New South Wales and Tasmania have historically carried the mantle as Australia’s tungsten and tin producers, but new research could put Victoria on the map as a contender.
Resources Victoria geoscientists recently completed a study of granites from central and eastern Victoria with potential to host tin and tungsten.
The results indicate that there are two tin and tungsten mineralising events within the north east of Victoria.
The study, undertaken with the United States Geological Survey, is the first to directly date tin and tungsten ore minerals in Victoria and confirms the state’s potential to have these resources.
The works were undertaken as part of the Developing Victoria’s Critical Minerals Roadmap from the Victorian Government.
“Victoria has the potential to be a major player in ethically produced critical minerals from our significant mineral deposits,” the government said.
“Promising early-stage mineral exploration for other critical minerals, namely bismuth, indium, lithium, nickel, platinum group metals, rhenium, silicon … and zinc, is also underway.”
Tin and tungsten are important industrial metals with applications in advanced manufacturing, defence technologies and potentially renewable energy generation. Both metals are in demand globally.
Victoria is geologically similar to NSW and Tasmania, states known for tin and tungsten production. This further suggests the state has potential to have economically viable deposits of these metals.
The study results will hopefully help mineral explorers better identify potential areas where tin and tungsten mineralisation may be present.
Victoria’s critical mineral resources include globally significant quantities of titanium, zirconium, and associated rare-earth elements in mineral sand deposits in the northwest of the state.
Central Victoria has Australia’s largest antimony deposits and the nation’s only operating antimony mine, Mandalay Resources’ Costerfield operations.
Victoria is also home to one of the world’s largest, highest-grade rare earth deposits, VHM’s Goschen project, which is currently in development.
