Mount Isa Mines is one of Australia’s largest integrated metals mining, processing and smelting operations, producing zinc, lead, silver and copper.
Today, our George Fisher operation, 20 kilometres north of Mount Isa, supplies ore for processing into zinc and lead concentrates and lead bullion containing silver.
Our copper stream includes a smelter which treats third-party concentrates sourced from nearby mines and interstate, and a concentrator which processes copper slag, to recover copper and other valuable metals from the smelting process.
Our operations are supported by key infrastructure, including power generation, tailings storage facilities, water management systems, materials distribution and freight centre, an air quality control centre, and rail and logistics networks that connect Mount Isa to Townsville and global markets.
With more than 100 years of operating history, Mount Isa Mines has played a central role in Australia’s mining industry.
Our primary zinc-lead mining asset is the George Fisher underground mine, located approximately 20 kilometres north of Mount Isa.
George Fisher’s underground mine uses large-scale bench mining and open stoping methods to extract zinc-lead-silver ore and operates to a depth of approximately 1.2 kilometres below the surface.
The operation employs a fleet of modern underground mining equipment, including automated and remote-controlled loaders and trucks, helping to improve safety, productivity and operational efficiency. Mining activities are supported by ventilation, communication and underground infrastructure systems that enable safe operations at depth.
Mined ore is crushed at George Fisher through underground crushing stations at the base of two hoisting shafts before being transported to the surface. Ore is then processed further through secondary crusher facilities on the surface before being trucked to the zinc-lead concentrator.
Our processing facilities play an important role in converting mineral resources into marketable products.
George Fisher Mine supplies ore to our zinc-lead concentrator and filter plant, where ore undergoes grinding and flotation processes to separate valuable minerals from waste rock to produce concentrates.
The concentrator uses the IsaMill ™ fine-grinding technology, developed by Mount Isa Mines and commercialised by Glencore Technology, to help increase zinc recovery from the ore.
The dried material is refined further to separate the zinc from the lead.
Zinc concentrate is railed approximately 900 kilometres to our storage and loading facilities at the Port of Townsville for export to overseas smelters, where it is further processed into zinc metal.
Lead concentrate remains onsite for further processing at the lead smelter.
Following the closure of our underground copper mines in July 2025, the copper concentrator now processes copper slag – a by-product of the copper smelting process – through crushing, grinding and flotation circuits to recover copper and other valuable metals, producing a copper concentrate that is returned to the smelting process.
We operate both lead and copper smelters, making Mount Isa Mines one of Australia’s most significant metals processing centres.
The lead smelter processes concentrate from our George Fisher Mine operations where intense heat is applied to burn off impurities. Concentrate from Glencore’s McArthur Rive Mine in the Northern Territory is blended and further refined to produce 99.6% pure lead bullion, cast into 4.1 tonne blocks.
Since the closure of our underground copper mines in July 2025, the copper smelter has transitioned to treat third-party concentrates, predominantly from mines across north-west Queensland, as well as interstate.
At the copper smelter, copper concentrate is transformed into 99.7% pure molten copper by applying intense heat to remove impurities.
Third party concentrates are blended and further purified using Glencore Technology’s ISASMELT™ process before being cast into 350 kilogram anodes.
All products, including copper anode, lead bullion, and zinc-lead concentrates, are transported to Townsville by rail, where the copper anodes are refined to high-quality 99.995% pure copper cathode.
From Townsville, the metals are exported to domestic and international markets, supporting a seamless supply chain from mine to market.