The Mining and Drilling industries are currently experiencing a well-publicised boom which is being driven by increased demand from India and China.

Australia has large deposits of minerals such as gold and bauxite, oil and gas. 

The Mining and Drilling industries encompass the process of discovering a deposit (drilling), extracting a deposit (extractive or metalliferous mining) and if required, processing it into another product (process manufacturing).

Australia is the world's leading producer of bauxite and alumina, diamonds (by value), ilmenite, rutile, zircon and tantalum; is the second largest producer of zinc ore; the third largest producer of aluminium, iron ore, nickel and gold; and the fifth largest coal producer.

Australia is the largest exporter of gold, iron ore and black coal in the world.

These industries continue to lead the economic growth of the Northern Territory.  Significant deposits of oil and gas resources exist in the Darwin region, as well as a range of other minerals including gold, silver and uranium.

The energy sector outlook for the NT administered areas in the Timor Sea, the adjacent Joint Petroleum Development Area (JPDA) and Western Australian waters is positive. 

Major gas extraction and gas manufacturing will have medium to long term benefits.

Industry Sectors

Metalliferous mining dominates the NT mining industry.  In addition, the following sectors are significant:

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas extraction sectors explore for crude petroleum and natural gas which are used to produce crude oil, natural gas and/or light oil condensates. These products are treated to produce purified forms of oil and gas. There is a significant processing sector which removes impurities and liquefies gas products.

Minerals Processing

Minerals processing, takes mined ore and produces a mineral or coal concentrate, or a metallic product such as copper, lead or aluminium.

Australia's manufacturing sector is heavily dependent upon processed minerals.

Quarrying

The quarrying industry produces materials such as sand, crushed rock or clay, gravel and recycled materials that are processed into raw material inputs for building and construction, agriculture and industrial processes.

Quarry operators range from large multinationals to small family owned quarries and municipal quarries serving provincial and rural markets.

Drilling

NT Drilling companies are active in the mineral exploration, geotechnical and oil and gas sector as well as the provision of water bores. Work locations frequently change and are often in isolated, rural and regional locations.

Drilling includes the preparation of sites, the construction of shafts and involvement in the extraction/mining phase.