Here’s a ground-breaking development about mineral mining in South Australia’s Murray Mallee region…
For the first time in eight years, mineral sand mining in South Australia’s Murray Mallee region is starting up again – an exciting development that could bring new economic growth and job opportunities to the area.
Mineral sand mining – or the process of extracting minerals from the earth’s surface or underground – is an important industry that provides essential raw materials for construction, manufacturing, and technology.
The Murray Mallee region offers a diverse range of minerals, including copper, gold, and uranium.
Murray Zircon, a subsidiary of Astron Limited, is a mining company that specialises in extracting zircon and other minerals. It stopped its operation in Mindarie in 2015 for several reasons, including a depression in the mineral market.
Now, Murray Zircon’s general manager, Craig Easton, said new opportunities had been identified near Jacka Road at Mercunda, which is 134 kilometres east of Adelaide.
The mining of various mineral sands, including zircon, which is used in industrial ceramics, is slated to be up and running in a few months.
“We’re in the process of finalising our government approvals,” he said.
“We’re actually hoping we can start the preliminary work on mining in a couple of weeks’ time, followed by working our way down to our oil body and beginning to produce a concentrate by the end of the first half of 2023.”
Mr Easton said the demand for mineral sands – the concentrate of which is expected to be produced in the coming months remained low, but was expected to increase in coming years.
“In the next two years a number of mines which are very pivotal in the heavy mineral concentrate market and mineral sand market are due to come offline,” he said.
Murray Zircon has brought much job growth to the Murray Mallee region because the company, which has been operating in the region since 2006, has recently expanded, creating jobs for locals.
At present, at least 30 jobs remain vacant at the company, including mining and administration roles.