Program

Download the full CRITCON 2023 program here...

Final Program

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The program includes three themes distributed across the conference days.

Theme 1 – Discovery

With accelerating demand for most critical minerals and increasing focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) aspects of mineral exploration and extraction, there is an urgent need for new discoveries of critical mineral resources. While Australia has highly prospective geology for critical minerals, future discovery success will be challenged by the vast size of the continent and, in many cases, limited infrastructure and enabling resources (energy, water, and a skilled workforce).

We also lack fundamental information on the behaviour of critical minerals in nature, and on critical mineral ore systems, both of which are needed to develop effective exploration models.

Presentations in this theme will showcase recent critical minerals exploration successes, new research into understanding critical mineral ore systems, and advances in big data and AI that will shape the future of mineral exploration.

The presentations include:

Topic Presenter Affiliation
Lithium potential in the 3T (tin, tantalum, tungsten) belt of Central Africa (Keynote) Anouk Borst KU Leuven & Royal Museum for Central AfricaÌý

Where are South Australia’s carbonatites?

Mitchell Bockmann GeologicalÌýSurvey of South Australia
Critical minerals in Australia - recent trends and policy settings Michael Neimanis Critical Minerals Office
Magmatic REE mineralisation in carbonatites Michael Anenburg ANU
The geology of the Mt Weld carbonatite Ross Chandler ANU
Natural source-field induced polarization exploration for an IOCG deposit GrahamÌýHeinson ³ÉÈË´óƬ

Geological knowledge from data: A machine assisted and human driven approach

Eun-Jung Holden University of Western Australia

Digital decisions that attract the herd

Genéne Kleppe

Digital Twinning Australia

Unravelling South Australia's critical mineral potential Carmen Krapf GeologicalÌýSurvey of South Australia
New tools for dating LCT pegmatites Jarred Lloyd ³ÉÈË´óƬ
REE mobility in geologic environments John Mavrogenes ANU
TheÌýFinniss Lithium Deposit, Northern Territory Graeme McDonald Core Lithium

Recent insights into tellurium biogeochemical cycling from nano- to macro-scale

Owen Missen University of Tasmania
Precompetitive data from Geoscience Australia for critical minerals exploration Anthony Schofield Geoscience Australia

Key genetic processes for magmatic Ni-Cu-Co-PGE sulfide systems, and recently-developed exploration tools

MargauxÌýLe Vaillant CSIRO
Metamict zircon as a source for unconformity related REE deposits Jessica Walsh ³ÉÈË´óƬ
REE potential of phosphorites, Georgina Basin, Northern Australia Diana Zivak ³ÉÈË´óƬ

Theme 2 – Characterisation

Critical mineral supply will come from bespoke orebodies (e.g., lithium pegmatites), but also from byproduct of existing base metal mines (e.g., cobalt from copper deposits) or from reprocessing of mine wastes such as tailings.

These sources are incredibly diverse in terms of physical attributes, mineralogy, geochemistry, and metal deportment and distribution. Some are associated with potentially deleterious components (e.g., uranium thorium, arsenic, and/or fluorine) that need to be carefully characterised and monitored.

Detailed characterisation of these ores is essential to improve understanding of ore formation processes, but also to designing flow sheets for efficient, economic and environmentally-responsible beneficiation and processing of ores.

Presentations in this theme will showcase recent advances in methodologies to characterise critical minerals and critical mineral ores, and present case examples of characterisation of ores and processing streams from the sub micron scale to deposit scale.

The presentations include:

Topic Presenter Affiliation
The critical minerals potentialÌýof the world-class Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit; Part 1.Ìý(Keynote) Kathy Ehrig BHP Olympic Dam

Nickel and cobalt in tailings from the Eloise Deposit, North QLD

Kam Bhowany University of Queensland
Thermodynamic modelling of critical mineral systems Joel Brugger Monash University
Chemical and temporal evolution of the Mary Kathleen Complex, Mount Isa Inlier Antony Burnham ANUÌý
The critical minerals potentialÌýof the world-class Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit; Part 2. Nigel CookÌý ³ÉÈË´óƬ

Clay-hosted rare earth element mineralisation in the Esperance District of Western Australia

David Crook

OreSource Pty Ltd & Mount Ridley Mines Ltd

LIBS automated techniques for the mineralogical and elemental characterisation of critical mineral deposits

Rowena Duckworth AXT Pty Ltd
REE characterisation and reprocessing potential of the Mary Kathleen tailings, QLD Nathan Fox University of Queensland

Unravelling South Australia’s critical mineral pegmatites

Georgina Gordon GeologicalÌýSurvey of South Australia
Secondary prospectivity of South Australia’s mine waste: Review Laura Jackson University of Queensland
Critical minerals in north QLD mineral deposits Vladimir Lisitsin GeologicalÌýSurvey of Queensland
The clay-hosted Koppamurra REE deposit, South Australia Stefan Loehr ³ÉÈË´óƬ
Critical minerals in mine wastes from far north Queensland Olivia Mejias Gonzalez University of Queensland
The behaviour of REE-bearing minerals during in situ weathering Laura Morrissey University of South Australia

A 15 Gt resource of critical minerals? A comprehensive mapping of tailings and the potential for critical minerals across Australia

Gavin Mudd RMIT University
Drivers for Australia’s mine waste renaissance: the 3ÌýC’s Anita Parbhakar-Fox University of Queensland

A nanoscale vision of trace element distributions in critical minerals using atom probe tomography

Steven Reddy Curtin University
Ionic clay hosted REE mineralisation in the Gawler Craton Rupert Verco Cobra Resources
Latest advancements on automated mineralogy for critical minerals Leonardo Salazar Thermo Fischer Scientific

Theme 3Ìý– Processing

Critical minerals often occur in rocks and ores that are more complex than traditional commodities, causing their behaviour in processing circuits to be harder to predict and often resulting in lower recovery and process efficiency.Ìý

A sustainable and competitive critical minerals industry requires effort to push the existing limits of recovery and grade in ore and waste stream/tailing beneficiation processes. We will need to solve hydrodynamic challenges that can limit recovery/grade to concentrates, and extend the limits of fine particle size recovery of valuable critical minerals. Bioprocessing will also play an increasingly important role in beneficiation and critical mineral extraction.

Presentations in this theme will address the many challenges to industry in processing of critical mineral ores, and outline the latest research developments and improvements to overcome these challenges, thereby allowing progress to more efficient and environmentally-benign mineral processing technologies.Ìý

The presentations include:

Topic Presenter Affiliation
Application of the boycott effect in fine and coarse particle flotation (Keynote) Kevin Galvin University of Newcastle
Repurposing of mining tailings for REE mineral recovery George Abaka-Wood University of SouthÌýAustralia
Recent research and development studies of nickel and cobalt extraction from Australian lateritic ores Jonas Addai-Mensah University of South Australia

Production mineralogy: Magnesite deposit at Prospect Ridge; northwestern Tasmania

Alfredtina Appiah University of Tasmania
Understanding the entrainment behaviour of silicate minerals in pentlandite flotation Linda D. Ayedzi University of South Australia
Communition trends for sustainable critical minerals processing Mark Drechslar CBSM Mining Services
Cobalt Blue's Broken Hill demonstration plant - Update on the COB process development Aaron Einthel Cobalt Blue
Kalkaroo Deposit - A critical minerals treasure trove Chris Giles Havilah Resources
Biomining critical minerals from low-grade ores and wastes Anna Kaksonen CSIRO

Sustainable recovery of Cu-Co critical minerals

Clement Lartey University of South Australia

Rare earth production from an Australian clay hosted deposit

Jess Page Australian Rare Earths Ltd.

Visible light fluorescence sensing for increased efficiency in lithium mineral processing

Tom Payten ³ÉÈË´óƬ

A review of magnetic separation of rare earth minerals

Zahra Rezaee

University of South Australia

A sticky situation: Understanding and manipulating Si-gel formation from gangue mineral dissolution during in-situ leaching

Mareike Rosemann MonashÌýUniversity

Copper and cobalt recovery from mineral wastes

Pavel Spiridonov University of South Australia
Critical minerals hydrometallurgical process innovations James Vaughan University of Queensland

Elizabeth Creek: Unlocking copper and cobalt production in the Gawler Craton

Matthew Weber Coda Minerals

Enquiries?

If you have anyÌýenquiries about the submission process, registration, conference venue, dietary requirements, conference dinner and workshops please contact us.

Contact the organisers