Re: Port Pirie plant almost a reality

[mauried@tpg.com.au (Maurie Daly)]

On Sun, 19 Nov 2000 04:18:33 GMT, dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David
Bromage) wrote:

>John Dennis (jdennis@acslink.net.au) wrote:
>> In article <Br_Q5.30$6B3.3853@news0.optus.net.au>,
>>   dbromage@fang.omni.com.au (David Bromage) wrote:
>> > Plans for a $580 million magnesium plant near Port Pirie took a big
>> > step forward yesterday with German industrial group Thyssen Krupp
>> > Metalurgie agreeing to purchase 52,500 tonnes of magnesium per year.
>> > The plant will process magnesite railed from Leigh Creek.
>
>> I know nothing about magnesite ore.  Is that 52,500 tonnes the total
>> amount to be railed, or that the amount of magnesite contained within an
>> ore body which needs further refining/processing?  1,000 tonnes railed
>> per week is hardly going to make any carrier rich.
>
>That's 52,500t of the finished product, i.e. pure magnesium metal, to be
>bought by Thyssen Krupp. Magnesite (magnesium carbonate) is 28% magnesium,
>and is typically 95% pure in Australian deposits. 52,500t means an
>absolute minimum of 195,000t pa of magnesite ore to be railed from Leigh
>Creek.
>
>There is also a large market for calcined, sintered and fused magnesia
>(magnesium oxide), produced by roasting the magnesite. The current world
>demand for magnesia is about 6.3 million tonnes pa and growing.
>
>Magnesia has been used in the past for steam locomotive boiler insulation.
>
>Cheers
>David


Are you sure that the magnesite is to be railed?
When this project was first being talked about , some 5 years ago
it was intended to truck the ore to Pt Pirie.
Even with 160000 tonnes of magnesite ore PA, this amounts to around
3000 tonnes per week , or just 1 train per week.
Given also that the Magnesite mine isnt actually in Leigh Creek , but
is some 20kms NE of the town , someone  would have to build a railway
line to the mine , hardly likely for 1 train per week.
Although the SA Govt Web site gives quite a deal of info on this
project, I am unable to find any mention of rail being involved.

MD