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[[File:Ranger 3 open pit.jpg|thumb|right|Ranger Uranium Mine, number 3 pit]]
{{prose|date=July 2009}}
The first '''mining of radioactive ores in Australia''' was done at [[Radium Hill]] and [[Mount Painter]] in [[South Australia]] in the 1930s to recover [[radium]] for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of [[uranium]] were also produced.<ref name="WNA">{{cite web|url=http://world-nuclear.org/info/inf48.html|work=World Nuclear Association|title=Australia's Uranium and Nuclear Power Prospects|date=April 2009|accessdate=2009-07-24}}</ref>
'''[[Uranium mining]]''' is often a controversial issue in '''[[Australia]]'''.


23% of the world's uranium reserves (5,469,000 tonnes) are held in Australia (1,243,000 tonnes), second only to [[Kazakhstan]] (15% or 817,000 tonnes).<ref name="WNA" /> Australia exported over 50,000 tonnes of [[uranium oxide]] in the five years to 2008, worth an estimated A$3 billion. Other major world suppliers are [[Russian Federation]], [[South Africa]], [[Canada]], [[USA]], [[Brazil]] and [[Namibia]] (37% combined).
*[[List of Australian inquiries into uranium mining]]
*[[Australian Uranium Association]]


Currently, Australian uranium is sold only for electrical power generation and nuclear research only.
==Uranium mining==

===Mines===
==History==
*[[Beverley Uranium Mine]]
From the 1950s through to the 1970s mining of uranium as [[yellowcake]] was done at various sites including Radium Hill (South Australia), [[Rum Jungle]] (Northern Territory), and [[Mary Kathleen]] ([[Queensland]]). Sales contracts included supplies of materials for weapons production by the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]].
*[[Mount Gee]]

A second wave of exploration activity in the late 1960s occurred with the development of nuclear power for electricity production. 60 uranium deposits were identified up to the late 1970s. The two major proven finds to date are [[Kintyre uranium deposit|Kintyre]] and [[Beverley Uranium Mine|Beverley]].

Another exploration boom between 2002 and 2007 was driven mainly by small companies focused on proving known deposits.)

==Policy==
The federal [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] government introduced the so-called "Three Mines Policy" in 1984.<ref name="AAS">{{cite web|url=http://www.science.org.au/nova/002/002key.htm|title=Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in Australia|work=Australian Academy of Science|date=September 2002|accessdate=2009-07-24}}</ref> The policy confined Australian uranium mining activities to the three sites already operational: [[Ranger Uranium Mine|Ranger]], [[Nabarlek Uranium Mine|Nabarlek]] and [[Olympic Dam, South Australia|Olympic Dam]] with a moratorium that no new mines would be opened. Subsequently reserves at Nabarlek were depleted and [[Beverley Uranium Mine]] became the notional third mine.

In March 1996 the new coalition government abandoned the policy. The Coalition's policy is to develop the export potential of Australia's uranium industry by allowing mining and export of uranium under strict international agreements designed to prevent nuclear proliferation.
{{expand}}

==Mines==
;Closed/depleted
*[[Nabarlek Uranium Mine]]
*[[Nabarlek Uranium Mine]]
*[[Rum Jungle, Northern Territory|Rum Jungle Mine]]
*[[Mary Kathleen, Queensland|Mary Kathleen mine]]

;Operating
*[[Olympic Dam, South Australia|Olympic Dam mine]]
*[[Ranger Uranium Mine]]
*[[Ranger Uranium Mine]]
*[[Beverley Uranium Mine]]


;Known deposits/possible future minesites
===Kakadu National Park===
*[[Four Mile uranium mine]] (Approved for development)
{{main|Uranium mining controversy in Kakadu National Park}}
*[[Honeymoon Uranium Mine]] (Approved for development)
*[[Mount Gee|Mount Gee uranium deposit]]
*[[Jabiluka|Jabiluka uranium deposit]]
*[[Kintyre uranium deposit]]
*[[Yeelirrie uranium deposit]]
*[[Angela uranium deposit]]


==Opposition==
==Map==
<center>
*[[Anti-nuclear movement in Australia]]
{{Location map+
| Australia
| width = 800
| float = center
| alt = Major uranium mines and deposits in Australia
| caption = Major uranium mines and deposits in Australia<ref name="WNA" /><br>
[[Image:Red pog.svg{{!}}10px]] Mine &nbsp;&nbsp;
[[Image:Green pog.svg{{!}}10px]] Deposit/possible future minesite &nbsp;&nbsp;
[[Image:Orange pog.svg{{!}}10px]] Closed mine &nbsp;&nbsp;
[[Image:Crosshair.gif{{!}}10px]] Town
(May 2009)
| places=


<!-- towns-->
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-32|lon_deg=116|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Perth, Western Australia{{!}}Perth]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-12.5|lon_deg=131|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Darwin, Northern Territory{{!}}Darwin]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-24|lon_deg=134|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Alice Springs, Northern Territory{{!}}Alice Springs]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-27|lon_deg=153|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=top|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Brisbane]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-34|lon_deg=151|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Sydney]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-35|lon_deg=138.5|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Adelaide]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-37.8|lon_deg=145|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Melbourne]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-43|lon_deg=147|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Hobart]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-20|lon_deg=118.57|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Port Hedland, Western Australia{{!}}Port Hedland]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-18|lon_deg=122.5|mark=Crosshair.gif|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Broome, Western Australia{{!}}Broome]]}}


<!--mines-->
==See also==
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-13|lon_deg=133|mark=Red pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Ranger Uranium Mine{{!}}Ranger]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-30|lon_deg=137|mark=Red pog.svg|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Olympic Dam, South Australia{{!}}Olympic Dam]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-30|lon_deg=139|mark=Red pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Beverley Uranium Mine{{!}}Beverley]]}}


<!--closed mines-->
*[[Environment of Australia]]
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-12|lon_deg=133|mark=Orange pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Nabarlek Uranium Mine{{!}}Nabarlek]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-13.5|lon_deg=131|mark=Orange pog.svg|position=left|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Rum Jungle, Northern Territory{{!}}Rum Jungle]]}}

<!--deposits-->
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-31|lon_deg=139|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Four Mile uranium mine{{!}}Four Mile]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-27|lon_deg=120|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Yeelirie uranium deposit{{!}}Yeelirie]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-22.3|lon_deg=122|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Kintyre uranium deposit{{!}}Kintyre]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-24.5|lon_deg=134|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Angela uranium deposit{{!}}Angela]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-16.75|lon_deg=124|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Oobagoomba uranium deposit{{!}}Oobagoomba]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-22.5|lon_deg=115|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Manyingee uranium deposit{{!}}Manyingee]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-29.75|lon_deg=123.5|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Mulga Rock uranium deposit{{!}}Mulga Rock]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-29.5|lon_deg=138.7|mark=Green pog.svg|position=top|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Mount Gee]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-23|lon_deg=132.75|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Naperby uranium deposit{{!}}Naperby]]}}
{{Location map~|Australia|lat_deg=-22.1|lon_deg=131.1|mark=Green pog.svg|position=right|background=#FFFFFF|label=[[Bigrlyi uranium deposit{{!}}Bigrlyi ]]}}

}}


</center>

==See also==
*[[Anti-nuclear movement in Australia]]
*[[Environmental issues in Australia]]
*[[Environmental issues in Australia]]
*[[List of inquiries into uranium mining in Australia]]
*[[Australian Uranium Association]]
*[[Supervising Scientist]]
*[[Uranium mining in Kakadu National Park]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*[http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/download.php?Number=1031686 Google Earth keyhole map of Uranium sites]

[[Category:Uranium mining in Australia| ]]
[[Category:Uranium mining in Australia| ]]

{{Australia-stub}}

Revision as of 15:32, 24 July 2009

Ranger Uranium Mine, number 3 pit

The first mining of radioactive ores in Australia was done at Radium Hill and Mount Painter in South Australia in the 1930s to recover radium for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of uranium were also produced.[1]

23% of the world's uranium reserves (5,469,000 tonnes) are held in Australia (1,243,000 tonnes), second only to Kazakhstan (15% or 817,000 tonnes).[1] Australia exported over 50,000 tonnes of uranium oxide in the five years to 2008, worth an estimated A$3 billion. Other major world suppliers are Russian Federation, South Africa, Canada, USA, Brazil and Namibia (37% combined).

Currently, Australian uranium is sold only for electrical power generation and nuclear research only.

History

From the 1950s through to the 1970s mining of uranium as yellowcake was done at various sites including Radium Hill (South Australia), Rum Jungle (Northern Territory), and Mary Kathleen (Queensland). Sales contracts included supplies of materials for weapons production by the United States and the United Kingdom.

A second wave of exploration activity in the late 1960s occurred with the development of nuclear power for electricity production. 60 uranium deposits were identified up to the late 1970s. The two major proven finds to date are Kintyre and Beverley.

Another exploration boom between 2002 and 2007 was driven mainly by small companies focused on proving known deposits.)

Policy

The federal Labor government introduced the so-called "Three Mines Policy" in 1984.[2] The policy confined Australian uranium mining activities to the three sites already operational: Ranger, Nabarlek and Olympic Dam with a moratorium that no new mines would be opened. Subsequently reserves at Nabarlek were depleted and Beverley Uranium Mine became the notional third mine.

In March 1996 the new coalition government abandoned the policy. The Coalition's policy is to develop the export potential of Australia's uranium industry by allowing mining and export of uranium under strict international agreements designed to prevent nuclear proliferation.


Mines

Closed/depleted
Operating
Known deposits/possible future minesites

Map

class=notpageimage|
Major uranium mines and deposits in Australia[1]

Mine    Deposit/possible future minesite    Closed mine    Town

(May 2009)


See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Australia's Uranium and Nuclear Power Prospects". World Nuclear Association. April 2009. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
  2. ^ "Prospect or suspect – uranium mining in Australia". Australian Academy of Science. September 2002. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
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