Yabulu, Queensland
Encyclopedia
Yabulu is a small residential suburb approximately 25 kilometres north of Townsville, Queensland
, Australia. At the 2006 census the population of Yabulu was 603.
Yabulu is the site of a major nickel
and cobalt
refinery, owned by Clive Palmer
. Facilities located at Yabulu include a Mobil
service station.
to Yabulu railway line. Mining at Greenvale took place between 1974 and 1992 during which nickel laterite
ore was transported to the Yabulu refinery by rail and processed up until 1993. Importation of ore from mines in New Caledonia
, Indonesia
, and the Philippines
commenced in 1986; ore from these countries continues to be processed to this day.
Approximately 750 people are employed by the refinery, which produces 32,000 tonnes of nickel
and 1,900 tonnes of cobalt
per year.
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. At the 2006 census the population of Yabulu was 603.
Yabulu is the site of a major nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
and cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
refinery, owned by Clive Palmer
Clive Palmer (businessman)
Clive Palmer is a businessman from Queensland, Australia. he is Australia's fifth richest man and the wealthiest in Queensland. BRW estimated his worth at around A$3 billion, with others putting it at $6 billion.- Private life :...
. Facilities located at Yabulu include a Mobil
Mobil
Mobil, previously known as the Socony-Vacuum Oil Company, was a major American oil company which merged with Exxon in 1999 to form ExxonMobil. Today Mobil continues as a major brand name within the combined company, as well as still being a gas station sometimes paired with their own store or On...
service station.
Queensland Nickel Yabulu Refinery
The Yabulu refinery became operational in 1974 after completion of the GreenvaleGreenvale, Queensland
Greenvale is a nickel mining settlement in Queensland, Australia, approximately northwest of Townsville. Other metal ores are also extracted there. It is located within the Charters Towers Region....
to Yabulu railway line. Mining at Greenvale took place between 1974 and 1992 during which nickel laterite
Lateritic nickel ore deposits
Lateritic nickel ore deposits are surficial, weathered rinds formed on ultramafic rocks.They comprise 73% of the continental world nickel resources and will be in the future the dominant source for the winning of nickel....
ore was transported to the Yabulu refinery by rail and processed up until 1993. Importation of ore from mines in New Caledonia
New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, east of Australia and about from Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
commenced in 1986; ore from these countries continues to be processed to this day.
Approximately 750 people are employed by the refinery, which produces 32,000 tonnes of nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
and 1,900 tonnes of cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
per year.