Thuddungra

The Thuddungra open pit magnesium mine near Young, in the South West Slopes Region of New South Wales, has been operating since 1935 and along with the nearby Lake Cargelligo magnesium mine, produced 35,000 tonnes of crude magnesium during 2001 and 2002. Magnesium is only mined in five other locations in New South Wales, these being; Attunga, Warialda, Nyngan, Cobar and Fifield.

The Thuddungra Mine is Indian Owned
The Thuddungra Mine is owned by Indian company, Excel Colours and Fritz, through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Orind Mauritis Private Ltd, Orind Australia, Causmag International and Young Mining Company Pty Ltd. The groups main activities include the following:
- Global trading
- Manufacturing colours and stains
- Mining and mineral processing
- Engineering and refractory application
- Refractory production

The Thuddungra Mine is part of the group's mining and mineral arm that has been mining and manufacturing high grade magnesium oxide for use in the pharmaceutical, industrial, animal health and agriculture industries for more than 70 years.

Thuddungra is an Open pit Mining Operation
Magnesium oxide is extracted from the Thuddungra Mine by traditional open pit mining techniques with the ore processed on-site by being crushed, screened, weathered, washed and sorted. The ore is weathered to assist in the breaking down of the clay that sticks to the magnesite. This breaks down the matrix and laterite clay as a result of natural expansion and shrinkage when exposed to the elements. The weathered ore is then washed before further screening takes place. It is then sorted optically with the use of a monochromatic laser light. If the ore can not reach a certain prescribed level of brightness it is air blasted away. When all this preparation work is completed the available magnesite is claimed by means of vertical shaft kilns.

Thuddungra Produces a High Quality Magnesite Product
The Thuddungra Mine magnesites are cryptocrystalline of small crystallite size with a high density and very high purity. Processing and controlled calcination of this magnesite under tight control ensures the production of high quality magnesia products with the following characteristics:
- High chemical reactivity
- Reduced demand on handling and storage because of high bulk density
- Consistent physical and chemical properties
- Low impurity levels with a very high MgO content

Thuddungra Magnesia Ranges in Size From Being Granular to a Fine Powder
Causmag magnesia from the Thuddungra Mine are available in many particle sizes ranging from granular to a superfine powder. All are packaged to a high standard and exported to South Africa, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and the USA.
Most MgO produced from Thuddunga Mine magnesite is sold to the animal health industry to prevent dairy cattle being afflicted with grass tetany. The company has the ability to produce around 18,000 tonnes annually with 70 percent going to animal health. The balance is used in a variety of industrial applications.

The magnesite deposit at the Thuddungra mine site occurs as nodules and veins. These were formed through the movement of magnesium bicarbonate in groundwater along channels into an ancient lake system. Over the years evaporation precipitated the magnesite into a high quality cryptocrystalline deposit that today has a thickness ranging from 10 metres down to two metres.
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