Iluka currently conducts mining and processing operations in the southern part of the Murray Basin, near Douglas, where it operates a wet concentrator plant producing HMC, and a mineral separation plant at Hamilton, which delivers final products of rutile, zircon and leucoxene. Tin pre-concentrate is also being produced as a minor by-product stream, while the company has undertaken some sales of ilmenite.
Iluka currently mines three deposits at Douglas: Bondi Main, Bondi West and Bondi East. HMC was stockpiled in 2006 prior to the mineral separation plant coming on-line in early 2007. The mineral separation plant, which was commissioned early 2007, produced a combined total of 187kt of rutile and zircon during 2007. Final product is trucked from Hamilton to the Port of Portland, located 80km to the south of Hamilton, for export.
Murray Basin Stage 2 Development
Murray Basin Stage 2 execute phase was approved by the Board of Iluka in February 2008 and is a key component in completing the development of an important new minerals sands province in Victoria. A capital expenditure budget of up to $209 million was approved for the project.
Murray Basin Stage 2 will allow access to additional resources in the Murray Basin (specifically the higher grade northern deposits) and utilise available processing capacity at the Hamilton mineral separation plant which has been upgraded as part of the project. First production is expected in the second quarter of 2009. Click here for further information on the Murray Basin Stage 2 project.
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Operation |
The Douglas mine site is approximately 90km, north of Hamilton, Victoria
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Main Assets |
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Douglas mine (mining unit plant and wet concentrator plant)
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Mineral separation plant, located at Hamilton, Victoria
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Mining operations initially from Bondi Main and Bondi East deposits |
| *Project |
Murray Basin Stage 2 Development
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Employment |
Douglas: ~115 Iluka personnel and ~70 contractors
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| Mineral Sands Product |
Zircon, rutile, ilmenite (mainly returned to mine pit)
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Production |
In 2008, the Murray Basin operations produced:
- 112 thousand tonnes of zircon
- 66 thousand tonnes of rutile
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*Project is defined as a site under planning or currently in construction , but not producing mineral sands products.