Canning Resources Pty Ltd is a Perth based specialist mine and exploration company, fully owned by Rio Tinto (who were formerly known as the CRA-RTZ multinational mining empire, involved in uranium mining at Rum Jungle and Mary Kathleen in the 1950’s, and currently at the Rossing uranium mine in Namibia, Africa). They have been quietly attempting to develop the large Kintyre uranium deposits excised from the Rudall River National Park in north-eastern WA. Canning Resources also own the exploration leases over the Westmoreland uranium deposits in north-west Queensland.However, they announced in October 1998 that they were placing the project on a "care-and-maintenance" basis. That is, they were apparently abandoning it due to the continued depressed state of the world uranium market.
In true Rio Tinto style, however, they have quietly constructed a small underground shaft and mine at the site, from which bulk ore samples have been mined. These have been sent to ANSTO in Sydney, where pilot processing plant studies were undertaken on the ore. In October 1999, they returned the ore, tailings, and refined uranium to the Kintyre site by truck. Not to miss out on an opportunity to do the right thing for remote communities at Marble Bar and others near the site, they packed the truck with beer and other food supplies. So much for common sense and public health and safety.......
Contacts : 152 St George's Tce, Perth, WA 6000
Ph (08) 9327 2560 - Fax (08) 9327 2579Website : http://www.canningres.com.au/ Annual Reports : See Rio Tinto. ACN : 004-463-012 Other Websites : Anti-Nuclear Alliance of WA. WISE Uranium Project - Canning Resources page. SEA-US links - Kintyre - Westmoreland. Greens WA - Giz Watson - Dee Margetts. The Gulliver File - CRA - RTZ - Rio Algom - Rossing Dossiers.
References Mudd (1998) and recent media reports.
Last updated November 21, 1999.
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