Australia produced 3,818 t of tin in concentrates and 597 t of refined tin ingots in 2003. Total tin exports for 2003 were 2,862 t valued at A$18 million. Over 85% of Australia's economic tin resources are located at the Renison Bell deposit in Tasmania, one of the world's largest underground tin mines. Most of Australia's production comes from the Renison mine, which generally produces 85% of Australia’s tin. Sirocco Resources purchased Renison Bell from Murchison United in early 2002. Remaining mineable reserves have been estimated at containing 5 Mt that grade at an average of 1.8% tin.
In 2003 mining and milling operations at Renison Bell were suspended following Murchison’s failure to secure capital for development of a decline to access new ore reserves in the high-grade Federal orebodies. Mining in the main stoping areas had been halted earlier in the year due to difficult ground conditions and recommendations by the company’s geotechnical consultants.
Other major tin projects in Australia include Marlborough Gold Mines’ Ardlethan alluvial project in New South Wales, which began production in 2001. Ardlethan alluvial operations produced 1,031 t of tin in concentrates in 2003 due to the commissioning of a second processing plant which increased ore grades.
Sons of Gwalia (SGW) owns and operates the Greenbushes and Wodgina mines, both located in Western Australia. Greenbushes is the largest hard rock tantalum mine in the world, producing over 500t of tin each year. Greenbushes produced 597 t of refined tin ingots in 2003 as a by-product of tantalum ore processing. SGW also owns and operates the Wodgina mine near Port Hedland in Western Australia, the second largest tantalum mine in the world.
Sons of Gwalia Ltd
Sons of Gwalia (SGW) operate the Wodgina and Greenbushes mines that produce tin as a co product with tantalum.
