Table 1

Table 1. Australia's Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources of selected commodities at operating mines in 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonne (1,000 t); Mt = million tonne (1,000,000 t).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.

Notes
Reserve Life = Ore Reserves ÷ Production.
Resource Life 1 = Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources ÷ Production.
Resource Life 2 = (Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources + Inferred Mineral Resources) ÷ Production.

1. The number of operating mines counts individual mines that operated during 2022 and thus contributed to production. Some of these mines may belong to larger, multi-mine operations and some may have closed during or since 2022.
2. The majority of Australian Ore Reserves and Mineral Resources are reported in compliance with the JORC Code, however there are a number of companies that report to foreign stock exchanges using other reporting codes, which are largely equivalent. In addition, Geoscience Australia may hold confidential information for some commodities. Ore Reserves are as at 31 December 2022. NB: Not all operating mines report Ore Reserves.
3. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are inclusive of the Ore Reserves. Mineral Resources are as at 31 December 2022. NB: Not all operating mines report Mineral Resources.
4. Inferred Mineral Resources are as at 31 December 2022. NB: Not all operating mines report Mineral Resources.
5. Mining production from Office of the Chief Economist, Department of Industry, Science and Resources (Resources and Energy Quarterly, September 2023), unless otherwise stated. Production data often have a higher level of certainty than reserve and resource estimates and, thus, may be presented with more significant figures.
6. Antimony production from company reports (Mandalay Resources Ltd).
7. Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources for black coal are presented on a recoverable basis. These are Geoscience Australia estimates unless provided by the company.
8. Mine production refers to raw coal.
9. Cobalt production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (Mallee Resources Ltd).
10. Lithium production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), production of lithium estimated assuming 6% Li₂O in spodumene concentrates. Core Lithium Ltd reported production from Finniss in the Northern Territory of 15,000 dry metric tonnes of 1.4% Li₂O direct shipping ore.
11. Australian manganese production from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (OM Holdings Ltd and South 32 Ltd).
12. Australian mineral sands production data based on estimates from New South Wales Government Department of Regional New South Wales (pers. comm.), Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034), and Northern Territory Department of Industry Tourism and Trade (2022 Northern Territory Mining Production).
13. Rare earths comprise rare earth oxides (REO) and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃).
14. Rare earths production is based on Western Australian production of concentrates from Mount Weld (15,616 t) and estimated from heavy mineral concentrate produced at Coburn, assuming 10% of concentrate is monazite and 60% of monazite is REO (600 t).
15. Major silver producing mines only; many gold and copper mines also produce silver as a by-product but these are not counted here.
16. The Office of the Chief Economist reports tin production of 9.0 kt in 2022. Renison, Australia’s only significant tin mine, reports 8.4 kt. Additional production is as by-product from other operations such as Greenbushes.
17. Tungsten production is Geoscience Australia estimate based on company correspondence (Tasmania Mines Pty Ltd) and company reports (EQ Resources Ltd).
18. Uranium production from company reports (BHP Ltd and Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd).

Table 2

Table 2. Australia's Estimated Ore Reserves¹ as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t); Mc = million carats (1,000,000 carats); n.a. = not available; HPA = High Purity Alumina; PGE = platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.

Notes
Reserve Life = Ore Reserves ÷ Production.
Figures are rounded so Proved, Probable and Proven & Probable Ore Reserves may not add up to Total Ore Reserves exactly.

1. The majority of Australian Ore Reserves are reported in compliance with the JORC Code, however there are a number of companies that report to foreign stock exchanges using other reporting codes, which are largely equivalent. In addition, Geoscience Australia may hold confidential information for some commodities.
2. ‘Proven & Probable Ore Reserves’ is a reporting category distinct from 'Proved Reserves' and 'Probable Reserves'. It is no longer supported by the JORC Code but because some overseas reporting codes still use this category, and some historical resources fall into this category, it is included in this table.
3. Mining production from Office of the Chief Economist, Department of Industry, Science and Resources (Resources and Energy Quarterly, September 2023), unless otherwise stated. Production data often have a higher level of certainty than reserve and resource estimates and, thus, may be presented with more significant figures.
4. Antimony production from company reports (Mandalay Resources Ltd).
5. Black coal production refers to raw coal.
6. Australian production of brown coal is sourced from the Victorian State Government, Earth Resources Regulation, Annual Statistical Report FY 2022.
7. Cobalt production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (Mallee Resources Ltd).
8. Australia's high purity alumina ore is primarly kaolin, but other ore types are also possible.
9. Lithium production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), production of lithium estimated assuming 6% Li₂O in spodumene concentrates. Core Lithium Ltd reported production from Finniss in the Northern Territory of 15,000 dry metric tonnes of 1.4% Li₂O direct shipping ore.
10. Australian magnesite production from South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034), confidential data from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and assumed minor production from New South Wales.
11. Australian manganese production from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (OM Holdings Ltd and South 32 Ltd).
12. Australian mineral sands production data based on estimates from New South Wales Government Department of Regional NSW (pers. comm.), Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034), and Northern Territory Department of Industry Tourism and Trade (2022 Northern Territory Mining Production).
13. Australian molybdenum production for 2021-22 from company reports (Newcrest Mining Ltd).
14. There are no mines producing niobium as a primary product in Australia but it is likely produced in concentrate or as a by-product at some lithium/tantalum operations, but these data have not been reported.
15. Platinum and palladium production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File).
16. Phosphate rock is reported as being economic at grades ranging from 8.7% to 30.2% P₂O₅.
17. Phosphate production based on company correspondence (413,763 t from Christmas Island; Phosphate Resources Ltd), 663 t recorded by the South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034) and confidential data from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
18. Australian potash production (2,696 tonnes) from company reports (Kalium Lakes Ltd).
19. Rare earths comprise rare earth oxides (REO) and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃).
20. Rare earths production is based on Western Australian production of concentrates from Mount Weld (15,616 t) and estimated from heavy mineral concentrate produced at Coburn, assuming 10% of concentrate is monazite and 60% of monazite is REO (600 t).
21. Tantalum production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File). Production represents a maximum as no correction has been made for actual tantalite concentration in reported concentrates.
22. Tungsten production is Geoscience Australia estimate based on company correspondence (Tasmania Mines Pty Ltd) and company reports (EQ Resources Ltd).
23. Uranium production from company reports (BHP Ltd and Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd).

Table 3

Table 3. Australia's Identified Mineral Resources as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t); Mc = million carats (1,000,000 carats); n.a. = not available; HPA = High Purity Alumina; PGE = platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.

Notes

1. Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) predominantly comprise Ore Reserves and most Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources that have been reported in accordance with the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC) Code to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). In addition, some reserves and resources have been reported using other reporting codes to foreign stock exchanges and Geoscience Australia may hold confidential data for some commodities.
2. Total Inferred Resources in economic, subeconomic and undifferentiated categories.
3. Accessible Economic Demonstrated Resources (AEDR) is the portion of total EDR that is accessible for mining. AEDR does not include resources that are inaccessible for mining because of environmental restrictions, government policies or military lands.
4. Mining production from Office of the Chief Economist, Department of Industry, Science and Resources (Resources and Energy Quarterly, September 2023), unless otherwise stated. Production data often have a higher level of certainty than reserve and resource estimates and, thus, may be presented with more significant figures.
5. World economic resources from the United States Geological Survey (Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023) and adjusted with Geoscience Australia data, unless otherwise stated.
6. World mine production from the United States Geological Survey (Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023) and adjusted with Geoscience Australia data, unless otherwise stated.
7. Australian antimony production from company reports (Mandalay Resources Ltd).
8. Australian black coal production refers to raw coal.
9. World economic resources of black coal (data for 2020) from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (Energy Study 2021, issued August 2022).
10. World mine production of black coal (data for 2020) from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (Energy Study 2021, issued August 2022).
11. Australian production of brown coal is sourced from the Victorian State Government, Earth Resources Regulation, Annual Statistical Report FY 2021-22.
12. World economic resources of brown coal (data for 2020) from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (Energy Study 2021, issued August 2022).
13. World mine production of brown coal (data for 2020) from the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (Energy Study 2021, issued August 2022).
14. World economic resources and mine production are presented as chromite ore.
15. Cobalt production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (Mallee Resources Ltd).
16. World resource figures are for industrial diamonds only, no data provided for resources of gem diamonds.
17. World mine production of fluorine excludes the USA.
18. Australia's high purity alumina ore is primarly kaolin, but other ore types are also possible.
19. Lithium production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), production of lithium estimated assuming 6% Li₂O in spodumene concentrates. Core Lithium Ltd reported production from Finniss in the Northern Territory of 15,000 dry metric tonnes of 1.4% Li₂O direct shipping ore.
20. Australian magnesite production from South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034), confidential data from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, and assumed minor production from New South Wales.
21. World mine production excludes the USA.
22. Australian manganese production from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File) and company reports (South 32 Ltd).
23. World economic resources and mine production of manganese are published by the United States Geological Survey as manganese content, not manganese ore.
24. Australian mineral sands production data based on estimates from New South Wales Government Department of Regional NSW (pers. comm.),  Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File), South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034) and Northern Territory Department of Industry Tourism and Trade (2022 Northern Territory Mining Production).
25. Australian molybdenum production for 2021-22 from company reports (Newcrest Mining Ltd).
26. There are no mines producing niobium as a primary product in Australia but it is likely produced in concentrate or as a by-product at some lithium/tantalum operations, but these data have not been reported.
27. Australian platinum and palladium production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File).
28. World mine production is platinum and palladium only.
29. Phosphate rock is reported as being economic at grades ranging from 8.7% to 30.2% P₂O₅.
30. Phosphate production based on company correspondence (413,763 t from Christmas Island; Phosphate Resources Ltd), 663 t recorded by the South Australia Department for Energy and Mining (Report Book 2023/00034) and confidential data from the Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines.
31. Australian potash production (2,696 tonnes) from company reports (Kalium Lakes Ltd).
32. Rare earths comprise rare earth oxides (REO) and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃).
33. Rare earths production is based on Western Australian production of concentrates from Mount Weld (15,616 t) and estimated from heavy mineral concentrate produced at Coburn, assuming 10% of concentrate is monazite and 60% of monazite is REO (600 t).
34. Australian tantalum production data from Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety, Western Australian Government (2022 Major Commodities Resource Data File). Production represents a maximum as no correction has been made for actual tantalite concentration in reported concentrates.
35. Tungsten production is Geoscience Australia estimate based on company correspondence (Tasmania Mines Pty Ltd) and company reports (EQ Resources Ltd).
36. Australian uranium production from company reports (BHP Ltd and Heathgate Resources Pty Ltd).
37. World economic resources from the International Atomic Energy Agency/Nuclear Energy Agency (Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand). Uranium EDR based on Reasonably Assured Resources recoverable at costs of less than US$130/kg.
38. World production of uranium in 2022 from World Nuclear Organisation (Uranium Production, Figures, 2013-2022, May 2023 update).

Table 4

Table 4. Changes in Australia's Economic Demonstrated Resources (EDR) and production from 2021 to 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t); Mc = million carats (1,000,000 carats); n.a. = not available; HPA = High Purity Alumina; PGE = platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Os, Ir, Ru, Rh).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.

Notes

1. EDR for molybdenum and production for tungsten in 2021 has been reassessed since the previous publication of Australia's Identified Mineral Resources.
2. Rare earths comprise rare earth oxides (REO) and yttrium oxide (Y₂O₃).

Table 5

Table 5. World ranking for Australian Economic Resources and Australian production as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
PGE = platinum group elements (platinum, palladium, osmium, iridium, ruthenium, rhodium).

Notes
World rankings determined by comparing Australia’s EDR and production to economic resources and production reported for other countries (see sources below). Undocumented resources and production are not used in the comparisons.
Minor = <1% of global economic resources and/or production, therefore Australia’s ranking unable to be determined.
Unknown = Global economic resources are too opaque for comparisons (e.g., there are large, undocumented tantalum resources in the Congo) or Australian production is likely to have occurred during the year but quantities are not publicly available.
World rankings for black coal resources and production based on 2020 data.
Uranium EDR based on Reasonably Assured Resources recoverable at costs of less than US$130/kg.

Sources
United States Geological Survey (Mineral Commodity Summaries 2023), International Atomic Energy Agency/Nuclear Energy Agency (Uranium 2022: Resources, Production and Demand), World Nuclear Organisation (Uranium Production, Figures, 2013-2022, May 2023 update), Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Germany (Energy Study 2021).

Table 6

Table 6. Average reserve life and resource life (years) for selected commodities as at December 2022.

Notes
Reserve and resource life for each mineral commodity are calculated by dividing the inventory by production. The resulting ratio is a snapshot in time that can only be used for general impressions because it is an average and it assumes (1) that production rates in the future will remain the same as those used in the calculation, (2) deposits deemed economic/uneconomic remain so in the future and (3) that depleted resources are never replaced.

1. Operating mines includes all mines that operated during 2022 and thus contributed to production (see Table 1).
2. Ore Reserves for operating mines, as reported with the JORC Code, plus non-JORC Code equivalents (see Table 1).
3. Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources for operating mines inclusive of Ore Reserves, as reported with the JORC Code, plus non-JORC Code-equivalents (see Table 1).
4. All Resources for Operating Mines includes Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, inclusive of Ore Reserves, as reported with the JORC Code, plus non-JORC Code-equivalents (see Table 1).
5. Ore Reserves for all deposits as reported with the JORC Code, plus non-JORC Code equivalents (see Table 2).
6. AEDR for all deposits = Accessible Economic Demonstrated Resources (see Table 3). Figures rounded to nearest five years.
7. All Resources for all deposits includes Economic Demonstrated Resources, Subeconomic Demonstrated Resources and Inferred Resources (see Table 3). Figures rounded to nearest five years

Table 7

Table 7. Comparisons of EDR of major commodities at Australian mines to total EDR as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.

Notes
All Mines = mines that are currently operating, placed on care and maintenance or under development.
'Deposits with EDR’ is inclusive of the mines.

Table 8

Table 8. Comparisons of Ore Reserves of major commodities to total EDR and AEDR as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.
EDR = Economic Demonstrated Resources.
AEDR = Accessible Economic Demonstrated Resources.

Table 9

Table 9. Distribution of EDR of major commodities in Australia as at December 2022.

Abbreviations
t = tonne; kt = kilotonnes (1,000 t); Mt = million tonnes (1,000,000 t).
Where an element symbol follows the unit it refers to contained metal content.
EDR = Economic Demonstrated Resources.

Notes
For classification as a mineral deposit there must be, at a minimum, an Inferred Resource compliant with the JORC Code (or equivalent) or, in some cases, a historical (pre-JORC) resource estimate.

Table 10

Table 10. Export value ($million) of mineral commodities, resources and energy, merchandise and goods and services, 2013 to 2022.

Notes
Total mineral exports includes: metallic minerals, energy minerals (coal and uranium), gemstones, mineral sands and refined minerals (concentrates, bullion, ingot metals).

Source
Office of the Chief Economist (Resources and Energy Quarterly September 2023).

Table 11

Table 11. Australian export volume and values of mineral and metal commodities 2022.

Notes
Total mineral exports earnings in 2022 were $361,890 million (see Table 10). Minor refers to changes of less than 0.1%.

Source
Office of the Chief Economist (Resources and Energy Quarterly September 2023).

Table 12

Table 12. Changes in Australian mineral and metal export volumes, earnings and values from 2021 to 2022, along with percentage share of export earnings in 2021 and 2022.

Notes
Total mineral exports earnings in 2022 were $361,890 million (see Table 10). Minor refers to changes of less than 0.1%.

Source
Office of the Chief Economist (Resources and Energy Quarterly September 2023).