MINERAL INDUSTRY OF NEW SOUTH WALES No. 45 NICKEL Compiled by K. R. Fitzpatrick (March, 1968) INTRODUCTION Nickel is a metallic element and is an important alloying material in the metal industry. It does not occur as, the native element. Although nickel-bearing minerals have been recorded from many localities within New South Wales, there has been no commercial production. Recent discoveries of nickel mineralization in other States, notably in Western Australia, have sparked a general interest in exploration. This report represents a compilation of all information regarding known occurrences of nickel mineralization in New South Wales. Some references to cobalt have not been excluded because of the close cobalt- nickel association in nature. ORES OF NICKEL * A large number of nickel-bearing minerals have been identified but few are of any commercial significance. Several nickel minerals, including the most important, are listed below. Sulphides Pentlandite is a sulphide of iron and nickel, (Fe, Ni)9S8. The ratio of nickel to iron is approximately 1:1. Pentlandite occurs in a massive form or in granular aggregates and is light bronze yellow in colour. The hardness is 3-5 to 4 and specific gravity 4-6 to 5-0. It occurs in highly basic rocks and is nearly always intimately associated with pyrrhotite. It is the primary source of nickel in Canadian ores and contains about 36 per cent of the metal. Millerite, nickel sulphide, NiS, usually occurs as very slender to capillary crystals. It can occur as an alteration product of other nickel- bearing minerals, and is found in serpentines, meteorites and coal measures. The hardness is 3 to 3-5 and the specific gravity is 5-5. The colour varies from pale brass yellow to bronze yellow. Millerite contains 64-7 per cent nickel. Wolfachite contains arsenic, antimony and sulphur, Ni (As, Sb)S (approximately). It is silver white to tin white in colour with a black streak. The hardness is 4-5 to 5 and specific gravity is 6-37. It is a rare mineral of which only one analysis has been made. * Mineralogical information has been abstracted from Dana and Dana (1944, 1951). 5 llllllll\IllllllIllllmflmlflfll|||||lll||||lll||l Ullmannite is a sulphide-antimonide of nickel with cobalt and small amounts of iron, arsenic and bismuth, (Ni, Co, Fe) (Sb, As, Bi)S. It is grey to silver white in colour with a greyish black streak, has a hardness of 5 to 5-5 and a specific gravity of 6-65. The cobaltian variety of this mineral was named “Willyamite” when described by Pittman (1893). Arsenides Niccolite, or Kupfernickel, is a nickel arsenide, NiAs.‘ Usually massive and reniform with columnar structure, niccolite is pale copper red in colour with a hardness of 5 to 5-5 and a specific gravity of 7-78. It occurs together with other nickel arsenides and sulphides, and is frequently found in norites or in ore deposits derived from them. Niccolite quickly becomes coated with annabergite in a moist atmosphere. Smaltite is a cobalt and nickel arsenide, (Co, Ni)As 3-x. It is a tin white and silver grey mineral with a hardness of 5-5 to 6 and a specific gravity of 6-5, and occurs in a crystalline or massive form. Chloanthite, (Ni, Co)As3_x, is the end member of the smaltite—chloanthite continuous series (Co, Ni)As,,_x -— (Ni, Co)Asa_x. Antimonide Brez‘thauptite is a nickel antimonide, NiSb. Arsenic is sometimes present but may be due to admixed niccolite. Breithauptite, a copper red coloured mineral with a hardness of 5-5 and specific gravity of 8-23, occurs in a disseminated or massive form. Silicate Garn'ierite, hydrated nickeliferous magnesium silicate, H2(Ni, Mg) Si04.nH20 (variable NizMg ratio), is an impOrtant ore of nickel, varies in colour from bright apple green to nearly white, is soft and friable and has a specific gravity of 23-2-8. ‘ Secondary Minerals Arsenolite, arsenic trioxide, AS203, is a white coloured mineral occurring as minute crystals, aggregates or crusts formed from the oxidation of arsenopyrite, smaltite and other arsenic minerals. Annabergite, “nickel bloom”, is a hydrated arsenate of cobalt and nickel, (Co, Ni)3(AsO4)2.8H20. It is rich in nickel, and is apple green in colour but becomes paler green to white and passes through varying shades of pink as the cobalt content increases. It occurs as fine crystalline coatings or as an earthy mass of hardness 1'5 to 2'5. Annabergite is formed by the oxidation of the arsenides of cobalt and nickel but is less common than erythrite (“cobalt bloom”). USES Nickel has many important, varied uses but by far the most important is its use as an alloying element with iron, copper, chromium, aluminium, tin, zinc, manganese, molybdenum and silicon. The presence of nickel in many alloys imparts toughness, corrosion resistance, low-temperature ductility and improves high temperature properties. 6 The largest single use of nickel is in stainless steel, much of which is used in the automotive industry. The second largest use of nickel is in non—ferrous alloys including nickel-copper, nickel-chromium, nickel-molybdenum and super alloys. The term super alloy is used to describe a family of high temperature, high strength alloys nearly all of which contain nickel. Electroplating, used to protect less resistant metals, provides a major outlet for nickel. Nickel cast irons are used for the construction of cylinder blocks, cylinder liners and pistons, industrial melting pots and steel mill rollers. Nickel is used in the manufacture of the Alnico type of permanent magnet used principally in loudspeakers and in the manufacture of nickel- cadmium batteries. It is used in the ceramics industry for preparing iron sheets prior to enamelling and also in the preparation of carbides and other hardfacing materials, glass, lubricants, fuel additives, plastics, rubber, salts and fungicides. Appreciable quantities of nickel are used for coinage, and nickel is used in the radio industry in the production of thermionic valves. » High nickel alloys could be substantially replaced by nickel- chromium—molybdenum steels, boron-bearing steels, chromium- manganese-nickel stainless steels and nickel-free stainless steels, should the price of nickel rise significantly. The pure metal has relatively few applications including electro- plating, and its use as a catalyst in the hydrogenation of fats and oils in the production of soap and food products. ORIGIN AND MODE OF OCCURRENCE Nickel deposits can usually be classified as belonging to one of three groups, two of which are primary in origin. Primary Deposits. Segregations associated with basic and ultrabasic rocks are a major source of supply. Pentlandite, millerite, nickeliferous pyrrhotite and nickeliferous chalcopyrite are the principal minerals. Hydrothermal and pneumatolytic vein deposits containing niccolite, chloanthite, smaltite and nickeliferous chalcopyrite are important sources. Secondary .Deposits. Laterite deposits containing garnierite are \ formed by the weathering of nickeliferous ultrabasic rocks, notably serpentinite. This type of deposit constitutes a large potential source of nickel in the world. Low grade deposits of this type occur in the Port Macquarie district of New South Wales. TREATMENT OF ORE The treatment of nickel ore depends upon the type of ore being mined. In general silicate and lateritic ores receive no beneficitiaon before smelting. Nickel-copper sulphide ores are concentrated by flotation .methods. The complicated pyrometallurgical, chemical and electrolytic processes needed to recover and purify nickel are especially complex when dealing with laterite and serpentine ores. Present processes 7 for the exploitation of silicate and nickeliferous laterite ores do not make full use of the potential of these ores as sources of iron, cobalt and other contained metals. In Canada and New Caledonia, the sources of about 90 per cent of the free world’s supply of nickel, different processes are used by every major producer. Increasing dependence by world nickel producers on lower grade ore deposits is bringing about an increase in research into more economic methods of nickel recovery. BUYERS AND PRICES The London price for nickel early in February, 1968, was £902 sterling per ton, whereas in June, 1967, it was £702 sterling per ton. The Australian price at 30th June, 1967, was 82-8 cents per 1b f.o.b. capital cities for lots over one ton. r Several establishments which purchase most metallic ores would buy nickel ore and metal should any become available. British Metal Corporation (Australia) Pty Ltd, Kindersley House, 20 O’Connell Street, Sydney. Telephone 28 8135. Telegram “Brimetacor”, Sydney. Derby and Company (Australia) Pty Ltd, 39 York Street, Sydney. Telephone 29 2585. Telegram “Derphisyd”, Sydney. Frank Hambridge Pty Ltd, 184 Henderson Road, Alexandria, N.S.W. Telephone 51 4080. Telegram “Hambrid”, Sydney. Metal Traders (Australasia) Pty Ltd, 80 O’Riordan Street, Alexandria, N.S.W. Telephone 67 0631. Telegram “Serolatem”, Sydney. PRODUCTION No nickel has ever been produced in New South Wales. In the period 1913-39, the entire Australian production came from the Zeehan district of Tasmania. No nickel was produced in Australia in the period 1939-66. There have been recent discoveries of payable nickel ore in the Kambalda area of Western Australia and the company which commenced mining in June, 1967, is expected to be producing 15,000 tons of refined nickel per year by 1971. 8 The value of imports of unworked nickel and nickel alloys in the form of pellets, shots, blocks, ingots, worked sheets and alloys has increased from $2,028,000 in 1965-66 to $2,660,000 in 1966-67. During 1967 (calendar year) an estimated 2,000 tons of unworked nickel valued at over $3,200,000, was imported. However, during 1967, exports of nickel in various forms were valued at $2,113,000 of which $1,795,000 represented the first shipments of nickel ore and concentrates from Western Australia during the latter half of the year. OCCURRENCES IN NEW SOUTH WALES Broken Hill Several nickel-bearing minerals have been recorded from the Broken Hill district, one of the earliest of which was niccolite. A mineral peculiar to this area was discovered by G. Smith and described by Pittman (1893). It was found in the Consols mine: . . in which it was associated with dyscrasite and kupfernickel, and enclosed in calcite in the siderite zone. It formed small bunches with perfect cubical cleavage, but was not seen in any definite crystal forms. (Smith, 1926). The mineral, named willyamite, contained cobalt, antimony and sulphur and approximately 13-4 per cent nickel. Smith also recorded the occurrence in the Consols mine of small amorphous bunches of kupfernickel (niccolite) containing the willyamite referred to above. Smaltite has occurred within siderite and calcite in the vicinity of some of the rich silver deposits of the Consols mine. Analyses of this mineral revealed a content of 1-90 to 1-95 per cent nickel. Breithauptite was first observed at Broken Hill by Garretty (1948) in association with remnants of niccolite and invaded by veinlets of willyamite in a specimen of willyamite from the Broken Hill Consols , lode. Breithauptite is now known through the Broken Hill line of lode in rare, minute grains sometimes associated with tetrahedrite, cubanite, chalcopyrite or pyrrhotite. StilIWell and Edwards (1939) carried out analyses on lollingite from the North Broken Hill mine and the Zinc Corporation mine, Broken Hill. The percentages of cobalt and nickel were found to vary con- siderably (nickel 0-22 per cent to 2-63 per cent), but the ratio of cobalt to nickel was approximately 3 :2. They reported that: Massive lollingite is particularly noticeable as small ore pockets in garnet sandstone, more or less surrounded by an external zone of arsenopyrite . . . The alteration to arsenopyrite is also often contaminated by the incoming of sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and galena . . . Apart from, these occurrences of lollingite in garnet sandstone in the proximity to the footwall or underwall of the lode, the distribution of the lollingite is similar tr} that of arsenopyrite which is frequently characterized by small ragged inclusions o lollingite. , 9 G 43385—2 StiIIWell and Edwards re-examined a mineral discovered by StillWell some time earlier which was similar to Pittman’s willyamite. This new mineral, which occurred in the oxidized zone of the Broken Hill Pro- prietary mine, was found to contain arsenic and was labelled “arsenical willyamite”. These two workers also recorded niccolite in microscopic particles associated with pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, cubanite and galena in specimens from the Zinc Corporation mine. Table 1 contains a list of analyses carried out by the Chemical Laboratory, Department of Mines, and published in annual reports. TABLE 1 NICKEL ASSAYS—BROKEN HILL DISTRICT . . . Year of Ni Locallty Description Assay (per cent) Broken Hill, Aust. Broken Glaucodot (Cobaltiferous mis- Hill Consols’ mine pickel) 1898 190 Broken Hill, 17 miles N.E. of . . . . . . Pyritous ironstone . . . . 1906 2-2 Broken Hill, 17 miles N.E. of . . . . . . Pyrites with ironstone . . 1906 0-2 Broken Hill, 17 miles N.E. of . . . . . . Copperstained ironstone . . 1906 1-7 Broken Hill, 17 miles N.E. of . . . . . . Copperstained ironstone . . 1906 1-0 Broken Hill, Mount Darling platinum mine . . . . Gossan . . . . . . . . 1919 1-8 Broken Hill, Mount Darling Creek platinum mine . . . . . . 1920 1-5 Broken Hill, 12 miles SE less than of . . . . . . Copper gossan . . . . 1921 0-05 Broken Hill, the North mine Lollingite . . . . . . 1937 1-1 Bungonia The cobaltiferous and nickeliferous manganese “wads” of the Bungonia district have been worked for their cobalt content although records are scanty. Pittman (1901) states that: The cobaltiferous manganese oxide occurs filling the interstices of a coarse quartz-grit, and appears to have been deposited from solutions which percolated this porous rock. The deposits, of Tertiary age, rest unconformably upon Devonian claystones and quartzites. Table 2 contains a list of analyses carried out by the Chemical Laboratory, Department of Mines, and published in annual reports. 10 TABLE 2 NICKEL ASSAYS—BUNGONIA AREA Location Description Year of Ni Assay (per cent) Bungonia, 13 miles south of Cobaltiferous “wad” . . 1884 1-15 NiO Bungonia, % mile from Cobaltiferous “wad” . . . . 1884 0-40 NiO above Marulan district .. .. “Wad” in sandstone .. .. 1884 1-32 NiO Bungonia, near . . . . Manganese oxide and quartz 1885 039 grit Goulburn, 4 miles from . . Manganese oxide in sandstone 1885 1-32 Bungonia . . . . . . Manganese oxide . . . . 1887 0-35 Bungonia . . . . . . Manganese and fine grained. sandstone 1887 0-15 Bungonia . . . . . . Concretionary cobaltiferous manganese oxide 1887 1-37 Marulan . . . . . . Concretionarymanganese oxide with quartz 1887 1-42 Bungonia .. .. .. Crushed cobaltiferous mangan- ese oxide 1888 0-31 Bungonia . . . . . . Crushed cobaltiferous mangan- ese oxide 1888 0-27 Bungonia . . . . . . Crushed cobaltiferous mangan- ese oxide 1888 0-31 Bungonia . . . . . . Sandstone with manganese oxide 1889 0-27 Bungonia . . . . . . Sandstone with manganese oxide 1889 0-19 Carcoar Cobalt and uranium mineralization in the Carcoar district has been investigated by David (1889) and Rayner and Relph (1957). The general geology surrounding the deposits is described by Rayner and Relph (1957). The deposits occur associated with zones of shearing within an environment of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks. This mixed zone, which also appears to contain some narrow bands of intrusive diorite, lies between a large mass of diorite on its northern side and of andesite on its southern side. In particular, the more important mineralization lies close to the contact of the main diorite mass. The southern boundary of a large mass of granite, which occupies most of the country between Carcoar and Blayney, outcrops one mile north of the deposits. David (1889) describes the cobalt ore as occurring in “bunches”, 9 feet to 12 feet in total length and 2 feet to 3 feet in width, in slate and diorite. ll The ore in these bunches consists of glaucodot (a variety of cobaltiferous misplckel), erythrine (cobalt bloom), molybdenite, and thin films of an apple green to dark green mineral, which has been determined by Mr J. C. H. Mingaye, F.C.S., the Government Assayer and Analyst, to be annabergite (arseniate of nickel). The following assay results for nickel are taken from Department of Mines annual reports. TABLE 3 NICKEL ASSAYS—CARCOAR DISTRICT - . . Year of Ni Locality Description Assay (per cent) Carcoar . . . . . . Danaite (?) Glaucodot, with a 1888 0-59 little erythrine and horn- blende. ‘ Carcoar . . . . . . Danaite (‘2) Glaucodot 1888 0-39 Carcoar .. .. .. Molybdenite with a little fels- 1888 Nil pathic material and spots of erythrine. Carcoar . . . . . . Finely crystalline glaucodot 1889 0-80 and molybdenite. Carcoar, near . . . . Cobaltiferous manganese oxide 1889 0-67 Northern Serpentine Belt Port Macquarie District The general geology of the area has been described by Harrison (1955). South and southwest of Port Macquarie and within the town itself, there is an extensive area of basic igneous rock that has been converted by metamorphism to serpentine. Associated with these intrusives are sedimentary rocks essentially calcareous sandstones, shales and tuffs that have been crushed and heavily jointed by folding and faulting movements . . . The environs of Port Macquarie are characterized by rich-looking reddish—brown soil. The colour is deceptive as many of these soils are poorly fertile, being a leached residual mantle derived from the underlying serpentine. Several analyses were carried out for nickel about the time that cobalt was being worked in this area. The assay results shown in table 4 are taken from Department of Mines annual reports. 12 NICKEL ASSAYS—PORT MACQUARIE DISTRICT TABLE 4 . - - Year of * Ni Locality Description Assay (per cent) Felspathic cobaltiferous “wad” 1889 0-55 Iron ore containing cobalt 1889 0-84 Cobaltiferous manganese oxide 1890 0-88 Rubble or crushed stone rich . . 1-77 in manganese. Rubble or crushed stone rich 0-77 in manganese. Rubble or crushed stone rich 1-77 in manganese. . Concentrated “wad” 1898 trace Broken-up serpentine 1904 1-7 3 Broken-up serpentine 1904 1-70 ML 9323 Serpentine . 1905 1-57 ML 9323 Serpentine . . 1905 195 ML 9323 Manganese “wad” 1905 0-21 ML 9323 Manganese “wad” . 1905 0-23 ML 9323 Manganese “wad” . . . . 1905 0-24 Ferruginous clayey material . . 1951 0-50 Half to 4 miles south of, Earthy iron oxide . . . . 1951 04 along cliffs above Ironstained clayey material . . 1951 0-1 beaches. Ironstained clayey material . . 1951 0-1 L Ironstained clayey material . . 1951 0-1 * The metallic cobalt content varied from a trace up to approximately 7 per cent in the above samples. Table 5 shows analyses which were carried out by the Chemical Laboratory, Department of Mines, in the Port Macquarie district, and were pu on samples of cobalt ore being worked blished in the annual report for 1897. TABLE 5 COBALT ORE ANALYSES—PORT MACQUARIE DISTRICT Average Picked Sample Sample per cent per cent Moisture at 100° C 4-98 5-38 Combined water 1221 12-24 Silica (Sl02) . . 8-06 6-40 Alumina (A1203) . . 18-95 9-97 Ferric Oxide (Fe203) . . 14-78 16-85 Manganese Binoxide (M1102) 31-05 36-50 Cobalt Oxide (C00) . . 7-48 7-03 Nickel Oxide (NiO) . . . . 1-36 2-39 Chromium Sesquioxide (Cr203) 0-41 0-40 Copper Oxide (CuO) . 0-05 0-12 Lime (CaO) . . . . 0-05 1-20 Magnesia (MgO) . . Trace 0-83 Phosphoric Acid (P205) 0-06 0-14 Carbonic Acid (C02) . . 022 Total 99-44 99-67 13 Recent investigations have been carried out by Mount Isa Mines 'Limited in areas to the southwest of Port Macquarie. Extensive auger drilling over several areas was concentrated on an area of lateritic, nickel- bearing iron ore. Metallurgical tests showed that physical concentration of the ore was impracticable and that the nickel content of the ore was too low to warrant leaching. During drilling, it was found that higher iron values were confined to the upper part of the laterite whereas higher nickel values were generally confined to the lower part of the sequence. total of 35 holes on a 200 feet grid pattern Were drilled to between 50 and 100 feet in depth in fifteen areas investigated. Warialda to Attunga D. R. Kennedy carried out a survey of the Great Serpentine Belt from Warialda to Attunga. The unpublished results of this work are summarized below. Geology. Most of the area investigated is characterized by massive serpentinite. Lenses and regions of sheared and highly sheared serpentine are common throughout. Occasionally narrow joints filled with asbestos were noted, and Wood’s Reef is located in the area being described. Dykes of dolerite and outcrops of gabbro and altered gabbro were noted in several traverses. Mineralization included manganese, magnesite, copper, chromite and asbestos. The last four of these have been worked in some localities. The belt, up to a mile wide in places, is bounded by Silurian meta- sediments to the east and by Carboniferous and Devonian sediments to the west. Sampling and Results. Twenty-two traverses Were made across the width of the Great Serpentine Belt from Warialda in the north to Attunga in the south. These were spaced approximately evenly apart along the belt depending on access. The method of sampling was to take a chip sample of fresh rock, 1 inch by 1 inch, every 3 feet Where possible. Separate samples were taken of fresh outcrops and of sheared, altered outcrops of serpentine. An attempt was made to sample differing rock types as recognized in the field. Grab samples were taken from the dumps surrounding two old chromium workings. A total of 91 samples were submitted to the Chemical Laboratory, Department of Mines, and spectrographic analyses were carried out for nickel, cobalt, chromium and zinc. The samples represented traverses varying from 45 feet to 1,200 feet in length and averaging about 400 feet. The analyses for nickel were rather consistent. Although they varied in the range 0-03 per cent to 0-30 per cent, three-quarters of the results fell between 0-20 and 0-25 per cent. The average of all results was 0-22 per cent. Only very occasional results could be considered to be anomalously high. Higher concentrations of all metals tended to be found in the western side or half of the belt. Further work has been carried out along a portion of the serpentine belt south of Bingara by Broken Hill South Limited. An induced polarization survey revealed some anomalies. Exploration geochemical l4 work over these anomalies revealed nickel values up to l per cent with high values of cobalt and zinc and anomalous platinum and chromium. A limited amount of drilling was carried out. Southern Serpentine Belt Tumut- Wallendbeen-Gundagai-Gaborralong-Coolac Region Golding (1963, 1966) recorded small amounts of awaruite, the highly magnetic terrestrial nickel-iron alloy, NizFe, along the northern 20 miles of the Goobarragandra—Coolac serpentine belt. The prevalent rock types throughout this area are harzburgites. Awaruite was only recorded when present as megascopic disseminations with grains from a few to over 100 microns in diameter. Eighteen specimens were studied from 12 localities, 10 of which are old chrome workings. In areas of old workings, samples were taken from the wall rocks of ore bodies or from mine dumps. The main area of nickel mineralization was located in the region of Mt Lightning. Chemical analyses of moderately serpentinized harzburgite from the Mt Lightning area report values up to 0-25 per cent nickel oxide. From pseudobreccia, results up to 0-46 per cent, nickel oxide were obtained. In Quilter’s West locality, Mt Lightning, samples contained 0-13 per cent and 0-39 per cent metallic nickel. Awaruite was also recorded from Keef’s mine, 15 miles south of Mt Lightning. Concentrations of awaruite appeared to be confined to bleached serpentinites and pseudobreccias. It was not seen in rock which had been only slightly or moderately serpentinized. Golding (1966) further states that: This suggests that the development of awaruite is related to the processes which modified the original serpentinite so as to destroy the pellucid mesh-structure. Two other nickel minerals, heazlewoodite and violarite, were recorded in rare instances by Golding, the latter from Patten’s mine. Two further studies have been made of the serpentine belts of this region by Veeraburus (1963) and Fraser (1967). The results of several analyses in the Coolac-Gundagai districts and contained in the above reports by Golding and Veeraburus are included in table 6. TABLE 6 NICKEL ASSAYS—SOUTHERN SERPENTINE BELT Locality Description ( p6 32:10 Mt Lightning .. .. .. Serpentinized harzburgite .. .. 0-17 Mt Lightning . . . . . . Serpentinized harzburgite . . . . 0-25 Adjungbilly . . . . . . Pseudobreccia, serpentinite . . 0-46 Head of Spring Creek, “Red Hill” Homestead . . . . Dark green massive serpentinite . . 0-94 T.S.R. 18220 Adjungbilly Creek Dark green massive serpentinite .. 0-22 15 In recent months further investigations have been carried out by Exploration Holdings in the region from Gundagai to Wallendbeen. Initial magnetic (geophysical) work has revealed large anomalies which are thought to be caused by magnetite in the area. In this instance, nickel was again found associated with chromium. Samples analysed contain nickel in the range 0-1 per cent to 0-5 per cent. North Broken Hill Limited has been prospecting an area around Gundagai and Tumut and, although the company was not primarily searching for nickel, some areas containing anomalously high nickel values were sampled and are being further investigated. Torrington Bismuth Mine Smaltite has been recorded as occurring together with wolfram and bismuth ores in greisen and pegmatite at the junction of fine grained granite with spotted slates. The ore was treated for bismuth only, and it has been reported that wolfram, cobalt, nickel and arsenic are present in fairly high percentages in the tailings dumps. '\ ypical assay of the ore (Andrews, 1928) is included below: Arsenic .. .. .. .. .. .. 31.69 Bismuth .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.60 Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . Trace Cobalt .. .. .. .. .. .. 6.15 Nickel, .. .. .. .. .. .. 2.31 Iron .. .. .. .. .. .. 11.55 Alumina . . .. .. .. .. .. 8.86 Lime .. .. .. .. .. .. 1.35 Magnesia . . . . . . . . . . 0.67 Sulphur . . . . I . . . . . . . . 0.38 Gangue .. .. .. .. .. .. 31.40 Oxygen and undetermined .. .. . . 5.04 100.00 Fine Silver . . . . . . . . 7 dwt 15 gr Gold .. .. .. .. .. .. ldwt Other Localities Nickel-bearing rocks, some of which have been assayed, have been found in many areas of the State. An alphabetical list of those published in the annual reports of the Department of Mines is included in table 7. 16 TABLE 7 NICKEL ASSAYS Locality Description 35:25:31. (peygent) Adelong, 8 miles south of Ironstone, magnetite, haematite 1896 about 4 Barrier Range .. .. Decomposed ferruginous rock 1890 3-05 with joints filled with oxide of manganese and cobalt Bathurst, near . . . . Kupfernickel (No assay) . . . . Bathurst, 20 miles from “Wad” . . . . 1885 trace Bingara, Upper, 3 miles SW. of .. .. .. Carbonate of nickel in serpen- 1907 10 tine Bombala, 31 miles from .. Concretionary cobaltiferous 1886 0-80 manganese oxide Boro .. .. Concretionary “wad” .. 1887 1-37 Braidwood .. . Noumeite, hydrated nickel .. .. silicate (no assay) Burragorang .. .. Earthy “wad” .. 1890 0-19 Burragorang, Tin Kettle “Wad” .. . . 1899 0-13 Creek Camden Haven Heads, near Psilomelane 1893 lessotlsian Capertee, 10 miles from, on Ironstone grit containing man- 1880 0-35 Mudgee road ganese oxide Cargo, near Molong . Auriferous and argentiferous 1875 7-40 mixed copper ore, con- centrate Cobar . . . . . . Cobar mine . . . . 1878 trace Cooma, 25 miles north of Copper stained quartz and 1906 2-3 ironstone . Cowra Mispickel containing cobalt and nickel (qualitative) Elsmore, above Bony Gully Slender)crystals of millerite (no assay Forbes, Union lead . . Cobaltiferous “wad” . . . . 1899 0-2 Girilambone, 4 miles west Decomposed rock (serpentine) 1908 lesg gléan o . Gordonbrook . Green-stained quartz .. .. 1908 0-26 Gulligal, Mount Nickeliferous opal f; to «1» inc . . strong thick in serpentine rock reaction at headwaters of Attunga Creek, Parish Attunga, County Inglis Junction Reefs, Belubula Arsenical pyrites containing 1890 trace River .. .. cobalt in felspathic gangue showing traces of cobalt bloom Lismore Decomposed felsite, with joints 0-20 coated with slickenside of black oxide of manganese Mittagong, Hill Top “Wad” .. .. .. .. 1890 0-21 Nadgigomar Siliceous psilomelane . . 1893 0-40 Nerriga, near . . . . . . . . 1895 0-66 Nymagee, 5 miles east of. . Manganese oxide 1905 0-44 Stannifer, 1 mile west of .. Pyritous granite .. .. 1907 trace Tamworth, near Serpentinous schist with cobalt- 1889 2-91 iferous manganese oxide Tamworth, near Serpentinous schist with 1889 2-91 cobaltiferous manganese 1889 1-49 oxide l7 Year of Ni Locality Description Assay (per cent) Taree . . . . . . Cobalt bearing manganese 1891 0-93 oxide Trunkey . . . . . . . Manganese ore . . . . 1879 trace Tullamore, 9 miles west of, Manganese content 29 per cent 1915 0-86 (A. Crowe’s lease) Nickel and cobalt have also been recorded in specimens from: Captains Flat. Oberon. J unee. Tarago. Kempsey. Toogong. Moruya. Tumbarumba. Murrumbateman. Windeyer. REFERENCES Titles of periodicals are contracted as in British Standard BS. 4148: 1967 which is based on ISO/R 4-1953 International code for the abbreviation of titles of periodicals. Andiiflwss,W E. C., 1928, The Mineral Industry of New South Wales. Geol. Surv. Dana, J. D. and Dana, E. S., 1944, 1951, The System of Mineralogy. 7th ed., vol. 1, 1944, vol. 2, 1951. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York. Chapman and Hall Ltd, London. David, T. W. E., 1889, Report on the occurrence of the recently-discovered cobalt ore at Carcoar. A. Rep. Dep. Min. N.S.W., 1888, 175. Edwards, A. B., (ed.) 1953, Geology of Australian Ore Deposits. 5th Emp. Min. and Metal]. Congr. Aust. and N.Z., 1953. Fraser, W. B., 1967, Studies in serpentinite and associated rocks near Tumut, N.S.W. B.Sc. Thesis, Univ. N.S.W., (unpubl.). Garretty, M. D., 1948, The mineralization of the ore bodies at Broken Hill. B.Sc. Thesis, Univ. Sydney, (unpubl.). Golding, H. G., 1963, The occurrence of terrestrial nickel-iron in serpentine near Coolac, New South Wales. Aust. J. Sci., 26, 152. Golding, H. G., 1966, The constitution and genesis of the chrome ores of the Coolac Serpentine Belt, N.S.W., Australia. Ph. D. Thesis, Univ. N.S.W., (unpubl.). Harrison, E. J. J., 1955, Port Macquarie iron oxide deposits. A. Rep. Dep. Min. N.S.W., 1951, 71. Kalix, Z., Fraser, L. M. and Rawson, R. 1., 1966, Australian Mineral Industry. Production and Trade 1842—1964. Bull. Bur. Miner. Resour. Aust., 81, 325. Liversidge, A., 1888, The Minerals of New South Wales. Tri‘ibner and Co., London. McLeod, I. R., (ed) 1965, Australian Mineral Industry: The Mineral Deposits. Bull. Bur. Miner. Resour. Aust., 72. 18 Nicholson, D. A., 1966, Cobalt. Miner. Ind. geol. Surv. N.S.W., 11. Pittman, E. F., 1893, Note on the occurrence of a new mineral at Broken Hill. J. Proc. R. Soc. N.S.W., 1893, 366. Pittmarg F., 1901, The Mineral Resources of New South Wales. Geol. Surv. N. . . Rayner, E. O. and Relph, R. E. 1957, Uranium-cobalt deposits at Carcoar, New South Wales. Tech. Rep. Dep. Min. N.S.W., 2, 1954, 21. Smith, G., 1922, Notes on the mineralogy of the Broken Hill District. Mem. geoI. Surv. N.S.W., 8, appendix IV, 143. Smith, G., 1926, A Contribution to the Mineralogy of New South Wales. Miner.‘ Resour. geol. Surv. N.S. W., 34. Stillwell, F. L. and Edwards, A. B., 1939, Note on lollingite and the occurrence of c1:(1)balt and nickel in the Broken Hill lode. Proc. australas. Inst. Min. Metall., 4, 111. Trickett, O. E., 1908, Bibliography of the Economic Minerals of New South Wales. Miner. Resour. geol. Surv. N.S.W., 28. Turner, W. J., 1928, Notes on the geology of the Pinnacles Mine and District. Proc. australas. Inst. Min. Metall., 68. Veeraburus, M., 1963, Geology of the Brungle-Adjungbilly District. M. Sc._ Thesis, Univ. N.S.W., (unpubl.). Ward, J., 1962, Nickel. Miner. Resour. Aust. Bur. Miner. Resour. Aust., 15. Ware, G. C., 1966, Nickel, in Mineral Facts and Problems. Bull. U.S. Bur. Min., 630. KEY TO LOCALITIES ON SPOT MAP 1 Broken Hill District 2 Bungonia 3. Carcoar 4 Northern Serpentine Belt 4a Port Macquarie District 4b Warialda to Attunga Southern Serpentine Belt 6. Torrington l9