This report is a compilation of information about basic lead-smelting and related new technological developments, and is intended as a guide to assist in the preliminary assessment of lead deposits in South Australia. The various processes available for extracting lead from its ores have been reviewed. There are several lead occurrences in northern South Australia from which a high-grade concentrate could be produced. The Ediacara lead deposit appears to be worth taking as an example; but indications are that there is only a limited amount of ore at Baratta. Ore conceivably mined at these deposits would be concentrated at or near the mine site and the concentrate transported to the coast for smelting. Sea water is generally required for cooling purposes in the smelter, and smelting a lead concentrate of reasonable grade at the mine site would save little freight on the product and generally incur extra freight on the fuel used. The logical location for a smelter for either of these deposits is at Port Augusta or Port Pirie, the latter having the advantage of an existing lead smelter, a harbour capable of taking 10,000 ton vessels, and railway lines of all three gauges. It will therefore be assumed in the preliminary cost estimates that a smelter is built at Port Pirie. Preliminary estimates of the capital cost of erecting at Port Pirie a 100,000 tons per year smelter, using either blast furnaces or rotary-reverberatory furnaces (Lurgi Process), have been made. The capital investments do not appear to differ greatly. The Lurgi Process appears to entail a slightly lower treatment cost and is expected to have a greater advantage for smaller plants. Refining of the crude bullion has also been considered, and capital and operating costs for a continuous pyrometallurgical refinery have been estimated. A considerable amount of information regarding buyers for lead concentrates and the prices or tariffs obtaining has been set out in a separate report, along with information on the sale of copper concentrates.