Document LJBJGgDzkG4yKdQrLxzmB9r1d

WPWiu.1 .p,g; LIA 16 35 7 .-w>WmiwrtS|i &atiWvfir* 0 i i LEAD INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION 4*0 ICX1NOTOM AVUMUI KCW YOU* 17, M. T. THt an DOSTRT I* APSTRAlIAs frank A, Green, Works 1lanagsr The Broken Rill Associated 3oitcr Proprietary Ltd,, Part Pixie, Au*trail* Boforo pro* exiting *J Subject, I should Ilk* to eonvay, thro^fc yon Ur. Chximcn, grootings to this gathering fraa all those who, in their various vocations, maka up the lead industry la Australia, I unior*tend that wo have not been previously directly roprosentod at this convention, and I feel honoured to have bean chosen to coo and take part in your discussions. Before turning our attention particularly to lead, I ahoald. like to say aa*.'thins about Australia aa it is today. Vs are a larya country physically - close in area to tho U.SJU - but our entire population is no mcro than that of tho City of lew Toric* Moreover, of our 8^ million inhabitants, no loes than 1* dll Ion are concentrated in the capital cities of tho 6 states. Although large tract* of northern and central Australia aro practically uninhabitsd, it is obvious that the balrnco of our population is thinly ecattcrod over very wido aroas. This bring* its apodal pnShloB# of long and expeoalve line* of camnieation, transportation and defence difficulties and rural holdings of lmsonss aite manned by little acre than half a Billion w-T-kin' people. These factors, together with our erthar features of cllaate, topogrep>y, natural reaourooa, and tho Banner In which our national dcvclojmont has taken plaoa, have a direct bearing on the production and consult!on of essential caatoditias. Including lead. Our basic wealth has boon built up on wheat growing and wonl production, but, in recent years, we have seen a groat industrial development doslgnod to naka Australia largely eclf-suffldont and capable of supporting a greatly osparded population. Our naben ars being steadily built up, aldsd ty a vigorous achcmo of irnaigr*tion, which in tioo should go far towards solving Australia's maa> power probldB to aost its changing nssds. V* hsvo partidpatod in two world wars at * very great cort both financially and of manpowor. The last war alone cost US over 0 billion dollars la direct expenditure. Today wa ars faced with the problem* of maintaining our trade balances and of obtaining tho capital requirements particularly needed in * young end expands lag nation. Presented at tho 2Lth Annual Mooting, Load Industries Association, April 10-19, 1952, Chioago, Illinois, y N 3318 wwpwps 1 w fPflWMWg mmmm LIA16 358 >Ai rrf,.. frank It OrosH i o 4 i Lead, boetuM* Mature hu oedcwod us with two immensely rich erw-bodies, rXx-.a a suirtor.tinl ocr.tri'jution to Australia's Arnir.- oopacit.v. Cvor 75,t of tho total rir.od production of load il avallotIs far c_--crt, and la tho year 195^51 It followed next la ordar to tho agricultural oxparts, totailiris acoo ii.5 elllion* Tha Broken Kill field ha* boon workod for about 70 year*, and ha* produced In that tlao approximately 8,000,000 too* of lead. This year, pr eduction at Port Firis, where the full output of tha Broken Kill lead concentrate i* treated, rill bo about 185,000 tens of refined lead. There 1* groat developmental activity at both ond* of the field, whore tha oro-body la being purauod at depth and, to data, work proves tha continuance of the loda aa regards tons par vortical foot and grade, but probably tho southerly plunge is flattea* irg, it tho northern end s now sain shaft is being sunk by Berth Bruton will Ltd*, which will eventually bo tukuc to 5,000 foot doptlv and tha centre of gravity of this Coopery's oporatiotsmll move towards this shaft* Present output of this Kino will bo maintained in tha filter*, and no marked expansion is planned with tho now develops*nts* r It la only recently that tho full importance of tho southern extension of tho Broken Hill loda has bom cpprtciatod. Full develop* sent of thoao extensions *1 H bo coepictod in about serves years' tlao, 4 when tha total production froa tho wholo field nay well cxooad 2?>,TOO tons of load a year* Tho rlchnoaa of this oro-body is phenomenal, and a fair average Talus error tho field would bo about 114 for both loud and tine* Mi, iso la a newer field, earning Into production in 1931, and duo credit must bo given to tha American Inciting and Refining Oompmy, r a for its Initiative and energy in helping to bring it into promotion* Tho seals of load output is about 39,000 tons of lead a year, and thengh this field ha* suffered through laoour shortages and transportation i difficulties, as lndcod Broken Hill has also, indications are that, with the reserves in sight, and now discoveries particularly tbs r locating of one entirely nrnr load-tino deposit, production on tha presort seals will be maintained fer mary years* In fact, neither in tho caso of Brokoc Rill nor of Itt. lea can ary llnitatloa to the exported lifo of tho oro-bedy bo given today* Suffloo to say that botfc are axpsrtod to bo still Is production at tho end of this oentaxy* ! Purthor useful oer.tributloos, which total about 10% at Australia'* load output, are made from tho Itaad-Roaabcry Mina at i- tho Elcctrolytla lino Compary in Truearia, from tho Lakm Geerge Mlnm at Capted.ni e plat in Mew South tralos, and froa tha Eorthamptoe flald In Western Australia, In Tasmania, too, Zochaa Minas are continuing dovolopaeot of tho oooana lodo whore results sro encouraging. Stssaarising output then, tho mine produetlna of laid la Australia this yoar will bo semo 215,000 tons, of which 7SS will bs macltud end refined at Pert Pirio (tho only plant producing r*flood ftc., 4 load in Auatralla)j 161 wiU bo smoltod to bullion at Mt. Isa and L expertod to Great Britain for refining, while tho remaining 9% will s bo smoltod abroad, chiefly in this oountry. Mots, All tons quotod are abort tons. mm SSB ip mf .i--j Jimmiw!P4.s.JiiJ tsuii ii.uwgj|L. ^j^i^'i^wuiimimi, i  : mmmm *4Na uttt itmiJfaa iat&msm fraA it Groan ffii! LIA16359 fhS Shat aro tho martote for tho Australian prodiotlest Bona consumption la about 55>OCO tona pur annua of refined metal, tod of tho boliTioo avoilahlo for expert, eaoo 70% la purchased by tha United Eiaedas thresh tho Britlah Ministry of Materials. This includes beth refined octal fraa Port Plrlo end Xt Isa bullion refined in Croat Britain. Australia also supplies tho full load ror.uir.'aaats of Hew Zealand, and part of tho requinaents of India, Pakistan, South Aftrica and Europe, and substantial tennagos of refined metal aro being recciTod in this country, Aa you ara ntaro, largo tonnage* of Australian load bar* also roccrtly been purebasod for tho u. S. atoolqdlo. In view of tho new reduced load stocks In Groat Britain thoao aaloa ara unlikely to roeur, but apart froa this no mejor departure In tho pattern of aalaa la '-'frrrfftri. It nay bo of lntoroet to pen near to have an aatlyvls of tbs various uaoa of load in Australia, although vo oust qualify this analysis by saying that no haro not tha Ino detailed cheok on laal uaas that yen have in tho n_aTiT In 1?50 lead was distributed approximately as followa, and a maoful caapariaon, I sill mention corresponding figures for UeSJL. Aa I said just now, our lead statistics aro not aa plentiful as yours, and tho Australian figures rofar to refined lead only. bsce TUO.SJCL.-------(total loadj^ tons Australia (refined load J&LL toes Storage Batteries Cable Covering Tetraethyl Bod Load and Litharge Construction fidto lead Other i|06,600 136,000 111,100 75,900 61,500 A.000 32,800 353,100 3b 31 9 6 5 3 3 29 5,700 7,000 6,000 8,000 8,000 boo 9,100 13 15 13 19 19 1 20 ionx 1,212,000 100 b5,eoo 100 3oma of those figures aro of groat interest. Mbits land consumption in Australia la particularly high, partly dha to tha rela tively low domcatio prioe of ibich I shall havo moro to **T later. Thm large coosm^itlon by tho building tradoa, clthough also affoetad by tho prioo, is duo principally to tha low usago of copper and to dlfforatA buildirg apociflaationa, Ihoro is no tetraethyl production in Australia# Hpaae^PW wiqaigwy : i' !gjiiijpp^pippi;j i fnjw^pgia^inMyp iwa !mWi jjw pyi^ y I!.1; wai iwipsupn j'mawguym.a" 's-mww > iilJUliinpjnii., LIA163 60 Amw- wir .m.wafes imi ,, >............ I I . - ^^.:j:v-r-.M^:m.--.,Js:.|: Ttank AA Ofooa J ?alcm tho eonsiptlon of virgin load in Australia la lb-lh*. per bead of population, cceparod with a virgin load oonsu^e tion of 1L-Ibs, per head, out of a total load consumption of l&albs, par hoad. In U5JL A parallel c ceparisen exists In tho ease of alab tins, i*ioro tho rcspoctivo Hguroa aro 12--lbs, and 10-lbs. fer Australia and U3A, Those relatively high oonsuaptlon flguros In Australia OS* Influenced by tho fact that tho prlco at rofinod lead tor doaostle oonsuaptloa has boon flxod ly the various Oovorwnts at 165 Australian per ton, l.o., 6J cents por lb. With lead available at this prlco, there Is loss incentive to aocic lower priced substitutes than wbero tbs metal has to bo purchased for, sey, 19 cants por lb, os la Great Britain sad D.S.A, On the other hand It can load to extravagant sod lncffloloci uses of tho metal. lbs Government cnardsos anothor control on tho load Infests? w and * very useful one - In Its regulations govcmlnc the handling of loady materials. Those havo bad a salutary effect In reducing health hatards, and minimi ting load poisoning, and no doubt you have ousts* i pffryfl iry< ber^p As there aro many metallurgists hero today. It may be of interest to say a littlo about the operations of the Broken Bill Associated Soeltcrs Pty. Ltd., at Pert Pirln. port Pirls la situated on Spencer Gulf In South Australia, and la 250 miles distant tram Broken BUI by rcll As I havo said beforo, our plant troats the dtele of the Broken Rill output of load concentrate*, and cur main operations ocegadme the standard treatment of aintorlng of concentrates, blast furnaea smelting of sinter, and refining of load bulling. Seem of our prooessos and equipment are rather unique In load mctailurcyj o,g*, our slntarlng plant cooaists of pro largo Dwight 4 Llcyd machines, c*oh of 10* width and 50* wild--bo* length, and tho ole output free tho plant is treated error those maetdnos, TTo have paid a great deal of attention to tho development at the lead blast furoaecsi, end aery of you are aware that we have standard-- liod on a ocegilcvaly water-jacketed fumaoo with semi--circular ends, aad two super-loosed raws of tuyeres, tho lower raw being sat st 5' sport harisontelly, opening out to a shaft width of 10*, whore the seoood row of tsyero* Is plsood. Our now standard fumaco Is 2$t la active length, sod, baaed on now rofinod load output, will produoo about 260 ton* of as* laid a day. For tho last 20 year* we havo boon using th> oontlnmou* process of refining which was invented by Dr, 0, K, Williams, forms* T7ortcs Manager of y Ccsspany. This has been cmlacntjy satisfactory, and, of course, Is particularly suited to our conditions of tonnages and composition of lead bullion, but at tha sasao time, it is of gromt Interest to us that oertaln companies in Amorloa have sueoessfUlly adoptod certain ports of tho continuous refining proooss cm s different soalo of production and composition of billion from emrSe ibubip LI A16361 atSSktii Trtsk. A. Orw# At tho present tin* we art oxporlnenting with a largo tool* pilot plant for the contlnuoua troatnent of doallToriaed load by tho Taoinsa dozlncing process originally established on the batch soalo by tho St, Joseph Lead Coepicy, and wo arc Tory hopoful, trm the encouraging results so far obtained, that this will tit Into our continuous rofinery system Tory well. Our latest project, which will take scan time to c triplets. Is the obstruction of s new largo sintering machine, which will bo rery norol in operation In that It will uso m upward blast of air through tho sinter bod, Instead of tho standard dam-draught principle* TPo fool from our tost wort that it offers apodal odrantages la strength of gas, better ocntlculty of operation and l&prorod speod of roasting, and wo aro planning to talco gas fro* this maohlns through a purification plant, which Is now being built, for final suuufaoturo Into contact add In a cccreraioo plant, riiieh is now approaching otssplotion. In Ht, isa*s ease, thdr metallurgy Is largely determined by their own oro and grilling problems. Their load caoeontrate conirlno about }5% lead, end is high In sulphur, and they hare derdepod a unique sintering operation, whoroby tho raw concentrate la sized wrier proasure in a ratio of one part of now charge to throe and a half parts of returned erushod and aerotnod aInter, to sake the sinter plant faod* After copper dressing, Mt. Isa lead as I hero said, is exported to Groat Britain for refining. Returning to tho general picture Hr, Chairman, we hare soma that a largo and assured aupply of lead can be expaetod froi Australis for mniy yoars to oceo - a supply that will be largely asall.able for export. There Is no reason for us to think that the present fields represent tho Unit of our lead resource*, flnoe Australia la a wast country, uith boundloaa feasibilities for further Mineral discjrerio*. There tqr bo other Broken Hill's and trt, Isa's awaiting tho prospector's banner, or Instrumental uurwey to bring them into our koc, and, of course, suitable *canemia conditions to permit thdr dotal efnast* In roeent years, a groat doal of mineral exploration work, has boon oarrlod out In Australia, and In due time tho results obtained may bo tho means of riding now tonnages to Australia's load output, Tho disoorory of tho great copper oro-body In tho footwall of tho Mt* Isa load lodo, end the disoorory of tho new load oro-body at riot is known as 'iloToa end a Half Kilos Vrth* are ceunploe of riat exploration can load to cro within tho eloao pmarlsilty of a known lodo* X fool X oennot lot this opportunity poos without s reforonso to tho part tho U.S.A. has played In the dcT-lojmont of our load resources. As one who has boon actItaly engaged for ofor a qpartear 9 of s e-ntury la tho metal production side of tho load Industry, X should like to pay a slnooro tribute to the help and inspiration *s haws rwoclvod from tho miring onglnoors and metallurgists of your oourrtry. ji 'HIF'jJjii nillLi! !ijp>BJUl.iill..!J-. I'1 1L . j .. JJ-UWI JWWi mem,m m wmmmmmmmmmmmm- ij/U'11. 1 pi*1 fruk A* Ortx* LIA16362 JBB ***. t In our early industrial year* *e drew heavily on their knododj# and technical a will* Ihoao were always freely plaood cl our dispoail, ari throughout the year* that fine spirit of co-ofx.rntiuc haa oontla* I uod, ael hrj rosulted la aany la* ting friendships between your tcct> deal offioers nni our own. Without tho constant assistance and adyica that wo hsvo received wo should have been unable to do sfeat wa have dene to develop tha production of lead in Australia. Aaorlaaa capital and iacrioan 'know ho*1 will end suat play a blf pert la Australiais further wincril devolopocct, and recent aowoa la the atody of our uronlua flalda point that way, I would like, la conclusion, to plooo oa rooord wj opprodatle* of tho cordial roooptlco ay offloor* and I havo always roodrod at yewr hands, and itoloh wo hsvo tried to roelproooto d>ea your pocplo have visited Australis. ? i i'W WW Wflw y w tp p p B W p fw w iw w .1m jwwnf ' 'ia iiiaji j|i! ijwwm m m i ,w iw .amju. i , .1 . am*.,