Photo by: South32
Name of the Mine
Worsley Alumina.
Location
Near the town of Boddington, 130 km south-east of Perth, Western Australia.
Mine Owner/s
Worsley Alumina is 86% owned by South32, 10% by Japan Alumina Associates (Australia) and 4% by Sojitz Alumina.
Brief Description
The Worsley Alumina operation is an integrated bauxite mining and alumina refining operation – one of the largest operations of its kind in the world.
Brief History
Operations started in 1984.
Primary Metals/Minerals
Bauxite.
Secondary Metals/Minerals
None stated.
Geology/Mineralisation
Geologically, the Darling Range region, in Western Australia, has been subject to extensive weathering processes that contributed to the formation of these bauxite deposits.
Lateritic bauxite occurs as mineralised zones ranging in mass from less than 100 000 t to several million tonnes. Laterite has been derived from the weathering of the Archaean rocks of the western gneiss terrane of the Yilgarn Craton. The western gneiss terrane comprises granitic gneiss, paragneiss, metagranite, granite and a single greenstone belt.
Reserves
Total ore reserves as at June 30, 2023, were estimated at 227-million tonnes grading 28.1% available alumina and 1.6% reactive silica as at June 30, 2023.
Resources
Worsely has total mineral resources of 1.1-billion tonnes grading 28.7% available alumina and 1.2% reactive silica as at June 30, 2023.
Type of Mine
Openpit.
Mining Method
Shallow multipit, opencut mining techniques – drill, blast, load and haul – are used.
Major Infrastructure/Equipment
Bauxite is transported by overland conveyor belt to a refinery where the bauxite is turned into white alumina powder.
Prospects
The joint venture partners propose to expand the mine by expanding the current approved mining envelope to the north and west, while using existing mining and conveying infrastructure; developing transportation corridors to link existing and new mining areas, and providing contingency mining envelopes to support additional bauxite supply as required.
Contact Details
South32
Worsley Alumina
Tel +61 8 9734 8311
Email worsleyminedevelopment@south32.net
Sources
South32. Website. https://www.south32.net/
South32. Worsley Alumina ore reserves update (August 23, 2018).
South32. Annual Report 2023.