Yabulu, Queensland

Infobox Australian Place | type = suburb
name = Yabulu
city = Townsville
state = Qld


caption =
lga =
postcode = 4818
est =
pop = 603
area =
propval =
stategov = Thuringowa
fedgov = Herbert
near-nw = Purono Park
near-n = Saunders Beach
near-ne = Bushland Beach
near-w = Bluewater
near-e = Black River
near-sw = Bluewater Park
near-s = Alice River
near-se = Black River
dist1 =
location1=

Yabulu

Yabulu (coord|19|12|56|S|146|36|4|E|display=inline,title|region:AU_type:location) is a small residential suburb approximately 25 kilometres north of the Townsville and Thuringowa urban centres, in Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 Census, the population of Yabulu was 603. [ [http://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/resources/293.pdf The New Townsville City: Townsville State Suburbs] , accessed 10 June 2008.]

Yabulu is the site of a major nickel and cobalt refinery, owned by BHP Billiton. Facilities located at Yabulu include a Mobil service station.

BHB Billiton Nickel Refinery

The Yabulu refinery became operational in 1974 after completion of the Greenvale to Yabulu railway line. Mining at Greenvale took place in between 1974 and 1992, during which nickel laterite ore was transported to the Yabulu refinery by rail and processed up until 1993. Importation of ore from mines in New Caledonia, Indonesia, and the Philippines commenced in 1986; ore from these countries continues to be processed to this day. [ [http://www.ausimm.com.au/Content/docs/mono19model_paper.pdf Nickel and Cobalt Refining by QNI Pty. Ltd. Yabulu, Qld] , accessed 10 June 2008.]

Approximately 750 people are employed by the refinery, which produces 32,000 tonnes of nickel and 1,900 tonnes of cobalt per year. [ [http://bhpbilliton.com/bb/ourBusinesses/stainlessSteelMaterials/yabuluRefinery.jsp BHP Billiton - Yabulu Refinery] , accessed 10 June 2008.]

References