At the site, Company operates export and warehouse facilities, and open-cut mining is used to extract phosphate rock.
Australia has a number of deposits, but only two phosphate mining operations. The largest is Phosphate Hill, formerly known as the Duchess mine, about 100km south of Mt Isa.
Phosphate Hill is a simple bench mining operation that requires no drilling or blasting, with generally less than 10m of overburden.
In 2008 reserves support a mine life of 25-30 years, even without any significant exploration at the mine in many years.
The mining method begins with all overburden being removed from the top of the ore seam in the chosen parcel area, following the natural contours of the structures (dome-and-basin morphology), and stored in waste stockpiles located close to and within the pits. Strong clay alteration/weathering products (referred to as dissolution and containing little or no phosphate), which can clog screens in the beneficiation plant and affect the morphology and chemistry of the PG, reducing PAP recovery levels, are usually found at this stage and are removed by the excavator under the direction of geological personnel and sent to the waste stockpiles. Once the waste stockpiles have reached full capacity and are not longer in use they are rehabilitated, using engineering to minimise rain runoff and erosion and seeded with local plants to assist with the natural revegetation process.
The ore is mined ........
