Project: Exploration of new economy metals in Queensland's mine waste (2020 - 2024)

This project focuses on secondary prospectivity. This is defined as the examination of previously unconsidered mining opportunities in existing and abandoned mines, with this pursuit in keeping with circular economy principles. The project will examine mine waste at a number of sites across the state (operational and abandoned) to determine their new economy mineral  endowment, and will also investigate the mining technologies and techniques required to recover these metals as part of an economic rehabilitation approach.

The project will be arranged into three streams:

• Stream 1: First pass investigation of mine waste at operational and abandoned sites
• Stream 2: Detailed investigations at sites representative of Queensland’s main ore deposit types and new economy metal toolbox development
• Stream 3: Bespoke mineral processing methodologies suitable for mine waste

Collaboration & Details
This collaborative project is supported by the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ), within the Department of Resources. Staff from UQ’s SMI, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, School of Civil Engineering and School of Chemical Engineering will work together to build a multidisciplinary team to address the project challenges. The project also involves collaboration from industry partners including Cobalt Blue, JOGMEC and 29 Metals.