Exploration is a key component of Iluka's resource development activities. The company has been successfully exploring for mineral sands deposits, in Australia and internationally, for over 60 years. The exploration programme focuses on finding new deposits to grow its mining and processing business. Iluka currently has active operations in South Australia, Western Australia and in Sierra Leone. If you'd like to learn more about Iluka's operations please visit www.iluka.com/operations-resource-development. The exploration process Finding mineral sands deposits involves research, license applications, access negotiations, a variety of different surveys (including heritage), drilling, sampling and analysis, resource estimation and financial evaluation. The entire exploration process can take many years to complete, but it is the foundation data on which Iluka’s feasibility studies are considered and initiated. Large economically viable deposits are scarce and in the mineral sands industry, less than one in a thousand targets identified becomes a mine. Exploration is only undertaken when the relevant legal conditions of the state or country in which the work is to be conducted are fulfilled. Key stages of the exploration process are:
Drilling A variety of drilling methods are used during exploration depending on the terrain and surface to be drilled. Iluka often uses an aircore drill rig as it is small, mobile off road and designed to cause minimal impact. Typically drill rigs are mounted on a lightweight 4WD, small truck or tracked vehicle. The diameter of each drill hole is usually less than 100mm and the depth varies depending on the location of the mineral deposit. Exploration Locations To see the mining licence areas around your location, visit: Earth Resources - Mining Licences Near Me
1800 305 993 Communities.Support@iluka.com
Iluka assesses the risk of intersecting groundwater during all proposed drilling activities. Iluka acts in accordance with advice from relevant Environment and Water authorities and has control strategies in place to prevent cross contamination of confined aquifers.
Across the resources industry, less than 1% of exploration prospects become mines.
If the exploration program does find something, further research drilling, testing and commercial feasibility studies would be undertaken.