Mount Fitch is a former
uranium mining
Uranium mining is the process of extraction of uranium ore from the ground. Over 50 thousand tons of uranium were produced in 2019. Kazakhstan, Canada, and Australia were the top three uranium producers, respectively, and together account f ...
site located in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
56 kilometres SSE from the centre of
Darwin and 13.4 kilometres NE from the town of
Batchelor in the locality of
Rum Jungle
Rum Jungle is a locality in the Northern Territory of Australia located about 105 kilometres south of Darwin on the East Branch of the Finniss River. It is the site of a uranium deposit, found in 1949, which has been mined.
The area deriv ...
.
In 1950 two
geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid, liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes Earth and other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that shape them. Geologists usually study geology, earth science, or geophysics, althou ...
s, named Ward and Gates, discovered yellow secondary uranium minerals in limestone throughout the area.
Radiometric
Radiometry is a set of techniques for measuring electromagnetic radiation, including visible light. Radiometric techniques in optics characterize the distribution of the radiation's power in space, as opposed to photometric techniques, which cha ...
contouring and geological mapping was completed later the same year.
Mount Fitch was discovered in 1965 and is part of the old
Rum Jungle
Rum Jungle is a locality in the Northern Territory of Australia located about 105 kilometres south of Darwin on the East Branch of the Finniss River. It is the site of a uranium deposit, found in 1949, which has been mined.
The area deriv ...
workings. Compass Resources worked in the area for many years and mostly focused on the Browns deposit, a copper-cobalt-nickel deposit close to the old open pit. In 2006 some 4050 tonnes Uranium Oxide deposits remained at Mt Fitch.
It is an ecologically sensitive area due to its very close proximity (1600 metres) to the catchment area of
Darwin River, the river that is the source of Darwin's
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
supply,
Darwin River Dam
The Darwin River Dam is in Australia's Northern Territory on the Darwin River. The water catchment it contains is the major source for the city of Darwin.
The dam can hold up to 259,000 megalitres of water () which is half the volume in Sydney ...
.
Mount Fitch is located alongside the old Northern Railway corridor that ran from
Pine Creek to Darwin.
References
External links
Mount Fitch Deposit Summary ReportRum Jungle - Whites, Dysons, Intermediate, Browns, Mount Burton, Mount Fitch
Uranium mining in the Northern Territory
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