Uranium mining a new beginning in Western Australia

Transcription

1 Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum Uranium mining a new beginning in Western Australia Uranium deposits Rick Rogerson Acting Executive Director Geological Survey of Western Australia Geological Survey of Western Australia

2 Outline Positive change in Government policy towards uranium in WA Excellent uranium prospectivity Legislative system for uranium mining is in place Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 2

3 Friday 07 November 2008 Federal support for WA uranium expansion a spokesman for Federal Resources Minister Martin Ferguson told MINING DAILY Up to $17 billion dollars in GDP could be gained over the next 20 years by the expansion of uranium mining [in WA], he said. Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 3

4 Monday 17 November 2008 WA Premier lifts uranium mining ban Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 4

5 Pro-uranium mining policy in WA Mining of uranium is no longer prohibited June 2002 to September 2008 the right to mine uranium ore was excluded from the 1475 mining leases granted in WA a process to return this right has commenced During the same period, exploration for uranium was not prohibited Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 5

6 U 3 O 8 price finds support at $50/lb Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 6

7 Demand growth for uranium assured Operational (power plants) 439 Under construction (reactors) 33 Planned (reactors) > 94 Proposed (reactors) >222 Source World Nuclear Association information as at 17 October 2007, reproduced in BHP Bulletin, 2007, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto: A Matter of Value, Melbourne, p.28 Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 7

8 WA ready to fill the supply gap Demand WA s opportunity??????? Source: Energy Economist 297, July 2006 Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 8

9 WA is well endowed with uranium Total known resources: 188,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 Derby Kununurra Halls Creek Karratha Telfer Newman Carnarvon Meekatharra Wiluna Geraldton Kalgoorlie Perth Esperance Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 9

10 WA is well endowed with uranium Total known resources: 188,000 tonnes U 3 O 8 Oobagooma Kununurra Derby Halls Creek Karratha Cummins Range Manyingee Kintyre Newman Telfer Unconformityassociated Carnarvon Geraldton Lake Way Meekatharra Wiluna Yeelirrie Centipede Lake Maitland Thatcher Soak Mulga Rock Sandstone-related (roll-front) Calcrete hosted Kalgoorlie Perth Esperance Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 10

11 Major deposits > 9 kt U 3 O 8 Deposit Owners kg/tonne (some pre-jorc) Resource U 3 O 8 kilotonnes Yeelirrie BHP Billiton Kintyre Cameco, Mitsubishi Mulga Rock Energy & Minerals Australia Manyingee Paladin Resources Lake Way Toro Energy Lake Maitland Mega Uranium (Redport) Oobagooma Paladin Resources Calcrete-hosted Sandstone-hosted (roll-front) Unconformity-associated Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 11

12 Calcrete resources dominate Carbonatitehosted Unclassified Av grade: 1.5 kg/t Tonnage : 24 Mt U 3 O 8 : 36 Kt Av grade: 0.7 kg/t Tonnage : 67 Mt U 3 O 8 : 44 Kt Unconformityrelated Calcretehosted Roll-frontrelated Av grade: 0.5 kg/t Tonnage : 208 Mt U 3 O 8 : 105 Kt Mt: million tonnes Kt: kilotonnes Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 12

13 Three main deposit types but what s missing? Uranium deposit type Unconformity-related Roll-front-related Regolith (calcrete-hosted) Carbonatite-hosted; pegmatitehosted Kintyre WA examples Manyingee, Oobagooma, and Mulga Rock Yeelirrie, Lake Way, Centipede, Thatcher Soak, and Lake Maitland Cummins Range (Halls Creek Orogen); Gascoyne Complex Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 13

14 Three main deposit types but what s missing? Uranium deposit type Unconformity - associated Quartz-pebble conglomerate Roll-front-related Regolith (calcrete-hosted) Carbonatite-hosted; pegmatitehosted Breccia complex (sub-volcanic) hosted (e.g. Olympic Dam in South Australia) Kintyre WA examples?? Hamersley Basin Manyingee, Oobagooma, and Mulga Rock Yeelirrie, Lake Way, Centipede, Thatcher Soak, and Lake Maitland Cummins Range (Halls Creek Orogen); Gascoyne Complex?????????? Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 14

15 Could there be an Olympic Dam-type deposit in WA? WA should have deposits of this type Diagram courtesy of Tasman Resources Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 15

16 WA should have breccia-hosted deposits Prospective environments exist in a number of Proterozoic terranes in WA Basement to the Eucla Basin? Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 16

17 Quartz-pebble conglomerate deposits do occur Outside of WA, are major part of the world s uranium resources Elliot Lake deposits in Ontario and Witwatersrand gold uranium deposits in South Africa Quartz-pebble conglomerates containing uranium (and gold) are known to occur Hamersley Basin Halls Creek Orogen Yerrida Basin From: Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 17

18 Exploration areas for quartz-pebble conglomerate U deposits? Halls Creek Orogen Hamersley Basin Yerrida Basin Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 18

19 All WA legislation is in place Activity Regulatory responsibility Key Legislation/Regulations Uranium mining Federal Government Safeguards Act 1987 Atomic Energy Act 1953 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Western Australia Mining Act 1978 Environmental Protection Act 1986 Uranium Transportation Federal Government Safeguards Act 1987 Atomic Energy Act 1953 Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Western Australia Radiation Safety (Transport of Radioactive Substances) Regulations 1991 (WA) Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 19

20 All WA legislation is in place Activity Regulatory responsibility Key Legislation/Regulations Waste Management Federal Government Commonwealth Radioactive Waste Management Act 2005 Western Australia Radiation Safety Act 1975 (WA) Western Australia (transport and storage of nuclear waste prohibited) Nuclear Waste Storage and Transportation (Prohibition) Act 1999 (WA) Export and Import Control Federal Government Customs Act 1901 Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 20

21 Australia s uranium export policy Australia s uranium resources are a strategic commodity that must be treated differently from other minerals due to the risk of proliferation The Customs (Prohibited Exports) Regulations 1958 require export approval by the Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 21

22 Australia s uranium export policy ensures that: 1. only for peaceful, non-explosive purposes 2. only to countries that are a party to the NPT + bilateral safeguards agreement with Australia 3. countries are responsible for the management of waste produced from the use of Australian uranium Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 22

23 Western Australia: 1. had only one phase of uranium exploration 2. the potential for many new discoveries 3. many joint venture opportunities 4. welcomes responsible uranium exploration and mine development Government of Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum 23