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Rural and Remote Mental Health: Raising awareness

Rural and Remote Mental Health: Raising awareness

Resource Minds is an early intervention program developed from the research and results from the Wellbeing and Lifestyle Study. BY: JESSICA CUMMINS Mental health issues have plagued the fly-in, fly-out workforce for many years. But with an emerging number of programs and resources available, mining companies have many avenues to facilitate those very important conversations with employees. DR Jennifer Bowers, associate professor and managing director of Rural and Remote Mental Health (RRMH) in South Australia, has spent more than 10 years researching the prevalence of psychological distress in remote mining and construction workers. Published in the Australian Medical Journal, Dr Bowers led the Wellbeing and Lifestyle survey, which sampled about 1124 employees at 10...

Regis Resources: Organic Growth

Regis Resources: Organic Growth

Image: Regis Resources. BY ELIZABETH FABRI REGIS Resources capped off FY18 with record production and cash flow at its Duketon project. Moving into FY19, the good news is set to continue with an expansion underway at Rosemont and DFS work advancing at McPhillamys. WA-based gold miner Regis Resources has a busy year ahead, with plenty of upside across its portfolio after a record June quarter. For the final three months of FY18, the miner produced 92,008 ounces of gold, bringing its annual production up to 361,373oz at an all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) of $901/oz. Record quarter-end cash and bullion holdings of $208.8 million were also a plus, and “testament to the quality” of the Duketon operations, according to...

Northparkes Mine: The next chapter

Northparkes Mine: The next chapter

All images: Northparkes Mine BY: JESSICA CUMMINS After achieving record breaking results at its mine and ore processing plant last year, Northparkes copper-gold mine expects to see similar results this year as it continues to work towards a century of mining together. OPERATING for more than two decades, and with mine life now extended through to 2032, the Northparkes operation is well positioned to reach new heights in coming years. Previously owned by Rio Tinto, the project – which also comprises a farm – sits on 6000 hectares with a 1630ha mining lease. The joint venture between China Molybdenum and Sumitomo Group broke two production records in the underground mine (producing 6.46 million tonnes of...

AngloGold: Reaping the Benefits

AngloGold: Reaping the Benefits

Tropicana mine. Image: IGO. BY REUBEN ADAMS AFTER five years in the top job AngloGold chief Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan is leaving for fresh pastures. But he is going out on a high, as the company’s value-building strategies begin bearing fruit in 2018. Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan, who will be succeeded by Barrick president Kelvin Dushnisky in September, used his last AngloGold earnings call in August to reflect on some tenure highlights. “As you know, this is my final presentation after around 72 quarters with this company, the last 22 as a CEO,” he said. “I thought I’d reflect on some of the work we have done over that time, to reposition this company, to not only survive the gold price storms...

OM Holdings: Back in business

OM Holdings: Back in business

Bootu Creek is 110km north of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. BY: JESSICA CUMMINS It’s been 18 months since OM Holdings’ Bootu Creek manganese mine reopened. Now, an $8.2 million Tailings Retreatment Plan is under development which is expected to produce an additional 250,000 tonnes of manganese over the next eight years. IN 2015, OM Holdings subsidiary OM Manganese’s Bootu mine was placed into the hands of administrators as global market conditions for manganese deteriorated. It was a tough time for the mine and surrounding Tennant Creek community; 140 jobs were lost when the mine was put into care and maintenance. But once mining activities resumed in February 2017, positive sentiment and jobs returned to the region....

Aus Tin: Production Focused

Aus Tin: Production Focused

All images: Aus Tin Mining BY: JESSICA CUMMINS Australia’s second tin focused producer, Aus Tin Mining, remains focused on the delivery of high-value metals critical to the energy revolution, with three near-term projects and expansions underway. AFTER resuming mining operations at the mothballed Granville project in 2016, the race has been on for Aus Tin to grow production. Following an expansive approvals process, the Company obtained the final green light in April 2018 to expand the operation. Once complete, this expansion will include the development of a tailings storage facility, the latest technology gravity equipment, and resumption of mining at the high-grade Granville East deposit via a cutback on the eastern wall. The expansion will also...

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

The Carrapateena mine will enter production in 2019. Image: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE South Australian resources sector has had a strong year. But dwindling exploration points to a far greater issue for the State, as it looks to ramp up production and continue the search for the next Olympic Dam-style deposit. More exploration is needed in South Australia: that is the message Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) chief executive Warren Pearce had for delegates at the recent South Australia Resources and Energy Investment conference (SAREIC) in Adelaide. “Greenfields mineral exploration, the heartbeat of mining, is flat lining in South Australia,” Mr Pearce said. “Nationally mineral exploration has been rebounding since 2016, but the...

Ausdrill bolsters market share with Barminco acquisition

Ausdrill bolsters market share with Barminco acquisition

Image: Barminco. BY REUBEN ADAMS AUSDRILL’s “compelling” $271.5 million acquisition of underground mining contractor Barminco would create Australia’s second largest mining services company. Ausdrill will acquire Barminco – its current partner in the lucrative African Underground Mining Service (AUMS) joint venture – in exchange for 150.7 million Ausdrill shares and $25.4m in cash; equivalent to an equity acquisition price of $271.5m. Once the transaction is completed, Barminco vendors will own about 22.1 per cent of the enlarged Ausdrill, with experienced company director and current Barminco non-executive chairman Keith Gordon to join the Ausdrill board. The acquisition announcement accompanied a set of outstanding full year results from diversified mining services company Ausdrill, including a year-on-year net profit increase...

Saracen’s record breaking results

Saracen’s record breaking results

Image: Saracen Mineral Holdings. BY JESSICA CUMMINS SARACEN Minerals capped off FY18 with a net profit surge of 166 per cent to $76 million; an increase from $28.4 million a year prior. Results stemmed from increased gold sales of 317,675 ounce sand lower AISC of $1139/oz. Underlying NPAT – excluding the $10.6 abnormal profit received from its sale of King of the Hills; doubled to $67.3 million. In early August, Saracen reported a 64 per cent increase in reserves at its Karari Dervish project to 1 million ounces, , and an increase in reserves to 980,000oz at Thunderbox. Saracen managing director Raleigh Finlayson said the strong results were particularly pleasing given the company was in the middle of a major...

Nickel Mines in massive IPO

Nickel Mines in massive IPO

The Hengjaya nickel laterite mine in Indonesia, which is in close proximity to the Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park operations and refining centre. BY REUBEN ADAMS INDONESIA-focussed Nickel Mines is officially the second biggest metals and mining initial public offering of 2018 after making its ASX debut on 20 August. The Australian company, which holds an 80 per cent interest in the Hengjaya nickel laterite mine in Indonesia, raised $200 million selling shares at 35 cents each. Nickel Mines will use the cash to diversify into downstream nickel pig iron (NPI) processing and production, acquiring a further 35 per cent interest in the Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace (RKEF) project to increase its interest to 60 per cent. In September last year,...

Core eyes bigger Finniss resource

Core eyes bigger Finniss resource

BY REUBEN ADAMS CORE Exploration believes fresh high-grade drill results have demonstrated “significant potential” to grow resources at the near-term Finniss lithium project in the Northern Territory. The emerging lithium developer has embarked on aggressive drilling this year to grow the Finniss resource base ahead of a late-2018 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and early 2019 Final Investment Decision. The Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) confirmed Stage 1 of the Finniss Project, mining the high grade Grants deposit, would generate strong free cash flow; but with a mine life of just 26 months further resources were required to underpin a potential long-life operation. Latest results from the Carlton Prospect, 1km from Grants, included 16 metres at 1.79 per cent lithium oxide...