Author: admin

All images: Rio Tinto. BY ELIZABETH FABRI IT capped off a strong 2017 calendar year with $US8.8 billion in profit, but Rio Tinto is increasingly focussed on reputation and its social license to operate, both here and abroad. Rio Tinto is riding high on the back of a 90 per cent increase in net profit compared to 2016. It was a successful year on many fronts, with Rio Tinto’s iron ore division celebrating the opening of the $US338 million Silvergrass mine. Iron ore prices were also working in its favour, as China’s increased appetite for higher grade ore continues following the nation’s winter steel curtailment policy. However, like many of its peers, the company’s global ‘social license to operate’ has…

All images: Dacian Gold. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND THERE’S a lot to like about the rapid development of Dacian Gold’s Mt Morgans gold project. The miner has set a vigorous pace on the road to production, already coming in under its initial project cost by $23 million. Production from Dacian Gold’s flagship $197 million Mt Morgans project near Laverton, WA is expected to start this month, less than three years after the Dacian board approved its development. The fast-tracked gold project has been Dacian’s sole focus since its $20m initial public offering (IPO) onto the ASX in 2012. At that time, Mt Morgans had a resource base of 840,000 ounces (oz) of gold. In the years that followed, exploration work uncovered…

MMG’s Dugald River zinc mine near Cloncurry, QLD. Image: MMG. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND INITIATIVES by the Queensland Government to boost exploration and support employment diversification aim to attract investment and protect employment in the region from the cyclical nature of the resources sector. However some feel that addressing high energy prices as a priority may do more to lift North West QLD’s economy. Covering 10 local government areas, the 375,000sqkm North West Minerals Province (NWMP) contains major copper, lead, zinc, silver and phosphate deposits and well defined rare earths potential. The NWMP is home to about 34,500 residents, mostly based in Mt Isa, with 60 per cent of jobs that directly or indirectly support the mining industry. The significance of the…

BY CAMERON DRUMMOND WITH discounts for lower quality iron ore increasing, Carpentaria Resources’ Hawsons project – the highest grade undeveloped iron ore project in the world – is ready to capitalise on growing demand from Chinese steelmakers for high grade product. We spoke with Carpentaria managing director Quentin Hill about the project’s Supergrade® product and his outlook on the future of the iron ore market. Q: How is Carpentaria’s Hawsons iron ore project progressing? We drilled the first hole in 2009, and released Hawsons first resource in 2010. It is a $US1.4 billion development cost over an 18-month period, and will produce an initial 10 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of 70 per cent Fe Supergrade ore for  projected annual revenue of…

All Images: Northern Minerals. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND NORTHERN Minerals’ Browns Range heavy rare earth (HRE) project is underway, with a Stage 1 pilot plant near completion amidst big plans to meet the growing demand for dysprosium. 160KM south east of Halls Creek in northern WA, Browns Range represents an opportunity for Australia to become a leading producer of dysprosium outside China. The little-read-about element is crucial to the manufacture of permanent magnets and a fundamental ingredient in high-torque motors used in wind turbines as well as electric vehicles, which use about 100 grams of the HRE. Dysprosium makes magnets last longer and retain efficiency at extremely high temperatures. It also makes up part of the control rods used in nuclear…

Image: UNSW. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND SINCE its initial use in military applications, drone technology has evolved into a cost-saving and efficient tool for many industries, including mining. Mining majors such as BHP already recognise the advantages of drone technology for a range of applications. BMA mining production head Frans Knox said the use of drones at mine sites has made operations safer and more productive. “At some of our coal mines in QLD, they’re used to ensure areas are clear before a blast takes place and to track fumes post-blast,” Mr Knox said. “They’re also used to improve road safety on sites, by monitoring traffic, road conditions and hazards. “At our Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, the maintenance team…