uncovering australia’s -...

Japan-Australia Mineral Resources Investment Seminar 2012, Tokyo

Japan-Australia Mineral Resources Investment Seminar 2012

Uncovering Australia’s

mineral resource potential

Andy Barnicoat Chief, Minerals and Natural

Hazards Division,

Geoscience Australia

Tokyo, 12th November 2012


Resource supply and demand

Asian demand Australian supply

Beijing Pilbara

Energy

Minerals A$b Australian export earnings


Japan’s mineral imports:

volume share by country

R KOREA

CHINA

PHILPIN

INDNSIA

INDIA

PAKISTN

RUSSIA

UKRAINE

CANADA

CHILE

BRAZIL

S AFRCA

AUSTRAL

NEWZELD

CHINA

TAIWAN

VIETNAM

INDNSIA

RUSSIA

CANADA

USA

MEXICO

COLMBIA

MOZAMBQ

S AFRCA

AUSTRAL

NEWZELD

PHILPIN

INDNSIA

CANADA

USA

PERU

CHILE

ARGENT

AUSTRAL

PAP NGA

Australia supplies 35% (by value) of Japan’s total imports of metalliferous ores (Japan Ministry of Finance, 2012 for 2011-2012 fiscal year)

Copper

Coal Iron ore

R KOREA

CHINA

VIETNAM

INDNSIA

INDIA

UKRAINE

CANADA

SIERLEO

S AFRCA

AUSTRAL

Titanium

Australia Australia

Australia

Peru

Chile

Austr.

India

Indonesia

Brazil


$41.9b $113.7b

$32.8b $76.0b

Mineral

resources

Energy

(incl. coal)

$6.3b

$14.8b

$12.8b $28.9b

Australia’s mineral and energy

export markets: Japan is key

Source: Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics, 2012

Japan Japan

Japan Japan



Japan

Thermal coal

Japan: a major importer of

Australian coal



Australian iron ore


Japan

Iron ore



Australian copper


Japan is also a major importer of

oil, gas, aluminium from Australia

Japan

Copper


Australian minerals and energy

commodities production

Energy

Minerals

Superpit gold mine, Kalgoorlie


Australia’s mineral and energy

resource investments: value in $AUD


Australian exploration

projects

1352

1126

626

203

680

649

172103

122

6211666

834

379

82

27

49

40

24

7

341

296

10059

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Au Cu Coal U REE Ni

Feasibility

Advanced

Exploration

Grassroots

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Au Cu Coal U REE Ni

Feasibility

Advanced

Exploration

Grassroots

Number of exploration projects by stage of development


Australian resources growth

1977-2010, and world rankings

Commodity

Total

production

Growth in resources

cf. production*

Resources#

World ranking

Iron ore 5,000 Mt 6.8x 2

Black coal 8,000 Mt 22x 5

Gold 6,000 t 3.2x 1

Copper 16 Mt 8.3x 3

Nickel 5 Mt 9.4x 1

Zinc 31 Mt 2.2x 1

Sources: Resources - Geoscience Australia;

Production - Australian Bureau of Agricultural and

Resource Economics

* All categories:- Measured + Indicated + Inferred Resources # Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR)


see next image

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics

Australian mineral exploration

expenditure to June 2011

Exploration spending (A$ million, 2010-11 $)


Mineral deposit discoveries:

Australia vs the World


(0.5 vertical derivative)

Is Australia ‘mature’ for

mineral exploration? NO!

1. Extensions to known mineral provinces

2. Entirely new provinces

3. Opportunities at depth


Australia’s commodity

inventory


Australian exploration

projects

1352

1126

626

203

680

649

172103

122

6211666

834

379

82

27

49

40

24

7

341

296

10059

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Au Cu Coal U REE Ni

Feasibility

Advanced

Exploration

Grassroots

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Au Cu Coal U REE Ni

Feasibility

Advanced

Exploration

Grassroots

Number of exploration projects by stage of development

NEW nickel-copper province

2 holes hit more than 60m true width of 3.4% nickel and

1.3% copper

Discovery hole co-funded

by SA government

Deposit buried under 450m

cover

Over 40 uranium projects looking seeking JV partners or

purchasers

New uranium resources

announced since November

2011 include

Marmota Energy JORC

Junction Dam (SA) inferred

resource of 1510 tonnes of

U3O8

Mindax Ltd Yilgarn-Avon JV

(WA) inferred resource of

1469 tonnes of U3O8

Marmota Energy, Junction Dam


1:1m Surface Geology

National datasets to support

exploration

Geoscience Australia is a federal government agency,

delivering fundamental national & regional datasets

to reduce risk in exploration targeting

Gravity

Radiometrics

Magnetics Data from State/NT Geological

Surveys and GA


Australia: More to discover downunder!

• Geological potential is high – Many opportunities; proven record of

discovery; wide range of commodities

• Supportive governments – State/NT exploration incentive schemes

– National and State/NT free digital data

– Partnerships with investors

• Low sovereign risk – Australia is 7th lowest risk in World


For more information, and free national and regional geoscientific datasets, visit:

www.ga.gov.au/minerals

www.geoscience.gov.au/

Australia:

More to discover downunder!

http://www.ga.gov.au/minerals

http://www.geoscience.gov.au/

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