❓ The Minister for Mines and Petroleum provides an update on mineral exploration programs in the Pilbara, highlighting exploration for various minerals beyond iron ore and a recent coal discovery by Northern Star Resources. The Minister also addresses a seismic incident at a BHP Billiton nickel mine.
AnsweredQoN 715Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MINERAL EXPLORATION PROGRAMS — PILBARA
715. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the
minister please update the house on mineral exploration programs in the
Pilbara?
715. Mr I.C. BLAYNEY to the
Minister for Mines and Petroleum:
Can the
minister please update the house on mineral exploration programs in the
Pilbara?
AnswerView source ↗
Before I
answer this question, I will just make a brief announcement about a seismic
incident that occurred at the BHP Billiton Leinster nickel operations
underground mine. No-one was injured, but nine fitters remain in a refuge
chamber. An unmanned cage was successfully run through the shaft to confirm its
stability and investigations are now being commenced into the shaft and access
route. The nine fitters are estimated to be hoisted to the surface at about
four o'clock this afternoon.
I return to
the question by the member for Geraldton. Everyone thinks of the Pilbara as
being a great destination and a place for iron ore. Indeed, mining in the
Pilbara started on finds at Mt Whaleback and Mt Tom Price, which I guess were
an iron ore ''goldmine''—the Golden Mile of iron ore has
been the Pilbara. Exploration continues to be undertaken for other minerals in
the Pilbara. Indeed, there is activity in relation to gold, nickel, copper and
zinc, and also metal alloys such as tantalum, chromium and titanium. The
exploration incentive scheme funds drilling operations through the co-funding
drilling program and we have funded a number of operators in the Pilbara
region. Total mineral expenditure in Western Australia last year was $1.76 billion.
The interesting thing is that the Pilbara has never been known as an area where
coal can be found. Northern Star Resources is a goldmining company with a very
successful goldmine at Paulsens. I will hold up a map so
members can see where it is, because it can be very difficult to listen to
someone talking about goldmines without knowing where they are. It is not very
far from the Nanutarra roadhouse, on the Nanutarra to Wittenoom road, about 50
or 60 kilometres away. Halfway between a line from Paulsens goldmine to
Paraburdoo, Northern Star Resources has found a large deposit of coal. There
are eight drill holes over a seven-kilometre length and the drill holes are
very prospective for coal. Who would have believed that we could find coal in
the Pilbara? The holes were not funded through our exploration incentive
scheme, but Northern Star Resources has received funding from our co-funded
drilling program for areas around Paulsens goldmine.
This shows how the exploration incentive scheme is working. This coal
deposit has now been discovered. It is early days, but the coal does not seem
to be to quite the same standard as Collie coal; the calorific value of the
coal is a bit below that, but it is not too far below. To give some idea
of the drill intercepts, of the eight holes, the overburden ranges between only
35 metres and 79 metres. Between 35 metres and 79 metres below the surface, the
coal seam has been intersected and it ranges between 12 metres and 65 metres of
thickness. Indeed, in four of the eight holes the thickness of the coal has not
bottomed out, so the seam that is 65 metres thick could be thicker.
This is a
very exciting prospect for the state. It demonstrates that we are open for
business in Western Australia. Although we are a vast expanse and it appears we
have discovered a lot of minerals, there are still a lot of opportunities in
Western Australia to discover more minerals. We do not know where coal in the
Pilbara could lead, but I look forward to further exploration and the proving
up of the deposit.
answer this question, I will just make a brief announcement about a seismic
incident that occurred at the BHP Billiton Leinster nickel operations
underground mine. No-one was injured, but nine fitters remain in a refuge
chamber. An unmanned cage was successfully run through the shaft to confirm its
stability and investigations are now being commenced into the shaft and access
route. The nine fitters are estimated to be hoisted to the surface at about
four o'clock this afternoon.
I return to
the question by the member for Geraldton. Everyone thinks of the Pilbara as
being a great destination and a place for iron ore. Indeed, mining in the
Pilbara started on finds at Mt Whaleback and Mt Tom Price, which I guess were
an iron ore ''goldmine''—the Golden Mile of iron ore has
been the Pilbara. Exploration continues to be undertaken for other minerals in
the Pilbara. Indeed, there is activity in relation to gold, nickel, copper and
zinc, and also metal alloys such as tantalum, chromium and titanium. The
exploration incentive scheme funds drilling operations through the co-funding
drilling program and we have funded a number of operators in the Pilbara
region. Total mineral expenditure in Western Australia last year was $1.76 billion.
The interesting thing is that the Pilbara has never been known as an area where
coal can be found. Northern Star Resources is a goldmining company with a very
successful goldmine at Paulsens. I will hold up a map so
members can see where it is, because it can be very difficult to listen to
someone talking about goldmines without knowing where they are. It is not very
far from the Nanutarra roadhouse, on the Nanutarra to Wittenoom road, about 50
or 60 kilometres away. Halfway between a line from Paulsens goldmine to
Paraburdoo, Northern Star Resources has found a large deposit of coal. There
are eight drill holes over a seven-kilometre length and the drill holes are
very prospective for coal. Who would have believed that we could find coal in
the Pilbara? The holes were not funded through our exploration incentive
scheme, but Northern Star Resources has received funding from our co-funded
drilling program for areas around Paulsens goldmine.
This shows how the exploration incentive scheme is working. This coal
deposit has now been discovered. It is early days, but the coal does not seem
to be to quite the same standard as Collie coal; the calorific value of the
coal is a bit below that, but it is not too far below. To give some idea
of the drill intercepts, of the eight holes, the overburden ranges between only
35 metres and 79 metres. Between 35 metres and 79 metres below the surface, the
coal seam has been intersected and it ranges between 12 metres and 65 metres of
thickness. Indeed, in four of the eight holes the thickness of the coal has not
bottomed out, so the seam that is 65 metres thick could be thicker.
This is a
very exciting prospect for the state. It demonstrates that we are open for
business in Western Australia. Although we are a vast expanse and it appears we
have discovered a lot of minerals, there are still a lot of opportunities in
Western Australia to discover more minerals. We do not know where coal in the
Pilbara could lead, but I look forward to further exploration and the proving
up of the deposit.
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