The historic Brukunga Mine was established in the 1950s as a source of sulphur to be converted to sulphuric acid for use in the manufacture of superphosphate fertiliser. Australian soils tend to be of a poor quality requiring applications of fertiliser to sustain cultivated crops. When the Mine was constructed in the 1950s the world was rebuilding after World War II and there was a great shortage of all materials. Mining ceased in 1972 and on-going treatment of the site started shortly after.

This field trip will focus on examining the evolving mine waste features at this former pyrite mine and discuss challenges, site remediation and secondary prospectivity. Delegates will visit key mine waste features at the site including the historical waste rock piles and the associated 3.5 Mt tailings, which have, to a degree, been rehabilitated. Delegates will be given an insight into how acid and metalliferous drainage forms in these environments, and will be introduced to active treatment methods used on site.

In 2024, mine waste at the site has been characterised in the context of secondary prospectivity. This trip will also provide delegates a unique opportunity to learn about the new field of mine waste exploration and gain a first-hand insight into the critical metal potential of the Brukunga mine waste.

Leader – Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox (Sustainable Minerals Institute, University of Queensland) & Moira Coffey (Department for Energy and Mining)