The Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) and the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA) have released the Geology, Mineralogy and Metallurgy of eMaterial Resources in Western Australia report, providing a new technical framework applicable to mine and process optimisation of lithium orebodies.
Western Australia is the world’s largest producer of lithium – but with the projected global demand for lithium expected to exceed supply, it is vital to ensure a comprehensive understanding of lithium orebodies in the state to improve exploration targeting, mine planning, mineral processing and chemical refining techniques.
Western Australia Mines and Petroleum Minister, Bill Johnston, said, “The State Government is committed to further developing a chemical industry in Western Australia. While I was in South Korea and Japan recently, keen interest was shown in understanding the lithium resources here in Western Australia.
“Given this interest in Western Australian critical minerals, companies will be able to use this information to understand the orebodies and consider preferred downstream processing options.”
Led by Curtin University’s John de Laeter Centre, a systematic comparative study was undertaken of key lithium orebodies across Western Australia.
Director of the John de Laeter Centre at Curtin University and report author, Professor Brent McInnes, said, “Despite over a century of resource development experience in Western Australia, the onshore processing of hard rock lithium deposits is a relatively new industry.
“This project has shed light on Western Australia’s lithium deposits and provides a new geometallurgical framework applicable to mining and processing optimisation.”
The report will be an important resource to assist industry professionals in identifying factors influencing the recovery of different ore types in the pegmatite fields studied.
Building on this foundation project, further work is already underway at Curtin University and Murdoch University as part of the Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre to develop techniques for provenance testing to establish a trusted supply chain for battery minerals and materials and investigate improvements in the beneficiation and chemical processing of lithium minerals.
