Future NT 2025: The eight Territory mines that drive our economy
Eight Territory mines deliver the majority of the Territory’s own-source revenue. Read what they are - and check out the ones that are nearly there.
Northern Territory
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As the expansion of the onshore gas industry gains momentum, the Northern Territory’s eight operational mines continue to deliver hundreds of millions of dollars in own-source revenue every year to the economy.
According to the 2025-26 budget, mining and petroleum royalties were expected to total $298 million in 2024-25, increase to $346 million in 2025-26 and then average out at $282 million per annum over the forward estimates.
NT royalty forecasts were revised down in 2024 for the next two years, reflecting a range of factors including interruption to mine operations from Cyclone Megan combined with global and domestic inflationary pressures on operating costs of Territory mines.
On the other hand, royalty outlooks have been positively impacted by strong growth in key commodity prices such as gold, and depreciation of the Australian currency.
Treasury said it didn’t count new mine or resource projects until final investment decision is announced.
For the fourth year, the NT News’ annual Future Northern Territory advocacy program returns this month, with the resource sector a key content pillar.
Future NT 2025 is supported by major partners Tivan Limited, Charles Darwin University, Tamboran Resources, Santos, Darwin Port and NT Government, minor partners Airport Development Group and Sitzler and supporting partner Mindil Beach Casino Resort.
SILL 80 - Australian Ilmenite Resources (Ilmenite)
Located just off the Roper Highway on Numul Numul Station about 100km east of Mataranka, Australian Ilmenite Resources SILL 80 ilmenite project began producing in 2016, and supplies the product to China, Japan and Saudi Arabia.
Currently dispatching about six ships every year from Darwin Port, about 30 mainly Territory workers are employed at the mine.
The SILL 80 ilmenite project has been valued at $8 billion and contains about 27 million tonnes of ilmenite, which is being exported to China, Japan and Saudi Arabia for use in plastic, paint and paper production.
Australian Ilmenite Resources Pty Ltd has exploration licences covering 14,000 square kilometres surrounding the ilmenite deposit discovered on the Numul Numul Station and to date has only explored 10 per cent of its holdings.
Roper Bar mine - Nathan River Resources Pty Ltd (Iron ore)
Nathan River Resources, owned by British Marine Group, took over the former Western Desert Resources Roper Bar iron ore mine in 2017 after the previous owner went into liquidation.
Located in the Territory’s Roper Gulf region about 50km southeast of Ngukkur, Nathan River Resources received NT Government approval to recommence mining in May 2020.
The project includes an open cut mining operation, haul roads, barge loading facility, tug and barge operation and ship loading equipment.
Iron Ore from the project is suitable as a high-grade direct shipping product and the ore is transported by barge to the transhipment site, about 18 nautical miles offshore and loaded into ocean going vessels for shipping to customers.
At the time it reopened, Nathan River Resources believed the mine was ramping up to 1.5–2 million tonnes of production each year, and that operations would create 250 jobs.
It is believed to contain upwards of 466 million tonnes of ore.
Dhupuma Plateau mine - Gulkula Mining Pty Ltd (Bauxite)
In 2014, Gumatj Corporation secured an exploration lease over Dhupuma Plateau, near Gove, with a maiden drilling campaign completed to determine the quality and quantity of the bauxite ore on site.
Located in the vicinity of Rio Tinto’s Gove bauxite mine, in April 2017 Gulkala Mining obtained a mining lease for the Dhupuma Plateau, with mining operations commenced in September.
The first batch of bauxite ore was sold two months later in November.
The following May, the first shipment of bauxite was exported to China.
The mine has since reached a full annual production of 0.7 to 0.8 Mtpa bauxite, and is expected to continue for at least another decade.
It is associated with a Mining Training Centre for local Aboriginal people, established with the support of Rio Tinto.
The ore is sold to Rio Tinto’s Gove operation.
Nobles Nob – PanAfrican Resources (Gold)
The newest of the Territory’s eight operating mines, Nobles Nob is a revival story built on the extraordinary surge in the world gold price, which is currently around A$5220 an ounce.
Born out of a previous failed revival project at Nobles Nob, about 15km from Tennant Creek, Western Australian mine veteran Peter Main was recruited by creditors to develop a successful revival model.
Consolidation was the key, Main found, so the newly formed Tennant Consolidated Mining Group snapped up a number of other abandoned gold and copper mines in the Barkly then sourced a disused processing plant and began work rehabilitating the site.
Last December Johannesburg headquartered Pan African Resources paid almost $77.4 million to buy full ownership of the mine, to be operated by the renamed Tennant Mines, which was officially opened in May.
The $94 million project sparked about 80 jobs during construction, with at least another 160 expected to flow during production.
With gold resources of 1.3 million ounces and a future plan to mine and process copper, it’s hoped the initial eight-year mine life forecast at Nobles and the surrounding mines could blow out to decades.
Gove mine – Rio Tinto (Bauxite)
Rio Tinto’s Gove bauxite mine near Nhulunbuy has been in production in the Carpentaria Basin since 1971.
Alumina production ended at Gove in 2014, with the operation reverting to direct export of bauxite ahead of its anticipated closure in about 2030.
In 2024, the Gove bauxite mine achieved record annual production reaching 58.7 million tonnes, a 7 per cent increase compared to 2023.
With the mine’s closure imminent, Rio Tinto is working on developing a solar farm project on the Gove Peninsula, in partnership with traditional owners, to provide sustainable energy options for the community after mining ceases.
Gove bauxite is supplied to the Queensland Alumina and Yarwun refineries in Gladstone, which produce alumina for Rio Tinto’s Australian aluminium smelting operations and for sale on the international market.
Groote Eylandt mine - South32 Ltd, Anglo American (Manganese)
GEMCO’s Groote Eylandt mine is an open-cut, strip-mining operation that produces high grade manganese ore and one of the largest manganese ore producers in the world.
South32 owns 60 per cent of GEMCO, with the remaining 40 per cent held by Anglo American Plc.
Early European settlers first noticed manganese deposits at Groote Eylandt in the late 19th century, with commercial exploration commencing in the 1950s.
In the early 1960s, BHP negotiated with the Church Missionary Society, representing the Anindilyakwa people, to secure royalty payments and mining agreements.
In 2023, Anindilyakwa received $60.8 million in payments.
GEMCO was granted mining leases in 1964, and the first shipment of manganese ore left the island in 1966.
Resuming operations two months ago after being devastated by Cyclone Megan last year, the mine is due to close later this decade.
McArthur River mine - Glencore PLC (Zinc-lead-silver)
Surface lead outcrops made it obvious from 1888 the remote region was rich in minerals, but it was more than a century before the mine was opened by then Prime Minister Paul Keating in 1995.
After numerous assays in the century’s first half, in 1955 a Mount Isa Mines survey party discovered the rich deposit that formed the future McArthur River Mine, naming it the HYC (Here’s Your Chance) deposit.
Production began when new milling technology enabled fine-grained ore from the deposit to be ground to a size that would release the precious metals.
Originally an underground operation in 2013, a year after Glencore took 100 per cent company ownership, the NT Government approved the project’s expansion to open cut.
The move extended the mine life out to at least 2038.
Tanami Operations – Newmont (Gold)
The Big Daddy of Territory mines, and the Big Daddy of Territory taxpayers, Tanami contributes $178 million a year in taxes and royalties, much needed own-source revenue in an economy addicted to Commonwealth cash.
Gold was first produced at Tanami in 1983 at the unromantically handled Dead Bullock Soak deposit, with Newmont acquiring the operation in 2002.
A transformation that has delivered 170 per cent growth since 2012 and a first mill expansion in 2017, also boosted power efficiency with the mine’s natural gas project completed in 2019.
Due for completion in 2027, the Tanami Expansion 2 (TE2) will cost about $2.5 billion and will include a new materials handling system with an underground crusher, conveyors and a 1.46km deep shaft hoisting system.
Located 550km northwest of Alice Springs, Tanami is Australia’s most remote mine.
It is forecast to produce 380,000 ounces of gold this year.
Tickets are on sale now for the Future NT 2025 economic forum, which will be held at Mindil Beach Casino Resort from 11.30am on Friday, July 18.
Click here for more information and to purchase tickets.
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Originally published as Future NT 2025: The eight Territory mines that drive our economy
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