1972 Groote Eylandt development progress report for EL 42

Abstract

Development of the manganese ore deposits on Groote Eylandt prior to the Agreement dated 9th September, 1969, was carried out in two stages, namely:

Stage 1 Development:

Facilities were established to enable a production rate of 200,000 tons per annum of lump manganese of metallurgical grade to be achieved. This involved the provision of plant and equipment for quarrying, crushing, wet screening, transportation, power generation and shiploading, and the construction of port facilities, the township of Alyangula, roads, bridges and all the required services. The crushing and screening plant for Stage 1 Development was commissioned in July, 1966.

Stage 2 Development:

Certain facilities were duplicated to enable the production rate to be increased to 400,000 tons per annum. This involved additional plant and equipment for quarrying and transportation, construction of additional housing at Alyangula, improvements to the port, and certain other works essential to production and the general welfare of the mining community.

Stage 2 Development was completed by early 1968.

Current Development (Stage 3):

Experience with the crushing and screening plant installed during Stages 1 and 2, together with extensive geological and metallurgical investigations confirmed the necessity of introducing comprehensive concentration equipment to maintain the grade and quality of the manganese ore products as well as to achieve the throughput which forms the basis of the Agreement with the Commonwealth. A concentration plant incorporating such facilities was designed to treat at least 1.75 million tons per annum of crude manganese ore to produce up to 1.0 million tons per annum of concentrates, including 700,000 tons of lump product. Additional quarrying equipment and essential services was also provided. Progressive commissioning of the concentrating plant was carried out during this half yearly period and at 30th December the original crushing and screening plant was shut down and all manganese ore output was being produced from the new plant. The first ore was fed to the primary crushing section on 23rd October by which time dry runs of the concentrating plant and testing of the water circuits had commenced. Ore was fed to the concentrating plant on 8th November and a changeover of production from the old plant to the new has taken place progressively as minor modifications to individual items of plant have been attended to. The new storage and shiploading complex has also been commissioned with the first ore shipment loaded in the Darwin Trader on 17th January bound for Bell Bay. All support facilities and amenities have been

commissioned and are in use. The production capacity of the plant installed is now in excess of 700,000 tons lump ore of marketable grade, and actual production is only limited by the market offering. All support facilities and amenities have been commissioned and are in use. [contains historic photographs]