Commodities

Australia is extremely well endowed with most minerals and fossil fuels (with oil being the notable exception) and has barely scratched the surface of its mineral resources. The nation holds the world's largest known economic resources of bauxite, iron ore, lead, zinc, silver, uranium, industrial diamonds and mineral sands.

Providing there is access to the land for responsible mining and exploration there is no limit to the country's potential.

Apart from an increased exploration effort, Australia's success at uncovering new deposits can also be attributable to recent advances in prospecting and extraction technology.

A 20-year survey, by the Bureau of Resource Sciences, shows continued growth of Australia's demonstrated reserves of gold, coal, bauxite, copper, lead, zinc and mineral sands despite a steady growth in exports. The reserves are huge, even by world standards - 69 billion tonnes of black coal, 18 billion tonnes of iron ore, 2.5 billion tonnes of bauxite and in excess of 3,400 tonnes of gold!

Australia is the world's 6th largest black coal producer and is one of the largest exporters of coking and steaming coal. However a significant portion of the currently defined reserves is restricted by competing land uses.

Iron ore reserves, mainly in the Pilbara, are the largest in the world and should help Australia maintain its position as the 2nd largest exporter, behind Brazil.

Our huge bauxite resources are likely to keep Australia as the world's No. 1 producer and exporter for the forseeable future.

High levels of exploration in the gold sector are expected to delineate new resources which could promote Australia from its current position as the world's 3rd largest producer (currently 270 tonnes/year) behind South Africa and the United States.

Commodities :

Gold
Silver
Opals and Gemstones
Aluminium and Alumina
Coal
Copper - Fact Sheet For Australia
Copper
Diamond
Iron and Steel
Lead
Magnesium
Mineral Sands
Nickel - Fact Sheet For Australia
Nickel
Tin
Uranium - Fact Sheet For Australia
Uranium
Vanadium
Zinc

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