tantalum target in the pilbara

This was posted on the mxr threads by dunno777, it's an old article but it mentions the Wodinga operation near Gondwana's tenements in the Pilbara. Earlier GDA reports to the asx mention tantalum being one of the targets but I don't know much about what is currently happening at Wondinga or what the world price or demand for tantalum is doing. Am starting some research.

An extract from the post on the mxr thread....
"Tantalite/tantalum
Update May 2001

Tantalite, (Fe, Mn) (TaCb)2O6), is produced by Sons of Gwalia from two mines at Greenbushes south of Perth (700,000 pounds being upgraded to 1,300 000 pounds per year) and Wodgina 100 km south of Port Hedland (500, 000 pounds being doubled by 2002) with quantities expressed as tantalum pentoxide. Reserves are 160 million pounds.

The expansions will lift production by Gwalia from 25 to 40 per cent of world production of 1.2 million pounds (544 tonnes) per year. By 2003 it will producing 2.4 million pounds per year.

The tantalite is used in electronic devices and is growing at 10 to 15 per cent per year with demand for tantalum, in the form of concentrates, at more than 6 million pounds a year. There are two main producers, Cabot of the US and Bayer in Europe.

The price of tantalum in 2000 is around US$120/kg.

Alkane Exploration has a tantalum containing rare earth deposit at Toongi, 30 kilometres south of Dubbo in New South Wales as part of a rare earth (zirconia, yttria and niobium) deposit. The deposit contains 83 million tonnes at 0.027 per cent tantalum oxide. It plans to go into production in 2003.

Kanowna Lights will begin (2001) production of 25 000 pounds of tantalum per year at Arthur River 100 km north of Gasgoyne in WA".