for the future
Tony Knight
Chief Government Geologist | 2 November 2022

Queensland critical mineralsStrengths• Vanadium• Cobalt• EmergingIndustry• Complexion

Support• State Government• Federal Government

What is needed?

STRENGTHS:

Vanadium

Emerging suppliers (company & project)
•••
•
•
•
•

Multicom – St Elmo
Vecco – Debella
QEM Pty Ltd – Julia Creek
Vanteq Minerals – Julia Creek
Critical Minerals Group – Julia Creek
Currie Rose (TSXV) – Toolebuc
Horizon Minerals – RichmondMineral processing• Townsville – common-user demonstration scale
facility being developed by Qld Government

Current primary supplies of vanadium• Russia, China, South Africa

DebellaRichmond
St ElmoToolebuc
Julia Creek

STRENGTHS:Cobalt

Occurrence

ExampleCo-product of copper and nickel ores

Aeon Metals Walford Creek deposit significant
volumes stored in mine tailings, wastes andabandoned mine sites

Distribution
Northwest and northeast minerals province

Interest
Queensland Government working with JOGMEC
re: recovery of cobalt from mine tailings

Mineral processing
No current cobalt mineral processing capacity
in Queensland (Queensland Nickel and Cobalt
refinery at Townsville in care and maintenance)

Life-of-mine portfolio metal output

Walford Creek to deliver 590 kt CuEq at ~50 kt nameplate CuEq over an initial 14-year life

STRENGTHS:

Emerging (examples)

Rare earth elements• Primary deposits in a variety of settings across Queensland• Secondary deposits• Mine tailings• Bauxite residue• Coal wash
• Coal-fired power station fly-ash• Alternate minerals extraction & processing researchHigh-purity alumina• Alpha HPA• Lava Blue

Metallurgical silicon• Solquartz• UltraHPQINDUSTRY:

Complexion

MajorsMid-tier~1825

explorationpermits in force~650

companies
holding
exploration
permits~450

applications inprogress

Area heldby companies in market capitalisation terms:
20% – major >$10B (AUD)
10% – mid-tier $10B – $1B (AUD)
70% – junior/unlisted <$1B (often <$250M AUD)
Largest holder – Rio Tinto
Supply chains based around traditionalcommodities: base and precious metals, fossil fuels
Exploration activity at all time highJuniors

INDUSTRY: Battery materials activity
Battery materials and manufacturing proponents in Queensland (not a complete list)
Future manufacturer/supplierBattery type/chemical

Graphene Manufacturing Group

Aluminium-ion

Multicom

Listed/private

Project / activity

WebTSX

Manufacturer

https://graphenemg.com/#Vanadium

PrivateSt Elmo / miner and manufacturer

https://www.mcres.com.au/

Vecco

Vanadium,high purity alumina

PrivateDebella / miner and manufacturer

https://veccogroup.com.au/

QEM

Vanadium

ASX

Julia Creek / miner

https://www.qldem.com.au/

Alumtek

Vanadium,rare earth elements

PrivateRecovery from bauxite residue in collaboration with Alcoa

https://alumtekminerals.com/

MagnisLithium-ion battery

ASX

Jointly developing the Imperium-3 batterygiga factory at Townsvillehttps://www.magnis.com.au/

Qld Pacific Minerals

NickelASX

Developing Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub

https://www.qpmetals.com.au/

Lava BlueHigh purity alumina

PrivateMt Rosey Mining and Cloncurry Minerals / miner andmanufacturer

http://lavablue.com.au/

LIS Energy

Lithium-sulphur

ASX

Manufacturer

https://www.lis.energy/site/content/

Pure Battery Technology

Lithium-ion (chemicals)

PrivateMinerals refining / Port of Townsvillehttps://purebatterytech.com/

Australian Mines

Nickel, cobalt, scandium

PrivateSconi / miner

https://australianmines.com.au/

SUPPORT: GovernmentState:••
•
••
•
•

Industry development plan
Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan
Critical minerals geoscience
Battery industry strategy
National battery testing centre
Common-user vanadium processing facility
Support to Advanced Materials and Battery Council

Federal:••••Industry development funding support
Research funding
Critical Minerals Office
National blockchain roadmap – critical minerals

From opportunity to reality
SUPPLY• Distributed in geology
and geography• Small companies –need funding anddevelopment support

ENABLING
INFRASTRUCTURE• Multiple minerals –multiple needs• Small deposits –how to aggregate?

• Operating models –different models needed
e.g. common-user,aggregation, modular• Proving credentials –quality, reliability,responsibility/ESG• Essential inputs –e.g. acid for mineralprocessing• Digital –provenance, traceability
and digital compliance

DEMAND• Patient capital –for infrastructuredevelopment• Ability to deal withsmaller companies• Market “pull” e.g. via
off-take guarantee