The Exergy Evolution of Mineral Wealth - Thanatia: The Destiny of the Earth's Mineral Resources - page 385

1200 0.2

Exergy cost Ore grade

0.18

1000

0.16

0.14

800

0.12

600 0.1

0.08

400

0.06

0.04

200

0.02

0 0

1898 1903 1908 1913 1918 1923 1928 1933 1938 1943 1948 1953 1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998 2003

Year

Fig. 13.13 Ore grade and exergy replacement cost of Australian zinc mines

Fig.13.14TheHubbertPeakappliedtoAustralianzincreserves

13.3.7 Iron

The rich Pilbara field in Western Australia discovered in around 1960 helped the
nation to become the third-largest iron ore producing country in the world, after
China and Brazil. The economic demonstrated iron ore reserves have fluctuated