Cutting edge scientific processes have found 28 current and historic mine sites which the NSW Government says could have critical minerals and high-tech metals deposits hidden inside their old waste.
For mines that have closed, it says the results could mean new opportunities for production, bringing more jobs and investment opportunities to those communities across regional NSW.
“The release of this data reinforces that NSW really is the state to be for explorers looking to find the next big critical minerals project,” said Minister for Natural Resources, Courtney Houssos.
“As key ingredients in our solar panels, wind turbines, EVs and batteries, critical minerals and high-tech metals are integral to our economic future.”
The Geological Survey of NSW’s Mine Reuse Project collected more than 1,200 samples. These specimens were then run through the latest sampling techniques and underwent high precision chemical analysis to identify critical minerals.
This uncovered elevated concentrations of 11 critical minerals and high-tech metals, including copper, cobalt, silver and antimony. Historic mines where sampling occurred include CSA in the Central West, Queen Bee, Great Cobar and Nymagee in the Far West, Endeavour Elura and Endeavour McKinnons in the Central West, and Hillgrove in the Northern Tablelands.
“This release of data is an important part of our critical minerals strategy. This pre-competitive data helps to minimise investment risk in exploration and identify new opportunities,” said Minister Houssos.
“We know how important mining is to communities across the state. More exploration means more jobs and more investment in regional NSW.
“It’s also a good reminder of the important work done by the Geological Survey of NSW as we celebrate its 150th year. The agency has made a remarkable contribution to the mining, exploration and geology sectors in NSW.”
Current mines where researchers were looking for additional materials include Peak Gold Mine and Tritton near Cobar, RASP and Southern Operations near Broken Hill, and Stratford in the Upper Hunter.
The Mine Reuse Project also identified existing discoveries from the reprocessing of waste and tailings. This includes gold from historic tailings at the Mineral Hill mine in the Central West, and tin from Ardlethan mine site in the Riverina.
Results from the survey are being released this week as part of NSW Minerals Week, further highlighting NSW’s status as a global leader in exploration and mining of critical minerals.
Critical minerals and high-tech metals are crucial for clean energy technologies, such as electric vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines, along with aerospace applications. The International Energy Agency estimates that, over the next 20 years, the global economy requires six times the current amount of critical minerals to reach net-zero carbon emissions.
“This initiative recognises the ongoing growth in global demand for many of the valuable mineral commodities we have here in NSW,” said NSW Minerals Council CEO, Stephen Galilee.
“It also highlights the need for more mine approvals in NSW so we can play our role in meeting this global demand while also delivering economic benefits to regional communities.”
The work for the Mine Reuse Project was undertaken in collaboration between the Geological Survey of NSW with the Sustainable Minerals Institute at The University of Queensland and Geoscience Australia.
“The Mine Reuse Project is a direct outcome of the government’s commitment to a Critical Mineral and High-Tech Metals Strategy that drives investment and innovation in the exploration and mining sector through the provision of world-class and targeted precompetitive geoscience,” said Chief Geoscientist and head of the Geological Survey of NSW, Dr Phil Blevin.
“There is a significant multiplier effect in the provision of this data, and it helps drive exploration and innovation. The results of the Mine Reuse Project is just another example of this.”
Full list of mines where sampling occurred:
| Mine | Region | Elevated critical minerals and strategic materials |
| Broula King (pictured) | Central West | Tellurium |
| Cargo (samples funded by Geoscience Australia) | Central West | Bismuth, Tellurium |
| Clarence | Central Tablelands | Cobalt, Nickel, Zinc |
| CSA | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Selenium, Silver, Zinc |
| Endeavour (Elura) | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Silver, Zinc |
| Great Cobar, Queen Bee & Nymagee | Central West | Silver, Bismuth, Copper, Selenium, Tellurium |
| Hera | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Silver, Zinc |
| Hillgrove | Northern Tablelands | Antimony, Bismuth, Tungsten, Arsenic, Tellurium, Silver, Selenium |
| Hunter Valley Operations & Ravensworth | Hunter | Bismuth, Tellurium |
| Lucky Draw (samples funded by Geoscience Australia) | Central Tablelands | Bismuth, Tellurium |
| Mandalong-Newstan | Hunter | Bismuth, Rare Earth Elements, Rhenium, Tellurium, |
| Maules Creek | North East | Nothing found |
| McKinnons | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Rhenium, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium, Zinc |
| Northparkes | Central West | Tellurium |
| Peak Gold Mines | Central West | Antimony, Bismuth, Tellurium, Tungsten, Selenium, Zinc |
| Rasp | Broken Hill, Far West | Antimony, Arsenic, Manganese, Silver, Tungsten, Zinc |
| Southern Operations | Broken Hill, Far West | Antimony, Arsenic, Silver, Tellurium, Zinc |
| Stratford | Upper Hunter | Tellurium |
| Sunny Corner (samples funded by Geoscience Australia) | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium, Zinc |
| Tahmoor | Macarthur Region | Bismuth |
| Tritton & Murrawombie | Central West | Arsenic, Copper, Rhenium, Selenium, Tellurium |
| Ulan & Wilpinjong | Central West | Bismuth, Selenium, Tellurium |
| University Dam | Central West | Antimony, Arsenic, Silver, Tellurium, Zinc |
| Vales Point Power Station | Hunter | Bismuth, Rare Earth Elements, Tellurium |
| Woodlawn | Southern Tablelands | Antimony, Arsenic, Bismuth, Copper, Indium, Selenium, Silver, Tellurium, Zinc |
The Mine Reuse Project data can be accessed at https://www.resources.nsw.gov.au/geological-survey/projects/mine-reuse-project.
