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BY ELIZABETH FABRI AUSTRALIA’S mining sector is set to accelerate through 2018 as strengthened global economics, particularly in China, support commodity prices and underwrite new investment. According to a recent report by S&P Global Market Intelligence, over the next 12 months China will drive continued growth in end-use demand for most base metals through developments such as the ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. However the report highlighted fears surrounding China’s debt and ability to sustain GDP growth rates (a process that determines the success of large infrastructure spending), but assured macroeconomic improvements were still likely despite the risks. “A key macroeconomic area of support for base metals prices will be through the US dollar, as it moves weaker relative to…

BY CAMERON DRUMMOND BBI Group (BBIG) has received the final assent of a WA Government agreement for its multi-billion dollar Balla Balla Infrastructure (BBI) project, linking iron ore deposits from the Central Pilbara with a new export facility at the Balla Balla port via a 162km purpose-built railway. The ratification of the project by Parliament is seen as a big step forward for the project, which would create about 3000 jobs during construction and about 900 operational positions. BBIG estimated that the total royalties payable to the WA Government from customer mines over the life of the project could be in excess of $4 billion. BBIG chairman Jon Young said the company was particularly pleased with the bipartisan support that…

BY ELIZABETH FABRI MINERAL sands producer Iluka Resources’ has approved the development of its Cataby mine in WA, after securing major offtake agreements in December. Cataby, 150km north of Perth, will produce an average of 370,000 tonnes of chloride ilmenite per annum, which will be processed into 200,000tpa of premium grade synthetic rutile at Iluka’s Synthetic Rutile kiln 2 (SR2), 350km south of the project. The mine will also produce about 50,000tpa of premium grade zircon and 30,000tpa of rutile, which will be processed at Iluka’s Narngulu mineral separation plant in Geraldton. On 12 December, Iluka announced it had entered into take-or-pay offtake agreements for a minimum of 175,000t of synthetic rutile per annum (about 85 per cent of production…

BY ELIZABETH FABRI PERTH-based gold miner Northern Star has invested $23.2 million in junior explorer Echo Resources to expand its footprint near its Jundee gold mine. Echo Resources, which holds tenements immediately south of Jundee, is planning to develop a new Yandal gold project utilising its nearby mothballed Bronzewing processing plant. In early December, Northern Star purchased 80 million Echo shares at an average price of $0.29, obtaining a 16.4 per cent interest in the company. Its investment came a week after Echo released an updated ore reserve for the project of 15.6 million tonnes grading 1.7 grams per tonne for 856,000oz of gold, and a little over a month since Echo undertook a $15 million capital raising. Echo chief…

Artemis’ Radio Hill processing plant is on track to be in production by mid-2018.  Image: Artemis Resources. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND PILBARA-focused Artemis Resources has received a $6 million loan to fund the upgrade and refurbishment of its Radio Hill copper-nickel-cobalt processing plant south of Karratha. The deal was penned with London-based Riverfort Global Capital, which funded a previous $3m loan to the company. The funding for the upgrade will also be used for a 500,000 tonne per annum (tpa) gold circuit allowing for treatment of ore from Artemis’ Carlow Castle and Silica projects. Artemis said that contract bulk sampling processing would be offered to other conglomerate gold companies in the region; with the plant expected to be fully operational by…