Acid the talk of the North West

All roads lead to Mount Isa next week for the North West MPX and talk will centre around acid supply. The Queensland Acid Study was launched at the World Mining Congress in June last year to investigate supply options including importing sulphuric acid, continuing to make acid locally and producing elemental sulphur for benefaction on-site. The lead agency is the Department of State Development. Related: Vanadium juniors pressed for acid options There’s been no response from Minister Grace Grace’s office to questions on when the report will be released. It was due to be tabled ‘early’ this year. Click here to register for the NorthWest MPX in Mount Isa May 7-9 Acid is an important part of the benefaction process. Queensland’s largest production comes out of the Incitec Pivot-owned Mount Isa acid plant (pictured above) which takes feedstock from the Mount Isa Mines (MIM) copper smelter. The acid plant has the capacity to produce 3700 tonnes/day. Related: Acid source study eagerly awaited by industry MIM’s smelter is scheduled for closure in 2030 as part of a rationalisation of copper operations. The IPL-owned Phosphate Hill operation south of Mount Isa has long been the beneficiary of production from the Mount Isa acid plant. IPL also has a claim to most of the 300,000 tonnes of sulphuric acid that are trucked west from the Sun Metals Townsville plant each year. Acid is also used to help extract low-grade minerals in heap leach processes. Around 125,000 tonnes is used on the Austral Resources copper operation near Mount Isa alone. There’s also unmet demand in the form of the emerging vanadium industry located north of Julia Creek and Richmond on the Toolebuc formation. Related: How did gold processing give rise to the term ‘acid test’ Elemental sulphur Broken Hill-based company Cobalt Blue has developed a process to extract minerals, including sulphur, from pyrites. Tailings dams in the North West could prove to be part of the solution with a reclamation process which would yield elemental sulphur. This includes a process of ‘prilling’ sulphur into small inert balls. The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) said at the acid report’s commissioning that the preference among its members was having a locally sourced product. Members have had input into the study, according to AMEC general manager of operations Kate Dickson. “The main members that we are talking to about this process are the vanadium companies,” Ms Dickson said. “There are other member companies that need sulphuric acid and they’re all around Queensland and so are the sources. “So yes, they’re keen to secure supply and get the type of acid that they need for their operations.” Related: North West Queensland Economic Diversification Strategy There were a number of issues to be considered including ESG outcomes, Ms Dickson said. “… What the demand profile is, what the supply opportunity is, what the ramp down and ramp up will be, charting the assets coming off and the ones coming on. “I hope there are a number of different processing techniques considered around sulphur production and consideration for different types of sulphur product. “Given that each company has different requirements for elemental sulphur and sulphuric acid, we need enough scope to cater for a variety of scenarios.” The Queensland Acid Study is part of the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy. Image at top of page: The Mount Isa acid plant.

Acid the talk of the North West

Industry Queensland

Related News

Dolphins make a splash with coalfields kids

Boost for critical minerals processing plans

The industrial action that helped build a city

Get access to breaking mining news, now.