The Northern Territory is rich in mineral commodities and is a long-standing resources supplier to world markets.
The Territory’s strengths are on non-ferrous metals, critical minerals and precious metals.
Why the Territory
- Strong minerals prospectivity
- Globally competitive solar irradiance supporting green energy powers refining and processing
- Closest Australian port to major training partners with bulk minerals loader.
The Territory
- Supplying 15% of world’s manganese demand
- Australia’s largest undeveloped rock phosphate deposits
- One of the largest deposits of zinc-lead in the world.
The Territory has a strong pipeline of emerging mining projects that is set to grow and diversify the sector into new commodities and regions.
Vast areas of the Territory remain underexplored, with new geoscience data highlighting the potential of regions with no outcropping geology.
Emerging leader in critical minerals
The Northern Territory is well placed to become an important new player in global supply chains for the critical minerals that are required for new technologies and the energy transition.
The Territory has prospectivity for 17 international critical minerals and geological potential for a further 12.
- World-class manganese and zinc production
- Emerging lithium producer
- Australia’s first integrated rare earths mine and separation plant, capable of supplying 5% of global supply of Neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr).
Potential applications of the Territory’s critical minerals
Renewable energy
Zinc
Aluminium
Manganese
Rare earth elements
Cobalt
Nickel
Copper
Silicon
Germanium
Silicon
Electric vehicles
Lithium
Manganese
Cobalt
Rare earth elements
Nickel
Copper
Carbon
Energy storage
Lithium
Manganese
Zinc
Aluminium
Nickel
Phosphate
Vanadium
Cobalt
Carbon
High tech industries and electronics
Lithium
Aluminium
Rare earth elements
Tungsten
Cobalt
Copper
Magnesium
Antimony
Germanium
Nobium
Scandium
Tantalum
Platinum group elements
Silicon
- Producing in the NT
- Defined resources in the NT
- Emerging potential in the NT
Gunyangara (Gove Port) Tourism Precinct
Improved marine tourism infrastructure at Inverell Bay at Nhulunbuy to enable growth in the tourism industry in the East Arnhem region.
Marine Industry Park
A marine and offshore industries servicing hub for northern Australia located at East Arm.
Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct
A world-class master planned industrial precinct with a focus on renewable hydrogen, advanced manufacturing, carbon capture and storage, and minerals processing.
Major project status
Local Jobs Fund
Territory Infrastructure Loans
National Reconstruction Fund Corporation
Resourcing the Territory Exploration Grants
The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility
Core Lithium
Core Lithium has applied for a co-investment fund through the Local Jobs Fund to accelerate the development of the Finniss lithium project south of Darwin.
Agreement secured with KOMIR
Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Minerals Resources Corporation (KOMIR) is South Korea’s agency which oversees resource security and international mining opportunities. The landmark Memorandum of Understanding with the Northern Territory Government.
Rover 1 awarded Major Project Status
Castile Resources’ Rover 1 Project in the Barkly awarded Major Project Status.
Australian Government supports Arafura Rare Earths
Major critical minerals funding positions Australia as renewable energy superpower.
Highest mineral exploration expenditure EVER recorded in the NT
The September 2023 quarterly mineral exploration expenditure data shows the highest ever recorded in the Northern Territory
Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage
SMEC Australia has been awarded the contract to deliver the final concept design for the Adelaide River Off-Stream Water Storage project (AROWS).
Avenira’s Barkly mining project approved
Avenira Limited’s Mining Management Plan (MMP) has been approved under the Mining Management Act 2001, authorising mining to commence at the company’s Wonarah Phosphate Project.
Find out more
Resourcing the Territory
Resourcing the Territory program is a program to fund and support resources exploration in the Territory.
Critical minerals in the Territory 2024
Download the Territory Critical Minerals Prospectus.
Online geoscience information systems
Access a range of geoscience information systems.
Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade
Minerals and energy titles, exploration, geoscience information, mining authorisations, reporting and laws.
Australian critical minerals prospectus (PDF)
Details for advanced critical minerals projects in the Territory.
Northern Territory Resources
Find out how the Territory’s mining and resources sector is underpinned by a world-class regulatory regime.