A report including estimates of Australia's thorium resources and the geochemical processes controlling the distribution of thorium in the earth's crust to enable a decision on whether a larger Thorium Project is justified.

Presentation made to the Second Symposium on Resource Assessment Methodologies organised by the Potential Gas Committee and the US Geological Survey. Discussed methodology used at Geoscience Australia and presented some recent results from the Bonaparte and Browse basins.

Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2010 presents estimates of Australia's mineral resources at end of December 2009 for all major and several minor mineral commodities (Table 1) based on published and unpublished data available to Geoscience Australia. These resource estimates provide a long term view of what is likely to be mined. They are compared with national totals of ore reserves for each commodity, which provides the industry view of what is likely to be mined in the short to medium term. Mine production data are based on figures from the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. World ranking of Australia's mineral resources have been calculated mainly from information in publications of the United States Geological Survey. A summary of significant industry developments also is presented. Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2010 provides information on and analysis of mineral exploration expenditures in Australia for 2008-09 and the calendar year 2009. Trends in expenditure are presented and discussed.

Australia's Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) for the following 18 mineral commodities increased during 2008 - black coal, copper, gold, iron ore, lead, lithium, manganese ore, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, rare earth oxides, silver, tantalum, tungsten, uranium, vanadium, zinc and zircon. In the same period, EDR of nine commodities decreased - brown coal, cobalt, diamonds (gem and industrial), mineral sands (ilmenite and rutile), platinum group elements, shale oil and tin. EDR for antimony, bauxite, cadmium, magnesite, and phosphate rock remained at levels similar to those reported in 2007. World ranking: Australia's EDR of brown coal, mineral sands (rutile and zircon), nickel, silver, uranium, zinc and lead remain the world's largest, while antimony, bauxite, black coal, copper, gold, industrial diamond, iron ore, ilmenite, lithium, manganese ore, niobium, tantalum and vanadium all rank in the top six worldwide. Resource life: Ratios of accessible Economic Demonstrated Resources (AEDR) to current mine production provide indicative estimates of the resource life. AEDR of most of Australia's major commodities can sustain current rates of mine production for many decades. Resource life based on ore reserves is lower, reflecting a shorter term commercial outlook. Over the decade 1997 to 2008 there has been a significant trend towards lower AEDR/production ratio for coal and iron ore, which was the nett result of major increases in production and reassessment of resources. Commodities with resource life of less than 50 years are diamonds (about 10 years at current rates of production), manganese ore (20 years), gold (30 years), zinc (35 years) and lead (40 years). The severe world financial crisis in late 2008 highlighted the fact that a long resource life for a particular commodity is not a guarantee that such resources will continue to be exploited in Australia. In an increasingly globalised and competitive commodity market, multinational mining companies are continually in search of mineral deposits that will offer attractive returns on their investment. Such returns are influenced by the quality of the resources (grade and tonnage) as well as environmental, social and political factors, land access and even the location and scale of the competitor projects - individual mine projects in Australia will be ranked by multinational corporations against the investment returns from other deposits worldwide. Australia's continuing position as a premier mineral producer is dependent on continuing investment in exploration to locate high quality resources and/or to upgrade known deposits in order to make them competitive on the world market, and investment in beneficiation processes to improve metallurgical recoveries. Australia's Identified Mineral Resources 2009 provides information on and analysis of mineral exploration expenditures in Australia for the calendar year 2008. Trends in expenditure are presented and discussed.

Superficial deposits of ferruginous manganese ore occur on the southern end of the Teano Range, Peak Hill Goldfield, Western Australia at about 150 miles by road north-north-west from Meekatharra. During the course of an investigation of new manganese discoveries in north-west Western Australia by L.E. de la Hunty of the Geological Survey of W.A. and the writer, the opportunity was taken to inspect two groups of small deposits in the Teano Range. One group contains about 14,200 tons of ore which averages about 2 per cent manganese and 32 per cent iron, and the other group 4,000 tons of marginal grade containing about 46 per cent manganese and 3.5 per cent iron. The former group is not of marketable quality and the other is too small and too remote to be of commercial value.

This prospect is situated on the northern bank of the East Finniss River, approximately 500 yards north-east of Brown's workings and 800 yards south-west of White's workings. About 50 years ago the area was prospected for copper and abandoned after several costeans had been dug. A small radiometric anomaly was discovered in 1950 and the area was radiometrically contoured. A geological map on a scale of 20 feet to one inch was prepared by the writer during the 1951 field season, and accompanies this report (Plate 1). [Geology, structure, mineralization, workings, diamond drilling, and prospecting recommendations are discussed].

Pisolitic bauxite containing between 40 and 50 per cent available alumina was discovered on islands off the north-east coast of Arnhem Land in 1949, and after preliminary reconnaissance in 1951 a thorough exploration of the deposits on Marchinbar Island, Wessel group was undertaken by the Australian Aluminium Production Commission. The island is composed of a gently titled alternating sequence of sandstone, siltstone and shale of upper Proterozoic age bearing remnants of a lateritized surface which includes the bauxite occurrences. Bauxite has developed by lateritization of a sericite-quartz siltstone containing rather more than 50 per cent sericite. The rock contains 65 per cent total silica, 19 per cent alumina and 6 per cent potash. Economic bauxite is mainly confined to the Pisolitic zone which has a maximum depth of 16.5 feet and rests upon red or red and black tubular and massive laterite. Over limited areas high alumina values persist downwards into the red tubular zone for a few feet. The deposits were proved by sampling pits sunk at intersections of rectangular grids spaced at 400 feet by 200 feet, except for one deposit (Fox), which was tested on a wider scale. Proved reserves are given in the following table, but the figures for Fox deposits are of a lower order of accuracy and should be regarded as indicated reserves. [See record for full details]. The total is equivalent to 4,500,000 tons of available alumina or 2,380,000 tons of aluminium metal.

This report describes a geophysical test survey made in September 1952, at the request of the Queensland Department of Mines and Mines Exploration Pty. Ltd., over an area measuring 750 feet by 1,000 feet in the Liontown area, about 28 miles south-west of Charters Towers, Queensland. The existence of a lead lode was known, because of its exposure in some inclined shafts, and this test survey was made to determine if the geophysical methods used could locate the exact position of the known lode, the ultimate object being, if the test survey were successful, to extend the investigations over a greater area. Self-potential and electromagnetic methods were used. A fairly strong indication, with an easterly strike, was recorded by the electromagnetic method at a position coinciding with the known lode, but no clear anomaly was recorded there by the self-potential survey. An even stronger electromagnetic anomaly, also with an easterly strike, was recorded about 300 feet south of the known lode, and was continuous from one end of the surveyed area to the other. The only self-potential anomaly of any importance was recorded between the two electromagnetic indications and is probably due to a quartz reef with pyrite mineralisation. The results show that the test was successful, in that the known lead lode was clearly indicated, and it is recommended that the survey be extended over a greater area to determine the full extent of the mineralisation. A target for a diamond drill-hole is also suggested, to determine the cause of the high electrical conductivity in the southern part of the area.

This statement has been prepared as a supplement to Summary Report No. 27 - Aluminium and Bauxite - which was issued in 1946. Since that year testing of deposits in Tasmania has been completed and new discoveries of commercial bauxite have been made in northern New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Further exploration in South Gippsland has resulted in minor additions to the proved reserves of Victoria, and the presence of bauxite has been reported in Papua and New Guinea. Exploration of deposits of bauxite on the north coast of the Northern Territory is not complete but sufficient accessible reserves have been proved to change the formerly unfavourable outlook for the aluminium industry now being established in Australia. Re-examination of the formerly known deposits has necessitated recalculation of the stated reserves, and has generally resulted in a reduction of the earlier estimates, but, on the other hand, a substantial increase has been made for the Tamborine Mountain deposits in Queensland. South Gippsland tonnages have been recalculated and expressed as dry ore for the sake of greater accuracy and consistency. Tonnages throughout are long tons (2240 pounds) of dry ore. In the following tables proved reserves are those which have been systematically tested by pits or bores regularly spaced at intervals of not more than 400 feet, and in many cases only 100 feet. Indicated reserves have been tested by more widely or irregularly spaced holes.

The following report is based on an examination of the mine made by the writer in February, 1947, and on information gained from the Western Australian Geological Survey. The production history, geology, ore reserves, and prospects of the mine are discussed. Four accompanying plans are included.