Jobs and cash for Qld: Push to resurrect state’s ghost mines

Abandoned mine sites from the tip of Cape of York to Gympie are being investigated to see if they can be brought back to life and reap more rewards for Queensland. SEE THE LIST

Abandoned mine sites from the tip of Cape of York to Gympie are being investigated to see if they can be brought back to life and reap more rewards for Queensland.

There are about 120 complex abandoned mine sites across the state that are managed by the Department of Resources.

This story is part of The Courier-Mail’s special Future Queensland: Resources series that reveals the truth about the contribution the much-maligned resources industry makes to Queensland. You can read all of our coverage on the special topic page here.

At least a dozen sites have been identified as having potential for recommercialisation due to their tailings storages, stockpiles or remaining in-ground resources.

Among them are gold mines in Gympie, Mount Morgan, Charters Towers and Horn Island.

Another is the abandoned Wolfram Camp tungsten and molybdenum mine.

Under a pilot program, EQ Resources Limited was last month awarded the tender for resource exploration at the site located northwest of Cairns following the company’s success at bringing a nearby mine back to life.

The Mount Carbine mine was a major producer of tungsten when it operated from 1973 to 1987 until low metal prices forced its closure and only quarry operations remained.

But production recommenced in September 2020 after a $30 million investment from EQ Resources and that has so far resulted in $35m of tungsten being mined.

Among the company’s biggest investments was the complete refurbishment of the original gravity processing plant, the purchase of new ore sorters and phase one construction of their own crushing and screening plant.

This is in addition to further exploration of the site and restarting open pit mining operations.

“We started from the historical floor that was shut down in the 1980s and we’ve taken that down about 40 meters from where we originally started, and we still have about 60 meters left to go down on our stage two pits operation,” Mt Carbine JV Operations Manager Ryan MacNeill said.

“There is a very high potential to take this mine underground.”

German-owned metal recycling and metals trading business Cronimet is the biggest purchaser of tungsten from the site.

Ryan and Rosalyn MacNeill. Pic Brian Cassey

Tom Ross, 74, was born in Cairns and spent most of his life in the Mount Carbine area, and worked at the original mine for seven years.

He has been back at the mine for the past four years as a machine operator where he has helped train people 50 years younger than him.

He said the rock processing work of today’s mine was much the same, but the ability of the modern XRT ore sorters to find and separate wolfram from other rock material had become more efficient.

“The original mine was really constructed well and it was a much bigger process,” Mr Ross said.

“They had three different sized ore sorters, far bigger than what’s here.

“They started off with photometrics, and then they brought in the hospital grade X-rays and they were pretty efficient, the only problem was the weight of the big, solid pieces of wolfram.

“They had men on a picking belt over at the primary crusher, and it wasn’t unusual for them to stop the belt and three of them had to lift a piece of wolfram off the belt.”

Mr MacNeill said there was a five year development timeline for Wolfram Camp and a highly prospective nearby property called Bamford Hill, with a feasibility study and trial ore sorting to come.

If the site does commence full production it would likely create another 150 jobs.

Association of Mining and Exploration Companies CEO Warren Pearce said already disturbed land should be optimally explored and mined to create more jobs and revenue for the state.

“If the Government are motivated to have a circular economy in Queensland, this must apply to mining, including the economic rehabilitation of historic and abandoned mines and tailings,” Mr Pearce said.

Mt Carbine Tungsten Mine. Pic: Brian Cassey

“If we return all mines to a grazing paddock at their end of life, in no way are we acting in the state’s interest or achieving a better land use for the future.”

Resources and Critical Minerals minister Scott Stewart said historically, critical minerals in mining by-products were considered commercially unviable secondary products.

But amid the clean energy transition, extracting valuable materials from mine by-products and previously exploited areas had emerged as a vital supply source for critical minerals.

“We are committed to ensuring we have the right regulatory framework to enable secondary prospectivity of minerals to ensure the responsible use of Queensland’s critical minerals, and to realise the full potential on previously disturbed land,” he said.

The state government’s Abandoned Mine Lands Program is responsible for assessing and mitigating risks to public health and safety, environment and property posed by abandoned mines and operating plant.

Mr Stewart said the Wolfram Camp tender area pilot program would be used by the Department of Resources to determine the best way to re-commercialise other abandoned mine sites.

Queensland’s ghost mines could be brought back to life. Pic: Brian Cassey

“It could see more of our abandoned mine sites around the state transformed from a liability to an asset – once more generating good jobs and royalties for all Queenslanders,” he said.

The state government is also now helping facilitate the Heritage Minerals Tailings Processing Project at the Mount Morgan mine in Central Queensland.

The project aims to produce about 60,000 ounces of gold and 5000 tonnes of copper per year, through reprocessing of historic mine tailings over an initial six-year period of operations.

The project is now in the final stages of financial close and Heritage Minerals has commenced on-site with the set-up of construction offices and roadways and is finalising mining and water management strategies.

“This project brings with it not only great opportunities for economic activity and jobs but also helps remediate the environmental impacts of the mine,” Mr Stewart said.