Author: admin

Rio Tinto's Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) project produced more than 13 million tonnes of thermal and semi-soft coking coal in 2015. Image: Rio Tinto.   By Elizabeth Fabri   AS thermal and coking coal prices recover from record lows, the resources industry remains hopeful the worst is now over for NSW’s economic ‘engine room’; the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley is Australia’s largest regional area, comprising 11 local governments, about 600,000 residents, and the country’s seventh largest city, Newcastle. Coal mining in the region dates back to 1791, and continues to drive the economy with a number of world-class coal projects spread across the 29,145sqkm expanse. When coal prices took a hit four years ago, the Hunter’s strength was put...

Carmichael is now a prescribed Critical Infrastructure project in QLD – the first time this has happened in seven years.         Image: Adani Australia By Reuben Adams THE Palaszczuk Government will invoke special powers to speed up development of the controversial $21.7 billion Carmichael coal and rail project in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. The project’s combined mine, rail, and associated water infrastructure were declared Critical Infrastructure – the first time this has happened in seven years. When a Prescribed Project is considered to be “critical or essential” for economic, social or environmental reasons to Queensland, the minister may also declare it a Critical Infrastructure project. The Adani combined project is the only Critical Infrastructure project currently listed on the State Development website....

A portion of the Windward tenement package is contiguous with IGO’s Nova mining lease.              Image: Windward.   By Reuben Adams   A $20.5 million takeover bid for WA-based explorer Windward Resources could substantially increase Independence Group’s (IGO) tenement holdings around its Nova project in the Fraser Range of WA. IGO’s 5 October offer of $0.19 per share – a 46 per cent premium to the last close at 16 September 2016 – was unanimously supported by the Windward board. Windward major shareholder Mark Creasy (27.44 per cent), who originally discovered the world-class Nova deposit with Sirius Resources, intended to accept the offer in the absence of a superior proposal. IGO managing director Peter Bradford said the company was committed to...

The 20-metre deep box cut being constructed at Carrapateena. By Elizabeth Fabri MOMENTUM is building across the OZ Minerals portfolio as works advance on the second decline at Prominent Hill, and construction begins at the highly anticipated Carrapateena project. In September, OZ Minerals began works on the Carrapateena decline, pushing the miner another step closer to delivering first concentrate in late 2019. On 30 September a host of industry officials, including South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, visited the site to celebrate the discovery of one of the country's largest undeveloped copper deposits. “Carrapateena has compelling project economics and by starting the decline now, we are further de-risking the project and creating more shareholder value,” OZ Minerals managing director and chief executive Andrew...

The Whyalla steelworks operation. Image Arrium. Photography Sean Kelly.     By Elizabeth Fabri HOME to 68 per cent of the nation’s copper and 25 per cent of the world’s known uranium, South Australia’s resources industry is an irrefutable force. Additional state government support, which aims to kick-start investment and sector growth, reflects its importance. South Australia, affectionately known as the ‘Copper Kingdom’, has been a key contributor to Australia’s mining industry as far back as the 1800s, and today boasts the world’s largest uranium deposit and the country’s largest underground mine, Olympic Dam. In 2014/15 the State’s minerals and petroleum sector had a gross value of product at $5.958 billion and regionally the industry contributed a gross regional product of $6.377bn....