Magnetite mines and developing projects highlighting the three iron regions, June 2024.
South Australian magnetite – global comparison study
The Magnetite Global Comparison Study, authored by Amira Global in partnership with CSIRO and GSSA, analyses South Australia’s magnetite resources in comparison to domestic and international projects.
This study produced a global magnetite database containing publicly available information from 198 magnetite deposits from Australia, North America, South America, Africa, and Europe, which was used to understand the relative quality and potential of South Australia’s magnetite resources in a global context.
The report and database (attached to the PDF) can be downloaded from the link at the bottom of the page.
Key findings from the report include:
- South Australia ranks #3 globally by magnetite tonnage from publicly accessible data, following Canada and Western Australia.
- The quality of data available to characterise South Australia’s deposits is considered to be leading and represent a significant advantage for exploration and development.
- Based on head and concentrate grades, magnetite recovery rates in South Australian deposits are comparable to those in economically viable mines currently operating in Western Australia and Canada.
- Grinding size is variable across the deposits with some allowing for coarse grinding (>100 μm), representing a significant advantage compared to many global competitors.
- Bond work demonstrates that some South Australian deposits host less abrasive magnetite ores compared to other regions.
- South Australia’s magnetite competitiveness lies in striking the right balance between deposit scale, grind size, concentrate quality and comminution efficiency.
Magnetite resources summary
A table summarising South Australia’s magnetite resources was compiled in July 2025. These figures supersede the magnetite resource summary in the Davies and Twining 2018 MESA Journal article.
This table is populated with a combination of publicly available data and information provided to DEM by companies with their permission to publish.
Download the Magnetite Global Comparison Study (PDF 9 MB)
