Leslie Massey
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral composed of lithium aluminium inosilicate, with the chemical formula LiAl(SiO3)2. It is a commercially important source of lithium, which is used in ceramics, mobile phones, batteries, medicine, and more. Australia is the world's biggest producer of spodumene, with around 47% of the world's production coming from mines in Western Australia. The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine and is a significant source of spodumene. Other mines in Western Australia that produce spodumene include the Mount Cattlin mine, the Mount Marion mine, and the Wodgina lithium mine. The Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory is the only Australian lithium mine outside of Western Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country with the biggest spodumene reserves | Australia |
| World's largest hard-rock lithium mine | Greenbushes mine, Western Australia |
| World's largest producer of hard-rock spodumene | Greenbushes Lithium Operations, 250 km southeast of Perth, Australia |
| Spodumene mines in Australia | Greenbushes Mine, Mount Cattlin Mine, Mount Marion Mine, Finniss Lithium Project |
| Spodumene deposits in Australia | Greenbushes Lithium Operations, Mount Marion |
| Australian company developing the Manono Lithium and Tin project | AVZ Minerals |
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What You'll Learn
- Spodumene is found in Western Australia's Greenbushes mine
- The world's largest hard-rock lithium mine is in Australia
- Spodumene is found in igneous rock called pegmatite
- Spodumene is found in the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory
- Spodumene is found in the Mount Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia
Spodumene is found in Western Australia's Greenbushes mine
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral that consists of lithium aluminium inosilicate, LiAl(SiO3)2. It is a commercially important source of lithium, which is used in ceramics, mobile phones, batteries, medicine, and more. As of 2019, around half of the world's lithium is extracted from mineral ores, which mainly consist of spodumene.
The mine is owned and operated by Talison Lithium, which became a joint venture partnership between the Tianqi Lithium Corporation and the Albemarle Corporation in 2014. The lithium production industry is dominated by only four companies, and Talison is one of them. The Greenbushes mine is also the longest continuously operated mining area in Western Australia, with a rich history dating back to the discovery of tin in 1888.
The spodumene from the Greenbushes mine is hosted within a whitish dyke system within the dark-grey amphibolite. The mine produces approximately 1.95 million tonnes (4.3 billion pounds) of lithium spodumene annually, contributing 40% of the lithium mined in Australia in 2021. The Greenbushes operation plays a significant role in powering everything from electric vehicles to energy grid storage systems.
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The world's largest hard-rock lithium mine is in Australia
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral composed of lithium aluminium inosilicate, with the chemical formula LiAl(SiO3)2. It is an important source of lithium, which is used in ceramics, mobile phones, batteries, medicine, and as a fluxing agent. Australia is the world's biggest producer of spodumene, with around 47% of the world's total being mined in the country each year.
The world's largest hard-rock lithium mine is the Greenbushes mine in Western Australia. It is co-operated by the Chinese company Tianqi Lithium and the Australian companies Talison Lithium and IGO Limited. In 2021, the Greenbushes mine contributed 40% of the lithium mined in Australia, or 22,000 tonnes. The mine has the highest grade of ore at 2.4% Li2O, as of 2012 figures.
Spodumene is usually found in a type of igneous rock called pegmatite, which forms when lava or magma cools. Pegmatites are coarse-grained and often form in the latter stages of magma crystallisation. Spodumene is the lithium-bearing mineral found inside the pegmatite.
The process of extracting lithium from hard-rock deposits like those found in Australia is not much different from other forms of metal mining. When an economically viable resource is identified, the surface is cleared, the earth is scraped away, the rock is blasted, and the rubble is hauled off for processing into concentrate.
There are several other hard-rock lithium mines in Australia, including the Mount Marion mine near Kalgoorlie, the Wodgina lithium mine, the Mt Cattlin mine near Ravensthorpe, and the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory.
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Spodumene is found in igneous rock called pegmatite
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral composed of lithium aluminium inosilicate, with the chemical formula LiAl(SiO3)2. It is an important source of lithium, which is used in ceramics, mobile phones, batteries, medicine, and as a fluxing agent. Spodumene is found in igneous rock called pegmatite, which forms when lava or magma cools. Pegmatites are coarse-grained and often form in the latter stages of magma crystallization. They are sources of valuable minerals, such as spodumene, that are rarely found in economic amounts in other types of rocks.
In Australia, spodumene is mined in several locations. The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine and is co-operated by the Chinese company Tianqi Lithium and the Australian companies Talison Lithium and IGO Limited. In 2012, it was reported to be the world's second-largest producer of spodumene and to have the highest grade of ore at 2.4% Li2O. Other mines in Western Australia include the Mount Marion mine, an open-pit mine near Kalgoorlie, and the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project located in the Pilbara region. The Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory is the only Australian lithium mine outside of Western Australia.
Spodumene is also found in other parts of the world, including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Afghanistan, Brazil, Madagascar, Pakistan, Québec in Canada, and North Carolina and California in the United States. The DRC has been known to have the largest lithium spodumene hard-rock deposit in the world since 2018. Spodumene is often found in lithium-rich granite pegmatites and aplites, with associated minerals including quartz, albite, petalite, eucryptite, lepidolite, and beryl.
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Spodumene is found in the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory
Spodumene is a commercially important source of lithium, a highly sought-after mineral with a wide range of applications, from ceramics to batteries for electric vehicles. Australia is the world's biggest producer of spodumene, and most of its production comes from Western Australia. However, there is one Australian lithium mine outside of Western Australia: the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory, operated by Core Lithium.
The Finniss Lithium Project is a high-grade lithium mine that commenced construction in November 2021 and opened in 2022. The mine encompasses five deposits: Grants, Carlton, Sandras, Hang Gong SW, and BP33. The project area is made up of 500km² of tenements covering the Bynoe pegmatite field (BPF) and comprising several pegmatites near Darwin. The Finniss project utilises both open-pit and underground mining methods, and the first batch of spodumene concentrate was produced in February 2023.
The Grants deposit, located near the Grants open-pit, will be mined using a combination of open-pit and underground mining techniques. The BP33 deposit, situated 6km south of Grants, will be mined using sublevel open-stope mining methods, while the Hang Gong deposit will be an open-pit operation in a single phase. The Carlton deposit, located south of the Grants open-pit, will also be mined using sublevel open-stope methods.
The spodumene concentrate produced at the Finniss Lithium Project is transported to the Port of Darwin for delivery to customers. Core Lithium has entered into several agreements with companies like Ya Hua International Investment and Development (Yahua) and Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium for the sale of the spodumene concentrate produced at Finniss. The Finniss Lithium Project is expected to play a crucial role in meeting the world's growing demand for lithium.
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Spodumene is found in the Mount Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia
Spodumene is a commercially important source of lithium, a mineral used in ceramics, mobile phones, batteries, medicine, and more. It occurs in lithium-rich granite pegmatites and aplites and is found in several parts of the world, including Australia, which is the biggest producer of spodumene.
In Australia, spodumene is found in the Mount Cattlin mine in Ravensthorpe, Western Australia. The site contains an estimated 8.2 million tonnes of lithium reserves with a lithium oxide equivalent content of 1.23%. In 2019, the mine produced 192,000 dry tonnes of spodumene. The Mount Cattlin mine is an open-pit mine that was developed by Galaxy Resources (now Allkem) and opened in 2010. Mining was temporarily suspended in 2013 due to a drop in lithium prices but was restarted in 2016.
Spodumene is usually found in a type of igneous rock called pegmatite, which forms when lava or magma cools. Pegmatites are coarse-grained and often form in the latter stages of magma crystallisation. The name "spodumene" comes from the Greek word "spodumenos," meaning "burnt to ashes," referring to the ashy appearance of the mineral when exposed to elevated temperatures.
Australia has one of the world's biggest lithium reserves and is the biggest producer of lithium by weight, with most of its production coming from mines in Western Australia. The Greenbushes mine in Western Australia is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine and is a significant source of spodumene. Other spodumene mines in Western Australia include the Mount Marion mine and the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project.
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Frequently asked questions
Spodumene is found in Western Australia, particularly in the Greenbushes mine in the southwest, which is the world's largest hard-rock lithium mine.
The Greenbushes mine is co-operated by the Chinese company Tianqi Lithium and the Australian companies Talison Lithium and IGO Limited. It is the world's largest producer of hard-rock spodumene.
Yes, spodumene is also found in the Mount Marion mine, the Mt Cattlin mine, and the Finniss Lithium Project in the Northern Territory, which is the only Australian lithium mine outside of Western Australia.
Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral composed of lithium aluminium inosilicate, with the chemical formula LiAl(SiO3)2. It is an important source of lithium, which is used in batteries, ceramics, and medicine.
Australia is the world's biggest producer of spodumene, with around 47% of the world's production, and around 400 kilotons mined each year.
