Author: Ashleigh Dorrell

Shining a light on Sunrise Dam

Shining a light on Sunrise Dam

With gold prices reaching an all-time high of $3935oz (US$2685oz) in September 2024, gold mining companies are reaping the benefits as demand for this precious metal remains elevated. One such company is AngloGold Ashanti, owner of the Sunrise Dam operation which lies 205km north-northeast of Kalgoorlie and 55km south of Laverton in WA. Open pit production began in 1997 and was completed at the main pit in 2014 to a final depth of 500m below surface. After the Golden Delicious open pit was depleted last year, the main source of ore comes from the Vogue and Frankie zones, both of which are underground operations. Underground operations and production from Golden Delicious, while it was still producing, saw 252,000oz of gold…

The project failed to gain approval in 2021.

Fingerboards project receives new lease on life

The Victoria Resources Regulator has renewed two retention licences held by Gippsland Critical Minerals at the Fingerboards mineral sands project. As part of this renewal, the regulator has placed strict conditions on Gippsland with the company to seek a Victorian Government determination on the future requirements of the Environmental Effects Statement, following the project’s failure to gain approval in 2021. Other milestones and performance requirements include thorough engagement with the community and Traditional Owners, climate modelling, environmental baseline monitoring and rehabilitation trials. Failing to deliver these milestones could lead to the cancellation of the licences. Resources Victoria executive director regulatory operations Chris Webb comments on the update. “Through this decision we are providing Gippsland Critical Minerals with time to reshape…

Mining in the Pilbara: A cut above the rest

Mining in the Pilbara: A cut above the rest

Not only is WA’s Pilbara region known for its stunning landscapes, but it’s also home to the world’s largest and most economically significant iron ore deposits. While copper, gold and iron ore deposits were identified in WA in the 1880s, the mining industry only started to develop in the Pilbara around the 1950s – 1960s. One of the first major discoveries in the Pilbara, the Goldsworthy iron ore deposit, was discovered in 1938 and extensively surveyed in the 1950s by the Mines Department (now known as the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety). In a call for tenders to develop Goldsworthy, the State Government invited further exploration for iron ore, with production beginning at Goldsworthy, Tom Price…

(Image source: BHP) BHP’s Western Australian Iron Ore operation.

Forging global ties: BHP’s WAIO business and China’s steel market

Australia is the world’s largest iron ore exporter and producer, exporting 892mt of the mineral in 2023, more than double the second largest of Brazil. China is the world’s largest iron ore importer, with the country importing nearly 1.12bt in 2023, or around 76% of the world’s supply for that year. Making up 5% of the Earth’s crust, iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be extracted. Iron ore is the primary source for the world’s iron and steel industries, with almost all (around 98%) of iron ore used in the steelmaking process. Used across a range of industries – from cars and construction products to refrigerators and surgical tools – steel is the world’s most…

(Image source: ECU) From L-R: ECU associate professor Amir Razmjou, Federal Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic, Impact Minerals chief executive Dr Mike Jones and CPC Engineering process manager Eugenia Phgan.

ECU, CPC Engineering and Impact Minerals trial new HPA process

Edith Cowan University (ECU), CPC Engineering and Impact Minerals (ASX: IPT) have secured a $2.87m grant a trial a new high purity alumina (HPA) process. As part of the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program, the grant will help fund the development of a pilot plant to validate Impact’s innovative, low-carbon process for producing HPA and sulphate of potash (SOP). Impact’s innovative approach uses a hydrometallurgical process with salts from lake-based deposits, eliminating the crushing and grinding process as well as significantly reducing the energy footprint. Impact managing director Dr Mike Jones says the company is proud to lead this transformative project. “Being able to commence work on our pilot plant and the subsequent feasibility studies with the…

(Image source: Rio Tinto) Rio Tinto’s Rincon lithium project in Argentina.

Fleet Space Technologies and Rio collaborate for Rincon

Australia’s leading space exploration company, Fleet Space Technologies, has partnered with Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) to advance exploration at the latter’s Rincon lithium project in Argentina. Leveraging Fleet Space’s end-to-end exploration solution, ExoSphere, Rio will develop 3D subface maps of the reservoir basement depth and brine influencing structures across 100km2 of the project’s salt flat and subvolcanic structures. Fleet Space co-founder and chief executive Flavia Tata Nardini commented on the partnership. “We are proud to deploy ExoSphere’s real-time Multiphysics capabilities in support of Rio Tinto’s data-driven exploration for energy transition minerals,” she said. “We look forward to bringing the latest innovations in spacetech, 3D multiphysics and AI to unlock new insights, predictive capabilities and sustainability benefits to advance the development…

The samples are now part of the Earth and Planetary Sciences department, which manages a comprehensive collection of over 30,000 mineral specimens.

Liontown donates Kathleen Valley pegmatites to WA Museum

Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has donated five spodumene-rich lithium ore samples from its Kathleen Valley lithium project in WA to the WA Museum’s minerals collection. These samples are now part of the Earth and Planetary Sciences department, which manages a comprehensive collection of over 30,000 mineral specimens from across the state. This collection marks a valuable resource for prospectors, industry professionals and academics. Liontown senior mine geologist Lincoln Young led the initiative to donate samples to the museum and handed them over personally. These pegmatites also recently featured in the recent Perth Gem and Mineral Show. WA Museum curator of minerals Peter Downes expressed gratitude for the donation. “On behalf of the trustees of the Western Australian Museum, I would…

(Image source: Mt Malcolm Mines) Picture of gold doré bars produced from Batch-B1 and Batch-B2.

First gold doré bar poured at Golden Crown

The inaugural gold doré bar has been poured from the bulk sampling program at Mt Malcolm Mines’ (ASX: M2M) Golden Crown prospect in WA. A bulk sampling program at Golden Crown has produced Mt Malcolm’s first gold via gravity processing. Notably, two gold doré bars were poured with a combined weight of 431g. The bulk sampling program forms an integral part of Mt Malcolm’s strategy to evaluate the potential of Golden Grove. So far, excavation has reached a depth of around 9m with efforts continuing to excavate and extract deeper mineralised material. Ongoing sampling is continuing to visually confirm gold mineralisation, with visible gold observed in multiple rock chip samples, particularly within iron oxide alteration zones and quartz veins. Mt…

The initiative will apply to critical minerals projects which can start production between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2030.

NSW Government releases $250m royalty deferral initiative

The NSW Government has released a $250m royalty deferral initiative, the first of the State’s new critical minerals and high-tech metals strategy. Currently, there are 12 critical minerals mining and processing projects NSW that are ready for investment. These projects need around $7.6b in capital investment and are expected to generate around 4600 jobs during construction and 2700 after that. High initial investment costs for critical minerals projects are a challenge and the royalty deferral initiative will assist new projects in the early stages of development, ease financial pressures, attract investment to NSW and enhance the economic viability of the mining sector. NSW hosts significant resource deposits for 21 of the 31 nationally declared critical minerals, with the strategy identifying…

The acquisitions will increase Koonenberry’s existing gold and copper assets in NSW.

Koonenberry Gold to strengthen portfolio

Koonenberry Gold (ASX: KNB) is set to acquire a suite of projects from Global Uranium and Enrichment (ASX: GUE) and Gilmore Metals. These projects – the Enmore gold project and the Lachlan projects – will increase Koonenberry’s existing gold and copper assets in NSW. Under the acquisitions, GUE will receive 35m fully paid ordinary Koonenberry shares, while Gilmore Metals shareholders will receive 95m Koonenberry shares. All shares are subject to 12 months of voluntary escrow. The acquisitions are subject to Koonenberry completing a minimum $2m fund raising, shareholder approval and the end of the Enmore gold project’s 2% net smelter royalty. Koonenberry has already received firm subscriptions to raise $4.5m via the issue of 450m new shares to institutional and…

Up to 629 parts per million REE was collected.

Rare earth element anomalism confirmed at Mt Doreen

Recent surface geochemical sampling at Litchfield Minerals’ (ASX: LMS) Mt Doreen project in the Northern Territory has confirmed the presence of rare earth element (REE) anomalism. A total of 134 soil and 50 rock chip samples were collected at Mt Doreen to assess REE anomalism within granites and associated erosional sediments. Rock chip sampling was undertaken to assess REE anomalism within granite outcrops, while soil sampling was undertaken to test the granite-derived sediments surrounding the granites. Light REE dominated the findings, with an average of 42% cerium, 21% lanthanum and 19% neodymium returned. The highest-grade REE samples were collected from soils developed on a small, sub-cropping thorium-anomalous granite which spans a length of 300m and peaked at 248 parts per…