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Mining
Mineral processing
 

Tasmania is geologically diverse and contains rocks from every period since the late Proterozoic era and has rich and high-grade mineral deposits.

The future of the Tasmanian mining industry depends on a number of factors, including commodity prices and global demand and supply.

Metallic minerals exported from Tasmania are:

• copper to India and Japan
• iron ore to South Korea, China and Port Kembla (New South Wales)
• zinc and lead are produced for Nystrar's Hobart (Tasmania) and Port Pirie (South Australia) smelters.
• coal is produced for use by several major companies in the State and construction materials are mainly used within Tasmania.

Mining

Mining refers to the extraction of naturally occurring minerals, in addition to mineral exploration and activities that serve mining and exploration such as surveying and ore testing.

In Tasmania, the industry is centred in the west and north-west areas of the State and the minerals extracted include copper, iron ore, zinc, lead, gold, silver, nickel, magnetite, scheelite and tin. Coal mining takes place on a very small scale by Australian standards. Non-metallic minerals extracted include: silica, limestone and dolomite. Mining of construction materials also occurs.

Tasmanian metallic minerals mines include:

• Mt Lyell Mine - Copper Mines of Tasmania Pty Ltd
• Henty Gold Mine - Barrick (Henty) Ltd
• Beaconsfield Gold Mine - Beaconsfield Mine Joint Venture
• Savage River Mine - Grange Resources (Tasmania) Pty Ltd
• Rosebery Mine - OZ Minerals Ltd
• Renison Tin Mine - Metals X Ltd
• Avebury Mine - OZ Minerals Ltd (currently on care and maintenance)
• Que River - Bass Metals Ltd.

Annual Reports for all the mines in Tasmania are available from Mineral Resources Tasmania and some are available from mining company websites.

Industrial minerals

The major industrial materials extracted and processed in Tasmania are limestone and dolomite, silica and ceramics.

Suppliers and processors of industrial materials in Tasmania are:

Construction minerals

Construction materials account for the highest proportion of mining leases in Tasmania and are used for construction projects within Tasmania.

Suppliers and producers of construction materials in Tasmania include:

 Metallic minerals

Operators of underground and open-cut mines producing a range of metallic metals are:

Fuel minerals

The Cornwall Coal Company NL is the major supplier of coal mined in Tasmania. The company currently mines black coal from underground and open-cut mines near St Marys and Fingal. From there, the product is transported to a washery at Duncan Siding near Fingal. The washed coal is transported by rail to the major consumers.

Mineral processing

Mineral processing in the Tasmanian context includes the conversion of metallic and non-metallic minerals into products that in turn are used in other manufacturing processes.

Mineral processing is well established in Tasmania, with a number of significant operations: