Mining in the Northern Territory

Main article: Mining in Australia

Mining in the Northern Territory accounts for 16.4% of the gross domestic product, inclusive of both the minerals and petroleum industries. In 2015, it was valued at A$3,436 million. It accounts for 4.3% of the Northern Territory workforce. 63 businesses are currently engaged in the sector.^[1]

Mining in the Northern Territory
Position of Northern Territory within Australia
Location
State	Northern Territory
Country	Australia
Regulatory authority
Authority	Department of Mines and Energy
Website	Official website
Production
Value	A$3,436 million
Employees	5,732
Year	2015[1]

History

The Ochre Pits

Prior to European Settlement Indigenous groups mined ochre and other materials for ceremonial activities.^[2] With the arrival of the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1860s-70's gold was discovered in small quantities at a number of locations when the Northern Territory was being administered by South Australia.^[3]

The first large find of gold in the region was made at Pine Creek, about 250kms south of Darwin in 1872. Its discovery led to an influx of prospectors to the region, including a large number of Chinese migrants. Soon Chinese migrants outnumbered 'white' miners, those of European backgrounds, and tensions arose with many white miners being angered that Chinese workers were 'undercutting the existing labour force.^[4] This tension ultimately led to the creation of South Australia's Chinese Restriction Act 1868 which brought in tonnage restrictions and a poll tax on each Chinese arrival and dramatically reduced the number of arrivals to the region.^[5]

The next major gold discovery was made at Arltunga, 110kms east of Alice Springs, in 1897 where a battery and cyanide plant were established to process the ore.^[3]

Other mineral discoveries, besides gold, were also made during this period including copper at Pine Creek in 1872 and the Daly River region in 1882. Mica was discovered at Hart Range from 1892 and wolfram at Hatches Creek (between Alice Springs and Tennant Creek).^[3]

Despite these discoveries there were few early mining successes during this early era, in large part, because conditions on the goldfields and mines were harsh and often the mines were located long distances from the larger settlements, harsh weather conditions, high prices for goods and services and fluctuating metal prices.^[3]

Major commodities

Manganese

Manganese mining in the Northern Territory in the financial year 2013-14, was worth A$1,024 million.^[1]

Petroleum

Petroleum, like mining, falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Mines and Energy. It was worth $214 million in 2014.^[1] The NT onshore area is over 1.35 million km². There were 54 active exploration permits, three retention and five productions licences. Hydrocarbons have been produced since the 1980s.^[6]

Onshore gas was produced at the Mereenie and Palm Valley gas fields in the Amadeus Basin, west of Alice Springs. The Dingo Field began producing gas in November 2015.^[6]

Gold

Gold mining in the Northern Territory was worth A$770 million in 2014.^[1]

Uranium

Uranium mining in the Northern Territory in the financial year 2013-14, was worth A$136 million.^[1]

Geothermal

There are no granted geothermal permits in the NT at the time of producing this report. The last permit was surrendered in 2014.^[6]

Table of Mines in the Northern Territory

Mines in Northern Territory^[7]

Name	Alternate Names	Coordinates	Status	Commodities	Geological Province	Geological Age	Deposit Model[8]
Millars/Big Tree/PingQue	Union Reefs Project	13.7244°S 131.796°E / -13.7244; 131.796	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Paleoproterozoic
MLS167	Carbine, Central Tanami Project, Dogbolter, Harleys, Phoenix, Redback SE	20.4058°S 129.667°E / -20.4058; 129.667	Historic Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Proterozoic
MLS168	Camel Bore, Central Tanami Project, Jims Main	20.1581°S 129.6207°E / -20.1581; 129.6207	Historic Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Proterozoic
MLS180	Banjo, Beaver, Bonsai, Central Tanami Project	19.9703°S 129.4079°E / -19.9703; 129.4079	Historic Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: unknown, Group: unknown, Type: unknown
ML 22934 - Groundrush	Central Tanami Project	19.7103°S 129.9928°E / -19.7103; 129.9928	Historic Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Proterozoic
Tanami - Newmont	Callie, Dead Bullock Soak, Tanami Project, The Granites	20.5256°S 129.9336°E / -20.5256; 129.9336	Operating Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Ammaroo Phosphate	Barrow Creek 1	21.7921°S 135.8348°E / -21.7921; 135.8348	Under Development	Phosphate, (Uranium, Phosphorus oxide, Uranium oxide)	Georgina Basin
Davies		13.5629°S 131.5653°E / -13.5629; 131.5653	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen
Coronation Hill		13.5862°S 132.6074°E / -13.5862; 132.6074	Historic Mine	Gold, (Uranium, Platinum, Palladium, Platinum group elements, Uranium oxide)	Pine Creek Orogen	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Basin hydrothermal, Group: Unconformity-related, Type: Unconformity-related U
Nabarlek Uranium Mine	Nabarlek	12.3082°S 133.32°E / -12.3082; 133.32	Historic Mine	Uranium oxide, Uranium	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Basin hydrothermal, Group: Unconformity-related, Type: Unconformity-related U
Eldorado	Tennant Creek	19.6971°S 134.233°E / -19.6971; 134.233	Historic Mine	Gold	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Woodcutters		12.9681°S 131.1124°E / -12.9681; 131.1124	Historic Mine	Lead, Copper, Antimony, Silver, Cadmium, Zinc	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Orogenic Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu-Sb
Woolwonga		13.4045°S 131.5505°E / -13.4045; 131.5505	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Nobles Nob		19.7115°S 134.2901°E / -19.7115; 134.2901	Historic Mine	Gold, (Silver, Copper, Bismuth)	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Hatches Creek		20.8861°S 135.188°E / -20.8861; 135.188	Historic Mine	Tungsten trioxide (wolframite), Copper, Bismuth, Tungsten	Davenport Province	Proterozoic
Roper River Iron		14.4253°S 134.1839°E / -14.4253; 134.1839	Care And Maintenance	Iron ore, (Iron)	McArthur Basin
Moline	Northern Hercules	13.6672°S 132.15°E / -13.6672; 132.15	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Mount Wells		13.4996°S 131.713°E / -13.4996; 131.713	Historic Mine	Tin, Copper	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: unknown, Group: unknown, Type: unknown
Callie	Tanami Project	20.5266°S 129.9249°E / -20.5266; 129.9249	Operating Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Tiwi		11.36°S 130.83°E / -11.36; 130.83	Historic Mine	Zircon, Rutile, Ilmenite, Leucoxene
Quest 29	Mount Bundy Project	12.9569°S 131.5876°E / -12.9569; 131.5876	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Toms Gully	Mount Bundy Project	12.831°S 131.5608°E / -12.831; 131.5608	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Bootu Creek	Chugga, Gogo, Shekuma, Tourag, Xhosa	18.6998°S 134.1258°E / -18.6998; 134.1258	Care And Maintenance	Manganese ore, (Manganese)	Tomkinson Province
Mls119-133	Central Tanami Project, Tanami Mine JV	19.9725°S 129.7088°E / -19.9725; 129.7088	Historic Mine	Gold		Paleoproterozoic
Zapopan		13.4756°S 131.4376°E / -13.4756; 131.4376	Historic Mine	Silver, Gold, Lead	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Dead Bullock Soak	Colliwobble Ridge, Dead Bullock Ridge, Fumarole, Tanami Project, Villa	20.5256°S 129.9336°E / -20.5256; 129.9336	Historic Mine	Gold	Callie, The Granites-Tanami Block	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Rustlers Roost	Mt Bundy Project	12.917°S 131.4984°E / -12.917; 131.4984	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Gove		12.2611°S 136.837°E / -12.2611; 136.837	Operating Mine	Bauxite, (Alumina)	Carpentaria Basin	Cenozoic
Orlando	Tennant Creek	19.4387°S 134.0281°E / -19.4387; 134.0281	Historic Mine	Copper, Gold, Silver, (Bismuth)	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Glencoe	Burnside project	13.4397°S 131.504°E / -13.4397; 131.504	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Mount Bonnie		13.5417°S 131.549°E / -13.5417; 131.549	Historic Mine	Zinc, Silver, Gold, Lead, (Copper)	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Molyhil		22.7571°S 135.7493°E / -22.7571; 135.7493	Under Development	Molybdenum, (Copper, Molybdenite, Tungsten, Tungsten trioxide (wolframite), Iron)	Arunta Orogen, Aileron Province	Proterozoic
Juno		19.7033°S 134.2407°E / -19.7033; 134.2407	Historic Mine	Gold, Silver, (Copper, Bismuth)	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Frances Creek	2, 3, 4, 5, 6/7, 9, Elizabeth Marion, Extended, Helene 1, Rosemary, Thelma	13.5642°S 131.85°E / -13.5642; 131.85	Operating Mine	Iron ore, (Iron)	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Bridge Creek	Burnside Project	13.4403°S 131.3195°E / -13.4403; 131.3195	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Brocks Creek	Burnside Project	13.4765°S 131.4379°E / -13.4765; 131.4379	Historic Mine	Gold, Silver	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Gecko	K44	19.4354°S 134.0661°E / -19.4354; 134.0661	Historic Mine	Copper, (Gold, Bismuth)	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: IOCG, Type: Magnetite-dominant IOCG
Tanami (Central)	Central Tanami Project	19.9679°S 129.7122°E / -19.9679; 129.7122	Historic Mine	Gold, Silver	Callie, The Granites-Tanami Block	Proterozoic
Howley	Burnside Project	13.498°S 131.3455°E / -13.498; 131.3455	Care And Maintenance	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Fountain Head	Burnside Project	13.4667°S 131.5061°E / -13.4667; 131.5061	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Groote Eylandt		13.9922°S 136.4455°E / -13.9922; 136.4455	Operating Mine	Manganese ore, (Manganese)	Carpentaria Basin
Chinese Howley	Burnside Project	13.5099°S 131.3575°E / -13.5099; 131.3575	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Eva	Pandanus Creek	17.681°S 137.8196°E / -17.681; 137.8196	Historic Mine	Uranium, Gold, (Uranium oxide)	Mount Isa Orogen, Murphy Inlier
Union Reefs	Union Reefs Project	13.714°S 131.7905°E / -13.714; 131.7905	Care And Maintenance	Gold, (Silver)	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Mount Porter		13.634°S 131.821°E / -13.634; 131.821	Under Development	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Chariot	Tennant Creek Mineral Field	19.654°S 134.0969°E / -19.654; 134.0969	Historic Mine	Gold	Warramunga Province	Proterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
McArthur River zinc mine	McArthur River, HYC	16.436°S 136.0985°E / -16.436; 136.0985	Operating Mine	Zinc, Lead, (Silver, Copper, Cadmium, Antimony)	McArthur Basin	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Basin hydrothermal, Group: Sediment-hosted, Type: Siliciclastic-carbonate Zn-Pb
Spring Hill	Spring Hill Gold Project	13.608°S 131.7176°E / -13.608; 131.7176	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
Mud Tank		23.0081°S 134.2655°E / -23.0081; 134.2655	Closed	Vermiculite	Arunta Orogen, Aileron Province	Neoproterozoic	Environment: Supergene, Group: Laterite, Type: Carbonatite laterite REE
Goodall		13.2113°S 131.3731°E / -13.2113; 131.3731	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Pine Creek	Czarina, Enterprise, Gandy's Hill, International, South Gandy	13.8257°S 131.8287°E / -13.8257; 131.8287	Historic Mine	Gold, (Silver)	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic	Environment: unknown, Group: unknown, Type: unknown
Ranger Uranium Mine	Ranger	12.6735°S 132.9185°E / -12.6735; 132.9185	Closed	Uranium, (Uranium oxide)	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Basin hydrothermal, Group: Unconformity-related, Type: Unconformity-related U
Warrego		19.4448°S 133.8237°E / -19.4448; 133.8237	Historic Mine	Gold, Copper, Bismuth, Iron ore, Silver, (Iron)	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: IOCG, Type: Magnetite-dominant IOCG
Maud Creek	Gold Creek, Maud Creek Project	14.4431°S 132.454°E / -14.4431; 132.454	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Central Tanami		19.966°S 129.1739°E / -19.966; 129.1739	Historic Mine	Gold	Tanami Orogen	Proterozoic
Roper Bar	Area D, Area E, Area F, Gum Creek	15.223°S 135.074°E / -15.223; 135.074	Operating Mine	Iron ore, (Iron)	McArthur Basin
Browns polymetallic ore deposit	Browns	12.9939°S 130.9975°E / -12.9939; 130.9975	Historic Mine	Lead, Cobalt, Silver, Nickel, Zinc, Copper	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Orogenic Cu ± Au
Iron Blow	Burnside Project	13.5137°S 131.552°E / -13.5137; 131.552	Historic Mine	Zinc, Gold, Silver, (Copper, Lead)	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Cosmo Howley	Burnside Project, Cosmopolitan Howley	13.5369°S 131.3761°E / -13.5369; 131.3761	Care And Maintenance	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic
Redbank	Azurite, Bluff, Punchbowl, Roman Nose, Sandy Flat	17.1932°S 137.7435°E / -17.1932; 137.7435	Care And Maintenance	Copper	McArthur Basin	Proterozoic
Merlin diamond mine	Merlin, Excalibur, Launfal, Palomides, Sacramore, Tristram, etc	16.8479°S 136.3451°E / -16.8479; 136.3451	Operating Mine	Diamond - undifferentiated, (Diamond - gem and cheap gem)	McArthur Basin
Czarina	Pine Creek Project	13.822°S 131.8278°E / -13.822; 131.8278	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Esmeralda	Union Reefs Project	13.756°S 131.8299°E / -13.756; 131.8299	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Paleoproterozoic
Enterprise	Pine Creek Project	13.8247°S 131.827°E / -13.8247; 131.827	Historic Mine	Gold	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Metamorphic hydrothermal, Group: Orogenic, Type: Mesozonal orogenic Au
Wauchope		20.5986°S 134.3297°E / -20.5986; 134.3297	Historic Mine	Tungsten, Tungsten trioxide (wolframite)	Davenport Province	Proterozoic
Rum Jungle, Northern Territory	Rum Jungle Creek South	13.0397°S 130.9984°E / -13.0397; 130.9984	Historic Mine	Uranium, Uranium oxide	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: unknown, Group: unknown, Type: unknown
Mucketty		18.6639°S 134.0549°E / -18.6639; 134.0549	Historic Mine	Manganese, Manganese ore	Tomkinson Province		Environment: Basin chemical, Group: Manganese, Type: Sedimentary Mn
El Sherana		13.5057°S 132.5203°E / -13.5057; 132.5203	Historic Mine	Gold, Uranium oxide, Uranium	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic	Environment: Basin hydrothermal, Group: Unconformity-related, Type: Unconformity-related U
Mount Burton		12.977°S 130.9636°E / -12.977; 130.9636	Historic Mine	Copper, Uranium, Uranium oxide	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Ivanhoe	Tennant Creek	19.5535°S 134.0588°E / -19.5535; 134.0588	Historic Mine	Gold, Bismuth, Copper	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Argo	Explorer 46, Tennant Creek	19.6671°S 134.22°E / -19.6671; 134.22	Historic Mine	Gold, Bismuth, Copper	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
TC8		19.6271°S 134.15°E / -19.6271; 134.15	Historic Mine	Copper, Silver, Gold	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: IOCG, Type: Magnetite-dominant IOCG
White Range	Arltunga	23.4631°S 134.766°E / -23.4631; 134.766	Historic Mine	Gold	Arunta Orogen, Arltunga Gold Metallogenic Province, Georgina Basin	Paleozoic
Norris		17.6736°S 137.8532°E / -17.6736; 137.8532	Historic Mine	Copper	Mount Isa Orogen, Murphy Inlier	Proterozoic
White's		12.9849°S 131.008°E / -12.9849; 131.008	Historic Mine	Uranium, Copper, Uranium oxide, Lead, Cobalt	Pine Creek Orogen, Mount Todd Gold Metallogenic Province	Proterozoic
White Devil	Eldorado	19.486°S 133.9023°E / -19.486; 133.9023	Historic Mine	Gold, Selenium, Bismuth, Copper	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: IOCG, Type: Magnetite-dominant IOCG
Mount Fitch (Northern Territory)	Mount Fitch	12.9468°S 130.9483°E / -12.9468; 130.9483	Historic Mine	Nickel, Copper, Cobalt, Uranium, Uranium oxide	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Northern Star	Tennant Creek	19.3156°S 134.1466°E / -19.3156; 134.1466	Historic Mine	Gold	Tennant Creek Block, Warramunga Province, Warrego Metallogenic Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Regional metasomatic, Group: Metasomatic iron, Type: Iron oxide Au
Roper Heavy Minerals		14.4167°S 134°E / -14.4167; 134	Operating Mine	Mineral sands, Heavy minerals, (Ilmenite, Magnetite)
Mount Bundey		12.8462°S 131.593°E / -12.8462; 131.593	Historic Mine	Iron ore, (Iron)	Pine Creek Orogen	Proterozoic
Home of Bullion		21.5127°S 134.1564°E / -21.5127; 134.1564	Historic Mine	Copper, Zinc, (Lead, Silver, Cobalt, Gold)	Aileron Province	Paleoproterozoic	Environment: Volcanic basin hydrothermal, Group: Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), Type: Bimodal-felsic VMS
Finniss Lithium Project		12.6667°S 130.7775°E / -12.6667; 130.7775	Operating Mine	Lithium, Lithium oxide