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Australia

Ranger Mine

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Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StatusClosing / Closed
Commodities
  • Uranium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Production Start... Lock
SnapshotRanger mine operated as a uranium mine for 40 years before closing in 2021.

Progressive rehabilitation of the Ranger Project Area continued in 2024 with several key milestones achieved. The dry capping of Pit 3 continued to progress.

Process and pond water treatment activities continued throughout 2024, with water being processed in both the existing brine concentrator and reverse osmosis plants. Process water treatment through the existing Brine Squeezer is now not expected to occur until Q3 of 2025. Brine Squeezer commissioning and performance will be considered by studies currently ongoing into Process Water treatment strategies.

During 2024, the Jabiru housing refurbishment program continued to progress including the release of further properties.

Planned end date for the creation of the final landform (Q4, 2034) remains unchanged at this point in time, recognising that further work is occurring to reduce uncertainties.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Rio Tinto plc 98.43 % Indirect
Energy Resources of Australia Ltd. (operator) 100 % Direct
Ranger Mine is owned and operated by Energy Resources of Australia Limited (ERA).

In November 2024, Rio Tinto's interest in ERA increased from 86.3% to 98.43% and Rio Tinto stated its intention to proceed with compulsory acquisition of the remaining shares during 2025.

In April 2024, ERA appointed Rio Tinto to manage the Ranger Rehabilitation Project under a Management Services Agreement (MSA). The MSA took effect on 3 June 2024. Under the MSA, Rio Tinto will, on ERA’s behalf and in accordance with plans and budgets approved by the ERA Board, manage all aspects of the rehabilitation of Ranger.

Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

Summary:

The Ranger No. 1 and No. 3 orebodies contain about 124,000 tonnes U3O8 in highly chloritized metasediments of the lower Proterozoic Cahill Formation within about 500 m of the projected sub-Kombolgie Formation unconformity. In both orebodies, oxidized and reduced uranium minerals occur chiefly in quartzose schists that have highly variable amounts of muscovite, sericite, and chlorite.

Below the oxidized zone, uranium occurs chiefly as uraninite and pitchblende disseminated through thick sections of quartz-chlorite-muscovite schist and has no apparent association with graphite or sulfides. In fact, graphite is rare and sulfides are generally low in abundance (<0.5 percent). Higher ore grades occur in disrupted zones a few centimeters thick and in some quartz chlorite vein-like zones of uncertain origin. Uranium correlates strongly with chlorite, but not all of the many ages of chlorite have associated uranium. At least five textural varieties of chlorite are present and represent at least 3 ages. Preliminary microprobe analyses suggest that Mg-Fe-Al contents are relatively uniform. Apatite commonly occurs with chlorite. Uranium is not common in carbonate rocks and seems to occur only in disrupted zones that have chlorite alteration.

The structure of the orebodies is outwardly simple, particularly in No. 3; dips are less than 40° on most lithologic contacts. The No. 1 orebody is in a basin-like structure about 400 m wide that probably formed in part by progressive removal of carbonate rocks that are as much as 200 m thick adjacent to the No. 1 orebody and below the No. 3 orebody. Quartz-chlorite breccias have formed in the zone of carbonate thinning; uranium is spotty and low grade in these breccias. Chloritized and uraniferous broken and sheared zones, a few centimeters to a few meters thick, have an unknown attitude but must have small displacement. Blocks of altered Kombolgie sandstone are downfaulted into the No. 3 orebody and locally contain reduced uranium minerals. One or more shear zones 5-30 m thick.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityUnits202020192018201720162015
Uranium t  ....  Subscribe1,7511,9992,2942,3512,005
All production numbers are expressed as U3O8.

Operational metrics

Metrics202020192018201720162015
Tonnes milled  ....  Subscribe2.5 Mt2.5 Mt2.6 Mt2.7 Mt2.5 Mt

Production Costs

Commodity production costs have not been reported.

Mine Financials

Units2020201920182017
Revenue M USD  ....  Subscribe 209.7   201.3   211.2  
After-tax Income M USD  ....  Subscribe 6.3   -435.3   -43.5  

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Mar 17, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2020
...... Subscription required 2018
...... Subscription required 2017
...... Subscription required 2016

Aerial view:

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