The Australian minerals group ASX-Gwalia Consolidated Ltd. recently reported on operations for the quarter up to 31 March 1997.
Sales and production of lithium minerals were 16,957 tonnes and 23,092…
The Australian minerals group ASX-Gwalia Consolidated Ltd. recently reported on operations for the quarter up to 31 March 1997. Sales and production of lithium minerals were 16,957 tonnes and 23,092 tonnes respectively for the quarter. The report explained that production for the quarter had a greater than normal proportion of the higher value concentrate and chemical grade product which restricted total production tonnage. During the quarter, two shipments totalling approximately 80,000 tonnes of silica sand were made from the Kemerton Silica Sand Project in Western Australia to the Japanese glass market. The Kemerton project is a joint venture with Japan“s Itochu Corporation and Tochu Co. Ltd. The company also reported that it is in the process of entering the lithium chemicals industry by developing a lithium carbonate plant at its Greenbushes Mine. Lithium carbonate is used in the aluminium smelting industry, in the glass and ceramics industries and as a feed stock for the production of other lithium chemicals such as lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, lithium bromide, butyl lithium and lithium metal.