❓ A WA parliamentary question seeks information on ore reserves, extraction rates, expansion plans, and economic life of Alcoa and Worsley, two alumina producers in Western Australia. The answer provides specific figures and timelines related to their operations.
AnsweredQoN 2495Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
(1) What is the publicly available ore reserve statement for each of Western Australia’s current two alumina producers, Alcoa and Worsley?
(2) What is the annual ore extraction rate for each company?
(3) Is either company proposing to expand its operations over the next few years and, if yes, what annual ore extraction rates are proposed?
(4) Overall, what is the indicative economic life for each of these two bauxite mining companies, based upon current alumina production rates?
(2) What is the annual ore extraction rate for each company?
(3) Is either company proposing to expand its operations over the next few years and, if yes, what annual ore extraction rates are proposed?
(4) Overall, what is the indicative economic life for each of these two bauxite mining companies, based upon current alumina production rates?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
4 May 2004
Responded by
Minister for State Development
Response time
63 days
(1) The latest publicly available resource estimate for Alcoa for its Darling Ranges project is 173 million tonnes of bauxite as proven and probable ore reserves, with an additional 142 million tonnes of bauxite in measured resources and 2085 million tonnes of bauxite in indicated and inferred resources. The latest publicly available ore reserve estimate for Worsley is 332 million tonnes of bauxite, with an additional indicated mineral resource of 144 million tonnes of bauxite. (2) For calendar 2003, Alcoa extracted around 29 million (wet) tonnes of bauxite from its mineral lease in the Darling Ranges, whereas Worsley extracted 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite. (3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
The latest publicly available ore reserve estimate for Worsley is 332 million tonnes of bauxite, with an additional indicated mineral resource of 144 million tonnes of bauxite. (2) For calendar 2003, Alcoa extracted around 29 million (wet) tonnes of bauxite from its mineral lease in the Darling Ranges, whereas Worsley extracted 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite. (3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(2) For calendar 2003, Alcoa extracted around 29 million (wet) tonnes of bauxite from its mineral lease in the Darling Ranges, whereas Worsley extracted 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite. (3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
The latest publicly available ore reserve estimate for Worsley is 332 million tonnes of bauxite, with an additional indicated mineral resource of 144 million tonnes of bauxite. (2) For calendar 2003, Alcoa extracted around 29 million (wet) tonnes of bauxite from its mineral lease in the Darling Ranges, whereas Worsley extracted 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite. (3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(2) For calendar 2003, Alcoa extracted around 29 million (wet) tonnes of bauxite from its mineral lease in the Darling Ranges, whereas Worsley extracted 11.4 million tonnes of bauxite. (3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(3) Alcoa has announced an efficiency upgrade of its Pinjarra alumina refinery, which when complete will increase alumina production by around 600 000 tonnes per year. As a result, annual bauxite production from Alcoa’s Huntly bauxite mine is expected to increase some 9%, to about 22.6 million (wet) tonnes a year. The Pinjarra Efficiency Upgrade is expected to be complete by 2006. Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
Worsley has plans to expand annual production to 3.5 million tonnes of alumina (about 12.5 million tonnes of bauxite) in 2006–07, but this is subject to approval of a feasibility study and successful project completion. (4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
(4) Alcoa has advised that, based on current alumina production rates, the indicative economic life of its mining and refining operations in Western Australia extends for the duration of its current lease, which is 20 years. The indicative economic mine life for Worsley’s operations is 30 years.
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