Nabarlek Uranium Mine
Encyclopedia
The Nabarlek Mine is a past producing uranium
mine in the Northern Territory
of Australia
. The deposit sits within the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field approximately 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) northeast of Jabiru
. It was discovered by Queensland Mines Limited in 1970 by following up an intense airborne radiometric anomaly
.
in 1970 and 1971. Open cut mining took place between June and October 1979 with the ore stockpiled for milling. 546,437 t of ore were mined at an average grade of 1.84% U3O8. The mill commenced operation in June 1980 and ran until 1988, during which time 11,084 t U3O8 were produced. The site was fully rehabilitated by 1995.
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
mine in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The deposit sits within the Alligator Rivers Uranium Field approximately 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) northeast of Jabiru
Jabiru, Northern Territory
Jabiru is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It was originally built in 1982 as a closed town to house the community living at Jabiru East near the Ranger Uranium Mine eight kilometres away. Both the mine and the town are completely surrounded by Kakadu National Park.- Overview :Jabiru...
. It was discovered by Queensland Mines Limited in 1970 by following up an intense airborne radiometric anomaly
Anomaly
Anomaly may refer to:-Astronomy and celestial mechanics :* In astronomy, an anomaly is a quantity measured with respect to an apsis, usually the periapsis...
.
History
The deposit was delineated by diamond drillingExploration diamond drilling
Exploration diamond drilling is used in the mining industry to probe the contents of known ore deposits and potential sites. By withdrawing a small diameter core of rock from the orebody, geologists can analyze the core by chemical assay and conduct petrologic, structural and mineralogic studies...
in 1970 and 1971. Open cut mining took place between June and October 1979 with the ore stockpiled for milling. 546,437 t of ore were mined at an average grade of 1.84% U3O8. The mill commenced operation in June 1980 and ran until 1988, during which time 11,084 t U3O8 were produced. The site was fully rehabilitated by 1995.
See also
- Uranium mining in AustraliaUranium mining in AustraliaRadioactive ores were first extracted at Radium Hill in 1906, and Mount Painter in South Australia in the 1930s, to recover radium for medical use. Several hundred kilograms of uranium were also produced....
- Unconformity uranium deposits