 000) in the second half of the 2010/11 financial year. The price has receded since then (about US$20 000 or around A$19 600) reflecting the Eurozone and other debt crises.

In March 2010, Metals X Limited completed the sale of a 50% interest in its Tasmanian Tin assets to the world's largest tin producer, China's Yunnan Tin – Parksong Group (YTG). The Tasmanian Tin assets include the Renison Bell Mine, the Renison Tin Concentrator, the Renison Expansion Project, Rentails, and the Mt Bischoff Tin Project. A new joint venture company Bluestone Mines Tasmania Joint Venture Pty Ltd (BMTJV) was established by Metals X through its wholly owned subsidiary Bluestone Mines Tasmania Pty Ltd, and YT Parksong Australia Holding Pty Ltd which will manage the assets.

BMTJV current operations are in western Tas at the Renison Bell underground mine near Zeehan. Current production is from the South Renison area, with North Renison production expected in late 2011. Ore from the mine is treated at the Renison concentrator. Once mining from both North and South Renison begins in early 2012, production rates are expected to reach 8000 tonnes of tin in concentrates per year. A copper circuit was commissioned in December 2010, with a current production of around 500 tonnes per year of copper in concentrate. Mining ceased at Mount Bischoff in July 2010 and the last ore was treated late 2010. The company is actively exploring around the deposit. Resources at Renison Bell have increased to 8.35Mt grading 1.63% Sn, representing about 136 000 tonnes of contained tin.

In 2009, Metals X Limited completed a feasibility study on proposals to recover tin from tailings produced by historic processing of tin ores at Renison Bell mine. Resources in the tailings dam are estimated to be 18.95Mt averaging 0.44% Sn and 0.20% copper (Cu), which represents 83 380 tonnes of contained tin and 37 900 tonnes of contained copper. The recovery project proposes reclaiming tailings at a rate of 2Mt a year to produce about 5300 tonnes of tin and 2000 tonnes of copper contained in concentrates a year. The company reported that a combination of sulphide flotation and tin flotation techniques would produce a 10% tin concentrate which could be smelted to produce a tin fume product assaying in excess 68% tin.

Metals X's Collingwood mine, about 30km south of Cooktown in north Qld, has been under care and maintenance since its closure in mid-2008. The company has decided to dispose of the property.

In February 2009, Van Dieman Mines (VDM) went into administration as a result of start-up problems at its Scotia and Endurance alluvial tin and sapphire deposits in northeast Tas. The Scotia and Endurance projects had a planned capacity of 1300 tonnes per year of tin-in-concentrates and were expected to generate by-product revenues from sales of sapphires. However, tin grades were lower than expected and very few sapphires were recovered during trial mining. In mid 2010, expressions of interest were sought for the purchase of alluvial tin resources and for associated mineral processing infrastructure located near Gladstone, Tas.

In February and September 2011, TNT Mines Limited (demerged from Minemakers Limited) applied for offshore exploration tenements in Ringarooma Bay, part of its Ringarooma Bay alluvial tin project. The tenements cover parts of the old Ringarooma River channel. The project has an historic Indicated Resource of 16 million cubic meters at 227grams of tin per cubic meter.

At Greenbushes mine, in southwest WA, production of tin ceased in 2007 with the closure of the smelter. Tin resources for Greenbushes operations have not been publicly reported for more than a decade. Historical estimates of tin resources for Greenbushes have not been included in Australia's EDR since 2008.

1. Excluding production in Western Australia (for which no definitive figures are available).