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Impact revisit Broken Hill palladium project PERTH’S Impact Minerals has responded to record palladium prices to extend exploration at its Broken Hill project in NSW. A new geodynamic framework for the Broken Hill area has presented evidence that a major deposit of high grade nickel-copper-platinum mineralisation has formed in the Broken Hill project bearing similarities to the Junchuan deposit in China, one of the world’s largest magmatic sulphide ore bodies. Very high-grade primary nickel-copper-PGM-gold mineralisation has been discovered along this complex by Impact at both the Red Hill Prospect and also the Platinum Springs Prospect. Exceptional grades were returned from drilling at Red Hill including a stand out intercept in vein hosted sulphide of  1.2m at 10.4 g/t platinum, 10.9...

Savannah gig for Barminco PANORAMIC Resources, WA, has signed a letter of intent with Barminco, awarding it preferred underground contractor status. Barminco, subsidiary of Perenti Global Ltd, is one of the world’s largest hard rock underground mining service companies. Confidence in the long -term potential of the project is supported by a 32.7m raising in rights issues mid-January. Barminco will provide a newer mining fleet and is expected to employ the majority of the existing Panoramic underground mining and maintenance workforce. Its proven expertise and established operating system is expected to improve operational efficiencies and drive production volumes to reach targeted levels. Barminco CEO Paul Muller said the miner looked forward to working closely with Panoramic Resources in driving the...

$1b lithium mine on hold CONTINUED weak lithium prices have forced Wesfarmers (ASX: WES) and its Chilean partner SQM to delay the construction of the Mt Holland lithium project in the WA goldfields. The partners announced their decision to mothball the project in an ASX release after trading had closed on January 23, saying that the final investment decision was deferred to “enhance the long-term value of the project”. The project included the construction of the mine and co-located concentrator at Mt Holland, and a lithium hydroxide refinery in Kwinana. Wesfarmers said that while it would wait till 2021 to pull the trigger on a final investment decision, in the meantime it would conduct further work to cut capital and...

Comet acquires copper project GRAPHITE-focussed Australian exploration company Comet Resources plans to add a copper project in NSW to its portfolio. The Barraba copper project, named after the nearest town, is 550km north of Sydney, and its exploration licence covers 2375ha in a region known to host volcanic-style mineralisation containing copper, zinc and precious metals. Comet Resources managing director Matthew O’Kane said the Barraba project hosts several drill ready targets and is in a prospective location. “We will be working hard to be in a position to test the project’s prospectivity as soon as possible after completion,” he said. The company believes the Barraba copper project complements its existing Springdale graphite project near Hopetoun in WA, due to the minerals...

St Barbara production dips AUSTRALIAN gold miner St Barbara has lowered its production target to 370,000-400,000oz for the financial year ending June 2020, from 380,000-420,000oz for the period previously. Gold production for the Australian-listed miner slipped to 94,000oz in the quarter period ended December 2019, from 112,000oz in the corresponding October to December 2018 period. All-in sustaining cash costs for St Barbara rose to $1364/oz in the December 2019-ended quarter, compared with $1053/oz in the December 2018-ended quarter. The miner is forecasting its all-in cash costs for gold production for the 2020 financial year will range from $1330/oz to $1420/oz, compared with its previous forecast of $1240/oz to $1330/oz. At the company’s flagship Gwalia mine at Leonora in WA, gold...

Ravensthorpe reopens on nickel surge FIRST Quantum Minerals expects to ship its first nickel concentrate from its mine in Ravensthorpe, WA, by April this year. The first shipment of sulphur, a vital component of nickel production, arrived through the Esperance port last week. The Canadian company has made significant upgrades to the processing plant since acquiring it in February 2010 for the cut-throat price of $340m. The plant cost BHP Billiton $3b to build and commission. When it was closed in 2017, it was the nickel project’s second major closure and loss of jobs. The mine is wholly owned by First Quantum and currently employs around 250 people with another 100 jobs projected to be filled. Locals and residents from...

BHP iron ore guidance steady BHP is maintaining its production guidance for its WA iron ore operations at between 273mt-286mt on a 100pc basis for the June 2020-ended financial year. In the first half of the 2020 financial year, BHP produced 137mt of iron ore from its WA operations on a 100pc basis, 2pc higher year on year, after the completion of a major rail car dumper maintenance program in October. Iron ore production volumes at its WA mines in the July-December 2018 half year were affected by a train derailment. Copper production for BHP rose 7pc in the first half-year period to 885,000t on strong concentrator throughput at its Escondida mine in Chile, and higher production from its Olympic...

IN a significant improvement to the intercept grades, Westgold (ASX:WGX) has received screen fire assays for its Great Fingall mine near Cue in WA, with exceptional figures returned. Westgold sees this drilling as proof that the stratigraphic controls to mineralisation remain in place. It believes that the significant high grades that were produced historically at this site have been returned at greater than twice the former depth and plunge continuity is established at the high-grade Great Fingall Reef. The results have Great Fingall Reef upgraded to 1.57m at 10.10g/t up from 7.95g/t from 1642.18m, 3.1m at 34.05g/t up from 20.17g/t from 1439.7m and 4.35m at 3.27g/t from 1,493.22m at Great Fingall Hangingwall Lodes. Abundant specks of visible gold have been...

AUSTRALIAN nickel producer Western Areas has completed two offtake deals for its WA high-grade Forrestania Nickel Operation concentrate product which is a feedstock for the electric vehicle battery market. The ASX-listed company said the offtake-deals are with BHP’s Nickel West subsidiary in WA, and Hong Kong-listed Chinese nickel company Jinchuan Group, and both were awarded by Western Areas following a competitive tender process. Western Areas managing director Dan Lougher said the company was pleased with its new contracts that extend its relationship with BHP and reintroduces Jinchuan as an offtake customer. “It is notable that both of our offtake customers are involved in the downstream operation of nickel smelters,” he said. “Western Areas firmly believes that the smelting of concentrates...

FYI Resources’ kaolin project in WA has received formal approval for its Mining Proposal (MP) and Mine Closure Plan (MCP) from the WA Department of Mines. This represents a significant step toward the development of the FYI 100pc-owned ML70/1388 high purity alumina (HPA) project. FYI managing director Roland Hill said that now that this milestone has been reached, the company was waiting on only minor regulatory approvals. “FYI will continue progressing its HPA strategy in anticipation of arranging full project funding and a formal decision to mine from the FYI Board,” he said. The approval covers the planned mining, processing, site infrastructure, waste facilities, haul roads and other construction required. The granting of the MP and MCP follows approvals in...