THE Adelaide-Darwin train could be carrying more uranium through Alice Springs once an environmental assessment is done.

The NT government is calling for submissions on a draft guidelines document for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to be done for mining company BHP.

BHP is looking to expand its Olympic Dam uranium mine in northern South Australia and plans to take uranium oxide and copper concentrate through Alice Springs for export from Darwin.

Environment Minister Alison Anderson has called for submissions from the public for the guidelines document by October 31. Further submissions can be made on the EIS.

Freightlink transports about 1000 tonnes of uranium through Alice Springs for BHP.

Richard Yeeles, BHP group manager of corporate affairs, Base Metals Australia, said Olympic Dam currently extracts around 4000 tonnes of uranium and it wants to expand that to 15,000 tonnes.

He said most of it was currently exported through the Port of Adelaide.

He said: "At the moment we move just over 1000 tonnes from Adelaide to Darwin.

"How much this would increase in precise terms is difficult to determine.

"It would depend on the availability of shipping and employment (in Darwin).''

He said BHP would also increase its copper concentrate production from about 180,000 tonnes to about 730,000 tonnes.