Australia is the second-biggest manganese producer after China, with yearly production of around 5 million tonnes of beneficiated manganese.

Australia’s manganese miners

1. BHP Billiton (ASX:BHP, NYSE:BHP, LSE:BLT)

BHP Billiton, a huge player in Australian mining and worldwide, operates a manganese mine at Groote Eylandt.

It uses open-cut strip mining methods at the site, which produces more than 15 percent of the world’s high-grade manganese ore.

The company also controls Australia’s only manganese ferroalloy plant; it produces ferromanganese, silicomanganese and sinter.

2. Anglo American (LSE: AAL)

Anglo American, another major mining company operates a manganese mine in Groote Eylandt.

It also owns the Tasmanian Electro Metallurgical Company at Bell Bay, where the ferroalloy plant mentioned above is located.

Anglo American’s other manganese projects are in South Africa and South America.

The company operates in Africa, Brazil, Chile, North and South America, Australia, China, India, Japan and other countries in Asia and Europe.

3. Shaw River Manganese (ASX:SRR)

Shaw River Manganese is a junior exploration and development company with projects in Ghana and Namibia and Australia.

Its Dingo Creek project, south of Newman in Western Australia, is prospective for manganese and iron and is comprised of two license applications on the western side of the Ullawarra mineral deposit. .