McArthur River Mine in the Northern Territory is one of Glencore’s most remote Australian operations.

The open cut mine produces zinc and lead for use in a wide range of commercial and domestic products. In 2023, McArthur River Mine produced 262,206 tonnes of zinc, 50,352 tonnes of lead and over 1.2 million ounces of silver.

Zinc, lead and silver are mined, processed and stored onsite before making a long journey to customers all over the world. Learn more about our process.

Operating since 1995, McArthur River Mine is a key contributor to the Northern Territory and national economy, providing significant employment and purchasing of goods and services.

Our 2023 contribution at a glance

  • $794m

    Total contribution

  • 1,230

    Employees and contractors

  • 930

    Suppliers

  • $598m

    Goods and services

Our location

McArthur River Mine is located in the Gulf of Carpentaria region:

  • 970 kilometres south-east of Darwin by road, or 716 kilometres by air
  • 65 kilometres south-west of Borroloola township, with a population 871 (2016 Census).

Road train and ship transfers

Our lead concentrate is trucked 800 kilometres to our Mount Isa Mines lead smelter for further processing.

While zinc concentrate, which also contains silver, is trucked 120 kilometres north to the Bing Bong Loading Facility at the southern end of the Gulf.

There it is loaded on to MV Aburri, a bulk carrier run by Carpentaria Shipping Services. Specifically designed for our operations, MV Aburri expertly navigates the Gulf channel to an offshore transfer zone, where the concentrate is transferred to ocean-going ships.

  • Our history

    The potential of our zinc, lead and silver resource was identified in the 1880s but remained largely untapped for decades.
    Find out more
  • Sustainability

    We are committed to the wellbeing of our employees, the environment and the communities in which we work.
    Read more
  • Careers

    We seek talented people to join our team at all levels of experience, from trainees and graduates to experienced professionals.
    Learn more