Leslie Massey
Molybdenum is a rare metal with a high melting point that is used to make steel alloys and chemical compounds. It is typically found in porphyry or skarn deposits, often alongside copper and tungsten. While there was no recorded production of molybdenum in Australia in 2012, the metal has been found in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales. The Molyhil tungsten-molybdenum project in the Northern Territory is an open-pit mining project that is expected to be commissioned in 2023.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales |
| Producers | China, USA, Chile, Peru |
| Uses | Steel alloy, stainless steel production, engineering steels, tool and high-speed steel, cast iron, superalloys, chemical compounds, lubricants, catalysts, pigments |
| Producers in Australia | Newcrest Mining, Cadia, Thor Mining |
| Mines in Australia | Everton deposit, Mount Moliagul, Mount Douglas, Wangarabell, Womobi wolfram mine, Unicorn Mo-Cu-Ag Project, Molyhil tungsten-molybdenum mine |
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What You'll Learn
Molybdenum deposits in Victoria
Molybdenum, or moly, is a metallic, silvery-white chemical element with diverse applications, including its use in high-strength steel alloys, catalysts, lubricants, and pigments. While molybdenum deposits are found and mined across the globe, Australia is also home to several molybdenum deposits, with demonstrated resources in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales.
In Victoria, molybdenite (MoS2) has been found widely, although production has only been recorded from a few deposits. The most significant of these is the Everton deposit, which produced approximately 325 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate between 1917 and 1944. The mineralisation at the Everton deposit occurs in the form of a distinctive, concentric pipe-like body.
Mount Moliagul in Victoria has been the subject of sporadic exploration and mining, but there has been little production from this area. Minor amounts of molybdenum production have also been recorded at several other locations in Victoria, including Mount Douglas near Wedderburn, Wangarabell in East Gippsland, and the Womobi wolfram mine near Thologolong, where molybdenum was a byproduct of tungsten mining.
Additionally, drilling at the Unicorn Mo-Cu-Ag Project in eastern Victoria has identified a significant molybdenum resource associated with an Ordovician porphyry intrusion. This project is located within the Curnamona Province, where disseminated molybdenite is found within porphyry-style altered Ordovician granite at Anabama Hill and Netley Hill prospects.
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Molybdenum in New South Wales
Molybdenum is a refractory metal used in chemical applications, such as catalysts, lubricants, and pigments. It is present in small amounts in New South Wales (NSW), a state on the east coast of Australia. NSW shares borders with Queensland to the north, Victoria to the south, and South Australia to the west, with its eastern coast bordering the Coral and Tasman Seas.
In NSW, molybdenum deficiencies are common in acid soils, particularly in coastal areas, the Southern Tablelands, and parts of the Central and Northern Tablelands. The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries provides resources on soil management and molybdenum deficiency. Molybdenum trioxide, the form typically added to superphosphate, is not water-soluble, making it unsuitable for spraying crops. However, ammonium molybdate and sodium molybdate, which dissolve in cold water, can be used to prepare solutions for spraying.
The application of molybdenum fertiliser can quickly address molybdenum deficiency in plants. Additionally, liming to raise the pH above 5.5 can remedy molybdenum deficiency in the long term. Molybdenum is essential for plants' chemical changes associated with nitrogen nutrition. Its absence leads to nitrate accumulation in leaves, hindering protein synthesis for normal growth, resulting in stunted plants with pale or yellowish green leaves.
Historically, molybdenum production in Australia has been minor, with no recorded production in 2012. However, demonstrated resources are present in NSW, Queensland, Victoria, and Western Australia. Molybdenite (MoS2) deposits have been found in Victoria, with the most significant deposit being the Everton deposit, which produced approximately 325 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate between 1917 and 1944.
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Molyhil tungsten-molybdenum project
Molybdenum deposits in Australia are found in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales. In the past, molybdenum production in Australia has been recorded in several places in Victoria, including the Everton deposit, which was the most significant. Minor amounts have also been produced in Mount Douglas near Wedderburn, Wangarabell in East Gippsland, and the Womobi wolfram mine near Thologolong.
The Molyhil tungsten-molybdenum project is located 200-220km from Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. The project is being developed by Thor Mining, which owns and operates the mine. The Molyhil licence was originally held by Petrocarb Exploration, which extracted approximately 900,000 tonnes of ore from the deposit until 1982. The mine was later acquired by several companies before being acquired by Thor in early 2005.
The Molyhil project has a known deposit of 11,800 tonnes of tungsten, making it the largest known deposit of this metal in Australia. The project involves the expansion of an existing open-pit that measures 150m by 120m and is 13m deep. The conventional open-cut mining method will be used, involving contract drill and blast followed by owner-operated excavation and haulage operations. The run-of-mine ore will be sent to a nearby processing plant for two-stage crushing, X-Ray (XRT) ore sorting, and two-stage grinding before passing through a four-stage flotation circuit to produce tungsten and molybdenum concentrate.
The probable reserves of Molyhil are estimated at 3.0-3.5 million tons grading at 0.29%-0.31% tungsten and 0.12% molybdenum. The total indicated and inferred resources are estimated to be 4.7 million tons grading 0.28% tungsten, 0.14% molybdenum, 0.05% copper, and 18.8% iron. Thor commenced drilling activities at the mine in July 2011 with a two-stage programme intended to increase the reserve estimates of the mine. The construction works on the project were expected to start in 2022, with commissioning anticipated in 2023.
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Molybdenum in Queensland
Molybdenum is a refractory metal used in chemical applications such as catalysts, lubricants, and pigments. While there was no recorded production of molybdenum in Australia in 2012, the metal is present in Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria, and New South Wales.
In Queensland, molybdenite can be found at the Wolfram Camp in Dimbulah, Mareeba Shire. The Everton deposit in Victoria is the most significant deposit, producing approximately 325 tonnes of molybdenum concentrate between 1917 and 1944. Minor amounts of molybdenum production have also been recorded in Victoria at Mount Douglas near Wedderburn, Wangarabell in East Gippsland, and the Womobi wolfram mine near Thologolong.
Molybdenum deposits are typically found at the margins of highly fractionated and oxidised I-type granitic intrusions or adjacent to metamorphic aureoles, where they form during late magmatic hydrothermal activity. They often appear as irregular vein networks, joint fillings, or disseminated flakes in pegmatite or aplite dykes.
Exploration and mining have been conducted sporadically at Mount Moliagul in Victoria, but there has been little production from this area. At the Unicorn Mo-Cu-Ag Project in eastern Victoria, drilling has identified significant resources associated with Ordovician porphyry intrusions.
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Molybdenum in South Australia
Molybdenum is a metal with a wide variety of uses, including as a refractory metal in chemical applications, such as catalysts, lubricants, and pigments. It is often found as a by-product in copper-rich orebodies. In South Australia, molybdenum has been produced in small quantities from the southeastern Gawler Craton (Yorke Peninsula). Specifically, the Moonta, Yelta, Wallaroo, and Kurilla Mines in this region have been sources of molybdenite, a mineral form of molybdenum associated with Cu-Au mineralisation. The Yelta Mine, in particular, recorded a production of 960 kg of molybdenite in the early 1900s, although actual production may have been several tonnes. The host rock for the Moonta and Yelta deposits is the Palaeoproterozoic Moonta Porphyry, a type of igneous rock, while the Wallaroo and Kurilla deposits are hosted by the Palaeoproterozoic Doora Metasediments.
In the Curnamona Province of South Australia, disseminated molybdenite occurs within porphyry-style altered Ordovician granite at Anabama Hill and Netley Hill prospects. Minor molybdenite deposits have also been recorded at the Mutooroo Mine, Benowrie Copper Mine, and Ethiudna Mine. Additionally, coarse molybdenite can be found in narrow veinlets within Ordovician granite at a quarry near Tintinara in the southeast of the state.
Exploration and mining companies like Taiton Resources and Andromeda Metals are actively searching for molybdenum deposits in South Australia. Taiton Resources has confirmed the presence of molybdenum and silver mineralisation at the Merino Porphyry Prospect within its Highway Project in the Gawler Craton. Portable XRF technology has indicated promising readings of molybdenum and silver in quartz veins hosted in brecciated and silicified host rocks.
Molybdenum is currently in high demand and trading at a premium price, making the exploration and development of new sources a lucrative prospect for mining companies.
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Frequently asked questions
Molybdenum deposits are found mainly at the margins of highly fractionated and oxidised I-type granitic intrusions or adjacent to metamorphic aureoles. In Australia, molybdenite has been found in Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales.
Some of the major molybdenum deposits in Australia include the Everton deposit in Victoria, the Molyhil tungsten-molybdenum deposit in the Northern Territory, and the Yelta Mine in South Australia.
Molybdenum is used as a refractory metal in chemical applications such as catalysts, lubricants, and pigments. It is also used in the production of steel alloys, stainless steel, and engineering steels due to its strength and high melting point.
Some companies associated with molybdenum in Australia include Newcrest Mining, Thor Mining, and Cadia.
