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SINCE its establishment in 2006, Bauxite Resources (BRL) has set itself in good stead to take full advantage of the domestic market, with two key joint ventures in place and extensive tenement holdings. BRL was established to capitalise on WA’s bauxite and alumina opportunities: four of Australia’s seven alumina refineries and four bauxite mines are in the state, and BRL has plans to add to this in the near future. WA’s Darling Range area provides about 23 per cent of global alumina production and is home to BRL’s flagship Darling Range project area that covers about 24,000 square kilometres. The area hosts a type of bauxite known as gibbsite, an aluminium oxide trihydrate that is typically low in reactive silica...

EMERGING diversified exploration company Natural Resources Exploration (NRE) was incorporated in late 2009 and has projects in the Northern Territory and Queensland, including a number of advanced greenfield projects. The company recently underwent a restructure and, under its new title NRE Group, now incorporates subsidiaries such as NRE Base Metals and NRE Phosphate. NRE prides itself on its refreshing approach to exploration. One extremely experienced geophysicist said that he saw similarities between NRE’s exploration approach and those of Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, which served both mining majors well in the long term. NRE has embraced opportunities to explore in the Northern Territory, and is focused on the development of its large tenement portfolio....

IN terms of output, mining is the largest industry in the Northern Territory, accounting for about 17.4 per cent of the gross state product in the 2010 to 2011 financial year. According to the Department of Resources, this is the second highest proportion of all Australian jurisdictions. The NT is home to mining ventures targeting minerals ranging from bauxite to uranium, in addition to oil and gas. Initiatives The NT Government’s Bringing Forward Discovery initiative, originally a four-year plan, has been extended to seven years and will now be in place until 2014. Under the plan, the Government will inject $25.8 million into the resources industry, to encourage mineral exploration and attract the attention of international investors. “The initiative has...

SINCE its establishment in 1972 family owned company The Ostojic Group has expanded considerably. The company’s team manages forward project planning, programming, timely ordering of materials, plant and labour requirements and coordination between clients, consultants, suppliers and sub-contractors. The Group’s primary mining-related operations include civil contracting, mine contracting, bulk haulage, earthmoving plant hire, quarrying, and readymix concrete production. Today, it holds contracts for projects in Queensland, WA and throughout the Northern Territory, and successfully delivers its services in some of the country’s most remote and inhospitable regions. The Ostojic Group’s employees, equipment and management systems ensure that it consistently exceeds its clients’ expectations, despite the many challenges posed by the harsh conditions of most resources projects’ working areas.

EMERGING diversified exploration company Natural Resources Exploration (NRE) was incorporated in late 2009 and has projects in the Northern Territory and Queensland, including a number of advanced greenfield projects. The company recently underwent a restructure and, under its new title NRE Group, now incorporates subsidiaries such as NRE Base Metals and NRE Phosphate. NRE prides itself on its refreshing approach to exploration. One extremely experienced geophysicist said that he saw similarities between NRE’s exploration approach and those of Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, which served both mining majors well in the long term. NRE has embraced opportunities to explore in the Northern Territory, and is focused on the development of its large tenement portfolio....

WA nickel producer Western Areas is set to achieve strong sales levels at its flagship Forrestania nickel project this year, confirming its status as a world-class nickel miner. While nickel prices dropped earlier this year, affecting production at many nickel mines throughout Australia, Western Areas maintained exceptional operational performance and exceeded company guidance targets. In addition to its wholly-owned Forrestania project, the third-largest nickel producer in Australia holds interests in a range of exploration projects throughout WA, Canada and Finland. The Forrestania project, 400km south east of Perth, contains two of the highest-grade nickel mines in the world: Flying Fox and Spotted Quoll. The company’s recent acquisition of Kagara Nickel, which includes the high-grade Lounge Lizard nickel mine adjacent to...

PRODUCTION has commenced at CBH Resources’ Rasp mine near Broken Hill in NSW, with operations expected to reach full capacity by the end of the year. In what was a significant milestone for the Sydney-based company, CBH received NSW Government approval to develop the zinc-lead-silver mine in January 2011, enabling it to complete construction in April this year. The $155 million project is one of two mines operated by CBH, the second being the underground Endeavour mine in Cobar, NSW, which began operations in 1983. CBH, which was purchased by Japanese company Toho Zinc in late 2010, also owns NewcastleShiploader: a facility that provides export services for the Endeavour and Rasp operations, along with other NSW mines. Endeavour mine The...

FOR most people with a ‘bucket list’, seeing the Great Pyramids of Egypt is a travel priority. A tribute to the greatness of one of the world’s oldest civilisations, the beauty, size and sheer magnificence of these monuments is breathtaking, and while the Pyramids are usually the first thing that comes to mind when people think of Egypt, there is so much more that the wonderful destination has to offer. Despite a politically turbulent 2011, the situation in Egypt in 2012 has dramatically stabilised, allowing the country to confidently welcome back travellers and provide the level of safety, comfort and genuine hospitality that has previously been enjoyed in the past. Families, couples and solo travellers alike are flocking back to...

THE DomeShelter product line is a unique outdoor cover solution that has been effectively used in the mining and oil and gas industries since the late 1990s. Mining and exploration sites throughout Australia and overseas have utilised the DomeShelter concept for innovative, straight forward performance: the concept is a rugged, durable alternative for outdoor cover. Flexibility in its design allows for various mounting options, the most common of which contain configurations used for workshops and storage, with post and concrete wall-mounting options also available. The Container Mounted DomeShelter (CMDS) comes in a large range of pre-engineered sizes and is intelligently designed to suit standard shipping container configurations. All DomeShelter models are engineered to suit Australian Wind Regions A to D....

RECOGNISED throughout Asia for its research and development innovations, high-tech Chinese bus manufacturer Higer Bus manufactures an extensive range of busses ideal for transporting mine employees to site. Established in 1998, the company has won the prestigious Asia BAAV Bus Coach Builder of the Year award three times (2007 to 2009), as well as both the Equipment award and the Safest Brand of Choice award four years in a row (2006 to2009). Higer Bus Centre WA is WA’s exclusive Higer sales dealership, offering the full range of Higer buses tailor-made to suit a variety of needs. Due to Higer’s efficient manufacturing processes, the company is able to deliver tailor-made buses within three to four months after an order is placed....

DESPITE strong competition and many challengers, one Australian team of body builders is proving to be a market winner: Brisbane-based truck body manufacturer Jaws, with its ‘pursuit of excellence.’ “There are three key points for body builders which separate out the big strong bodies for off-highway mining trucks – that keep going for 60,000 plus hours – from the not-so-good bodies,” Jaws team leader Brad Ramsden said. “Those key ‘measuring sticks’ are the delivery of a long tray life, low levels of maintenance and the ability to achieve higher levels of production. The starting point for the winning trifecta is the special design and the right manufacturing techniques,” Mr Ramsden said. He said that one of Jaws’ special tools was...