Iron Ore
Iron Ore, Bauxite and Manganese Deposits of NT Report [PDF 7mb]
Iron Ore, Bauxite and Manganese Deposits of NT Report [RTF 45mb]- Iron Ore Factsheet and Map [PDF 1.2mb]
- Iron Ore Factsheet and Map [DOCX 666kb]
The Northern Territory has an emerging iron ore sector, and at the end of 2012, JORC-compliant iron ore resources for the NT were estimated at around 900 Mt of iron ore. Most of this occurs as moderate-grade oolitic sedimentary deposits in the Roper Iron Field of the McArthur Basin, with the remainder comprising smaller, higher-grade hydrothermal deposits such as Frances Creek. Iron ore in the Roper field varies from massive to oolitic and pisolitic haematite, and occurs within interbedded medium- to very coarse-grained ferruginous sandstone and siltstone of the Mesoproterozoic Sherwin Ironstone Member. Most ore in the Roper field avaerges 40-50% Fe, although recent exploration has defined more than 60 Mt of higher-grade (55-60%) direct shipping ore. The Roper iron field has been subject to major exploration programs by Western Desert Resources Ltd and Sherwin Iron Ltd, with mining scheduled to commence in 2013/14.
Territory Resources Ltd operates a 2.0 Mtpa iron ore mine at Frances Creek, 200 km southeast of Darwin, which has been in operation since 2007. The iron mineralisation occurs in a fault breccia in the lower Wildman Siltstone and ranges in composition from haematite to goethite and limonite. There are over 50 named occurrences and prospects covering a distance of approximately 35 km. Resources and reserves at Frances Creek announced in 2010 included total Probable Reserves of 5.8 Mt at 57.9% Fe and Indicated and Inferred Resources of 9.9 Mt at 58.1% Fe.
Mining of Au (±Cu-Bi)-bearing ironstone at Tennant Creek over the past 60 years has produced tailings containing up to 70% magnetite at Warrego (11 Mt), Peko (4 Mt) and Nobles Nob (2.4 Mt). These tailings represent potential sources of low-cost iron ore, as they are located near the Alice Springs-Darwin railway line and existing infrastructure. A 160 Mt vanadium magnetite deposit at Mount Peake, 250 km north of Alice Springs, is currently subject to feasibility studies by TNG Ltd, and has the potential to produce significant iron, along with vanadium and titanium.
