CSA

GLOBAL LATERITIC
NICKEL RESOURCES
Mick Elias
CSA Australia Pty Ltd

New Caledonian Nickel Conference

25 June 2001
CSA

PRESENTATION OUTLINE

G Laterite basics

G Development of the laterite profile

G Nickel in the laterite profile

G Variation in nickel laterite profiles

G Global resource distribution

CSA Tropical laterite profile
SCHEMATIC LATERITE APPROXIMATE ANALYSIS
PROFILE COMMON (%)
NAME
Fe MgO

RED
LIMONITE >50 <0.5

40 0.5
YELLOW
to to
LIMONITE
50 5

25 5
TRANSITION to to
40 15

SAPROLITE/ 10 15
GARNIERITE/ to to
SERPENTINE 25 35

35
FRESH
5 to
ROCK
45
CSA

MAIN NICKEL-BEARING MINERALS

Up to 1.7% Ni, 0.2%

Goethite (Fe,Al)O.OH.xH2O
Co

Mn oxides (Co,Ni)O.2MnO2.xH2O Up to 8% Ni, 2% Co

Nontronite (Fe,Ca,Na,Mg,Al) clay Up to 4% Ni

Ni serpentine (Mg,Fe) hydrated silicate Up to 12% Ni

“Garnierite” Hydrated Mg silicate Up to 30% Ni

(Mg,Fe,Al) hydrated
Chlorite Up to 15% Ni
silicate
CSA Tropical laterite profile
SCHEMATIC LATERITE APPROXIMATE ANALYSIS
PROFILE COMMON (%)
NAME
Ni Co Fe MgO

RED
<0.8 <0.1 >50 <0.5
LIMONITE

0.8 0.1 40 0.5

YELLOW
to to to to
LIMONITE
1.5 0.2 50 5

1.5 25 5
TRANSITION to to to
4 40 15
0.02
to
SAPROLITE/ 1.8 0.1 10 15
GARNIERITE/ to to to
SERPENTINE 3 25 35

35
FRESH
0.3 0.01 5 to
ROCK
45
CSA
FACTORS CONTROLLING
LATERITE FORMATION

WATER FLOW-THROUGH:
• Climate
• Topography
• Drainage
• Tectonism

PARENT ROCK:
• Mineralogy
• Structure
CSA Tropical laterite profile
SCHEMATIC LATERITE APPROXIMATE ANALYSIS
PROFILE COMMON (%)
NAME
Ni Co Fe MgO

RED
<0.8 <0.1 >50 <0.5
LIMONITE

0.8 0.1 40 0.5

YELLOW
to to to to
LIMONITE
1.5 0.2 50 5

1.5 25 5
TRANSITION to to to
4 40 15
0.02
to
SAPROLITE/ 1.8 0.1 10 15
GARNIERITE/ to to to
SERPENTINE 3 25 35

35
FRESH
0.3 0.01 5 to
ROCK
45
CSA
EAST PINARES DE MAYARI, CUBA
CSA
GORO LATERITE PROFILE
CSA
“GARNIERITE”, CIRCEE, NAKETY
CSA
COMPLEX ROCKY PROFILE,
KONIAMBO
CSA
LATERITE ACCUMULATION

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

LIMONITIC NICKEL FRESH ROCK GROUNDWATER

TABLE
NICKEL SILICATE NICKEL IN SOLUTION

(After McFarlane, 1976)

MAY 1997
CSA SMECTITE LATERITE, Western
Australia
0

10
20
30 50 m
Depth
(m) Colluvium 0
Lateritic residuum Hematite, goethite, kaolinite
Clay Chlorite, kaolinite
Mn oxides
Fe-smectite, nontronite
Plasmic clay horizon Smectite
20
Serpentine, chlorite
After CRM Butt,
Saprolite Mg-smectite
Magnesite CRCLEME

Serpentine, chlorite, quartz

Silicified saprolite 40
CRBs002-01
Depth
(m)
CSA
PINTA TEST PIT, BULONG
CSA
LIMONITE-SILICA LATERITE,
RAVENSTHORPE
CSA
GOETHITE-SILICA ORE
UPGRADING BY SCREENING
100 2
90 1.8
80 1.6
70 1.4

Ni grade %
60 1.2
%

50 1
40 0.8
% Mass passing
30 0.6
20 % Ni recovery 0.4
10 Ni grade % 0.2
0 0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Screen size (mm)
CSA
SOROAKO NICKEL LATERITE
After Osborne, 1996
(Inco Ltd)
WEST BLOCK EAST BLOCK
UNSERPENTINISED SERPENTINISED
DEPTH (m)
0 Iron cap

Limonite
5 Overburden

Limonite ore
10

Saprolite Ore
15

20 Bedrock
CSA
TRIADA MINE, EUBOEA, GREECE
 CSA
VARIATION IN NICKEL LATERITE
SAPROLITE CLAY OXIDE
(eg New Caledonia) (eg Murrin Murrin) (eg Moa Bay)
DEPTH (m)
Iron cap
0 Cuirasse Colluvium
Limonite
Red Ferruginous overburden
limonite zone

Yellow Limonite
limonite Smectite
zone

Earthy Saprolite
ore
20

Ore with
boulders Saprolite
(Serpentine,
chlorite, Bedrock
Rocky smectite)
ore

Bedrock
40 Bedrock
CSA Tropical laterite profile
SCHEMATIC LATERITE APPROXIMATE ANALYSIS
PROFILE COMMON (%) EXTRACTION
NAME PROCESS
Ni Co Fe MgO

RED
<0.8 <0.1 >50 <0.5
LIMONITE
ACID
LEACH

0.8 0.1 40 0.5

YELLOW
to to to to
LIMONITE CARON
1.5 0.2 50 5
PROCESS

1.5 25 5
TRANSITION to to to SMELTING
4 40 15
0.02
to
SAPROLITE/ 1.8 0.1 10 15
GARNIERITE/ to to to
SERPENTINE 3 25 35

35
FRESH
0.3 0.01 5 to
ROCK
45
CSA
World Nickel Production by Ore Type

800 50%
Sulphide
700 48%
Laterite
% Laterite 46%
600
44%
tonnes Ni ('000)

% Lateritic Ni
500 42%
400 40%

300 38%
36%
200
34%
100 32%
0 30%
88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

00
19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

19

20
CSA
GLOBAL NICKEL RESOURCES

CUBA
PHILIPPINES

INDONESIA

NEW CALEDONIA

AUSTRALIA

LATERITES SULPHIDES
CSA
GLOBAL LATERITE RESOURCES
(contained nickel)

Saprolite
30%
2712 Mt
1.79% Ni
9569 Mt 48.5 Mt Ni
1.17% Ni
112.2 Mt Ni

Limonite
70% Total 160.7 Mt Ni
CSA LATERITE RESOURCES BY
REGION
(contained nickel)

Americas Other
Balkans
New Caledonia
Africa 2.49%

Brazil
1.38%

Philippines
1.88%

1.25%
1.36% Indonesia
Cuba 0.86%

saprolite
Australia
limonite
CSA
GLOBAL LATERITE RESOURCES
TONNAGE-GRADE PLOT
3.0
2.8
Koniambo
2.6
2.4
2.2
Ni grade (% )

2.0 Pom East Soroako

1.8
Bahodopi Goro
1.6
1.4
Sampala
1.2
1.0 Murrin

0.8 Mt Margt Weld Ra

0.6
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400
Saprolite Tonnes (millions) Limonite
CSA
NICKEL LATERITE RESOURCE
GRADE
25

20
No. of deposits

15
Limonite
10
Saprolite

0
0.8

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2.2

2.4

2.6

2.8

3
Ni grade (%)
CSA

ILE ART

POUM

TIEBAGHI
Ophiolites - Ni Laterite potential

ETOILE DU NORD Operating Mines

KAALA
Not in Production or closed
OUAZANGOU TAOM OUATILOU

TCHINGOU
KONIAMBO
MONEO
KOPETO
PLAINE DES GAIACS CAP BOCAGE
PORO
BOULINDA
ME MAOYA
KOUAOUA
LE CAP
BOGOTA / CANALA
POYA BOURAIL NAKETY
BOAKAINE THIO PLATEAU
THIO MISSION
NINGUA
PORT BOUQUET
MT DO
OUENGHI N'GOYE

NEW CALEDONIA TONTOUTA

OUINNE

NICKEL LATERITE LOCATIONS BAIE N'GO PLAINE DES LACS

GORO
NOUMEA HARICOT NORD
SLN DONIAMBO SMELTER
PORT BOISE
0 50 100 MT DORE/PLUM
PRONY
kilometres
CSA DISTRIBUTION OF OPHIOLITES
IN INDONESIA
OPHIOLITES

S C A L E
0 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 k

N
HALMAHERA

WAIGEO
KALIMANTAN CYCLOOPS
GAG
OBI
SOROAKO

SULAWESI
IRIAN JAYA

JAVA

TIMOR
CSA
Nickel Laterite Deposits in Australia

Contained Ni
tonnes
# >1Mt
S
S
# 0.5-1Mt
#
S <0.5Mt Greenvale
#
S
#
S

Marlborough
Wingelinna #
S
S
#
#
S
#
S
#S
S##SS
#
#
S
S #
#
S
# S
#
S#
S #
S
#
#S S
Yilgarn deposits S
S
#
#S#
#S

#
S
Syerston
#
S
S
#
#
S
S
# Young

0 1000 #
S
Anderson Creek
km
CSA
Yilgarn Nickel Laterite Deposits

Wiluna Nickel Laterites

S
#
# HONEYMOON WELL
S

# LAWLERS
S
S# MT MARGARET
Mertondale #
Waite Kauri S
S#
S
#
S
# MURRIN MURRIN
Mt Kilkenny #
S Yerilla S Irwin Hills
#
Ghost Rocks #
S
#
S >1 Mt Ni
S Highway
# Goongarrie #S S Lake Rebecca
#
Siberia (WMC) #S
S
# 0.5-1 Mt Ni #
S #
S
# Pinnacles
S
Kalpini
#
S
CAWSE # BULONG
S
<0.5 Mt Ni Kalgoorlie

PERTH S Jimberlana
#

Mafic rocks

RAVENSTHORPE
#
S
0 200 400

km
CSA
CUBA LATERITE LOCATIONS

N
Havana

San Felipe

Moa Bay
Punta Gorda
Camaguey

0 80 160km

Ultramafics
Pinares Nicaro
de Mayari
CSA OPHIOLITE BELTS OF THE PHILIPPINES

OPHIOLITE BELTS

LUZON

SCALE Manila
0 200 4 0 0 km

MINDORO
SAMAR

NONOC

PALAWAN
NEGROS

MINDANAO

KALIMANTAN
CSA
Brazil 0
km
500

Nickel Deposits and Equator

0

0
Occurrences
Principal Deposits Manaus
1. O’Toole 10 8 7
2. Americano do Brasil
3. Morro do Engenho 9 12
4. Santa Fe 11
5. Fazenda Furnas
6. Ribeirao do Joelho
7. Vermelho
8. Puma Salvador
9. Onca 14 13
10. Jacare / Jacarezinho 3 4
11. Quatipuru 2 BRASILIA
e 5
12. Brejo Seco hid ite
13. Niquelandia lp t er Goiania Belo
14. Barro Alto Su La Horizonte
15. Pocrane >500,000t 17 15
1
16. Morro do Corisco Sao 16
17. Morro do Niquel >200,000 - 500,000t Paulo
>5,000 - 50,000t Rio De Janeiro
6
>5,000 - 50,000t
Ni occurrence

Ni occurrence
Type unknown

Mill or Smelter