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Nickel miner posts half-year profit jump, raises production guidance

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Nickel miner posts half-year profit jump, raises production guidance

IN a dramatic turnaround from its $96.2 million loss in the second half of 2013, Australian nickel miner Western Areas has posted a 29 per cent rise in first half-year profit to $2.7 million. Western Areas managing director Dan Lougher said it was satisfying to be one of the few nickel mining companies in the world to return a profit. “The standout financial measure for the half was the $19.2 million in free cash flow we generated, which was a $24.2 million turnaround from the previous half,” he said. In light of continued strong project performance, Western Areas has upgraded its production guidance for 2014, while simultaneously predicting a slight drop in production costs. The company’s original forecast of between...

Newcrest spends big on Lundin

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Newcrest spends big on Lundin

Fruta del Norte mine is currently under construction with first gold expected in late 2019. Image: Lundin Gold. BY ELIZABETH FABRI NEWCREST will invest $US250 million to acquire a 27.1 per cent interest in Canadian miner Lundin Gold, which is developing the Fruta del Norte gold project in South East Ecuador. The 340,000 ounce per annum Fruta del Norte project, currently under construction, is aiming for first production by the end of 2019. Under the deal, Newcrest has the right to appoint two directors to the Lundin Gold board, and one of its nominated directors to a project advisory committee that will oversee Fruta del Norte development. The companies have also signed a binding Heads of Agreement...

Tailings dam disaster strikes Samarco

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Tailings dam disaster strikes Samarco

By Samantha James THE collapse of a tailings dam at the Vale-BHP Billiton owned Samarco operation in Brazil has resulted in flooding across more than 600km in one of the worst environmental disasters in the country’s mining history. On November 5 2015, one of the three dams at the Samarco iron ore mine in Minas Gerais failed, affecting the downstream Santarem dam and causing a “significant release” of mine tailings to flood the nearby community of Bento Rodrigues and others downstream, according to BHP. Four days later BHP advised that although it did not know the causes of the tailings release, it was assisting rescue efforts at the nearby communities where at least one fatality and 13 people had been...

The completion of necessary Guinean and Chinese regulatory approvals clears the way for Rio Tinto’s $9.2b (US$6.2b) investment.

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Rio Tinto moves forward with $9.2b Simandou investment

Rio Tinto moves forward with $9.2b Simandou investment All conditions have now been satisfied for Rio Tinto’s (ASX: RIO) investment to develop the Simandou high-grade iron ore deposit in Guinea. This investment will be the largest greenfield integrated mine and infrastructure investment in Africa. More than 600km of new co-developed rail with port facilities will allow the export of up to 120mtpa of mined iron ore by Simfer and WCS from their respective Simandou mining concessions. Rio Tinto Guinea and copper executive committee lead Bold Baatar says they are thankful for the Government of Guinea, Chinalco, Baowu and...

The AutoStore™ system (resembling a Rubik’s cube) is also one of the most sustainable warehouse automation systems today, with its robots using power regeneration technology to reduce energy consumption, while typically consuming less power than a toaster.

Dematic powers WesTrac Tomago spare parts warehouse

Dematic powers WesTrac Tomago spare parts warehouse WesTrac has successfully implemented a Dematic Automated Piece Picking System at its Tomago warehouse in NSW. As one of the world’s largest authorised Caterpillar® equipment dealers, this new picking system along with its Autostore™ system (resembling a large Rubik’s cube) supports the mining and construction industries in WA, NSW and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) WesTrac warehouse operations manager Natalia Trewin says its Tomago warehouse is the central distribution centre for 17 regional branches, as well...

Close up of lithium-ion batteries.

Battery anode testing a success at Graphite Bull

Battery anode testing a success at Graphite Bull Electrochemical work has demonstrated the suitability of graphite from Buxton Resources (ASX:BUX) Graphite Bull project in feed for lithium-ion battery anode manufacture. Since April 2023, graphite industry specialist ProGraphite in Germany has been managing mid and downstream testwork on Graphite Bull concentrate. Final results confirm that the uncoated purified spherical graphite (uPSG) made from the Graphite Bull concentrate is suitable for manufacture of lithium-ion battery anodes, yielding above average to good performance characteristics. Work involved constructing an anode and lithium-ion battery from Graphite Bull uPSG with subsequent electrochemical testwork including multiple charging and discharge tests to determine electrical capacity and durability characteristics. This...

Operations begin at BCI’s Mardie project

Operations begin at BCI’s Mardie project

Operations begin at BCI’s Mardie project Operations have begun at BCI Minerals’ (ASX: BCI) Mardie salt and potash project in WA after all necessary approvals were received from the WA and Federal Governments. Evaporation ponds one, two and three are beginning to be filled as BCI works to bring Australia’s largest solar salt project online. Once fully operational, the project is expected to produce 5.3mtpa of industrial salt each year. When the initial three ponds are filled, BCI Minerals will update and resubmit its groundwater monitoring and management plan (GMMP) for further approval...

Global Drone Solutions CEO wins Western Australian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award

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Global Drone Solutions CEO wins Western Australian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Global Drone Solutions founder and CEO Mahmood Huseein has taken out the 2022 Western Australian Pearcey Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The award was presented as part of the 31st annual Waitta Incite Awards, Western Australia’s longest running Tech Awards programme. Waitta Incite Awards chief judge Bob Cross said Mahmood met all the criteria of the awards. “Mahmood took a risk by funding the startup personally with help from family and friends, in an industry that was still developing approval processes. "He has made a difference by building a successful drone training business with the biggest names in mining and oil and gas as customers, and he is an inspiration as the media’s ‘drone guru’, developing primary, secondary and tertiary...