Mineral Sands in Focus/The Australian Journal of Mining Conference-MinSands 2006 18-19 May 2006-Hyatt Regency, Perth

摘要

AROUND 120 industry members enjoyed the program which included a field trip visit to the operations of Iluka Resources, a rare opportunity to see some of the best mineral sand operations anywhere. And a visit to the synthetic rutile facilities where ilmenite feed is transformed into value-added products for both sulfate and chloride route customers. The tour closed with a visit to some of the mined out areas which have been returned to farmland and forest, actually better than their pre-mined states. The conference was opened, as in previous years, with a very thorough review of the current market situation and pricing tends for titanium feedstocks and zircon, by Philip Murphy, director of TZ Minerals International (TZMI). Murphy told delegates that Global TiO2 pigment production was up marginally in 2005 while the demand was actually down 0.4 per cent to 4.62 million tonnes. In contrast to the rest of the world, Chinese output was up by a staggering 24 per cent to 574 kt. Murphy predicted a continuing tight market for most titanium feedstock products in 2006, and in regard to pricing suggested there were higher prices recorded for a number of feedstocks in 2005, reversing an actual declining trend. Meanwhile, the industry cost competitive position had improved slightly.