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Applications are open round 17 of the Northern Territory Government’s Geophysics and Drilling Collaborations program with up to $3m in grants available to advance exploration. The grants aim to address geoscientific knowledge gaps, advance exploration activity and support the discovery and development of resources in the Territory. More than half of the $3m will be directed towards projects targeting commodities on the Northern Territory’s critical minerals list which has seen two new critical minerals added — gallium and graphite. A silver-white metal, gallium has multiple uses, including in integrated circuits, lasers and LEDs. This new critical mineral was recently identified in newly discovered rare earth and graphite deposits in the Northern Territory. Graphite also has a multitude of uses, however,…

Effective dewatering is crucial for ensuring the safety and productivity of mining operations, particularly when extracting minerals below the water table or in open mines prone to rainfall. A strong dewatering plan is not only beneficial – it is absolutely essential. Understanding Mine Dewatering Challenges The process of dewatering in mining plays a pivotal role in maintaining safe and efficient working conditions by extracting water from underground and surface areas. Its primary purpose is to prevent flooding, groundwater seepage, and destabilisation of excavation sites. Additionally, it facilitates access to mineral deposits and extraction processes. Dewatering is essential for both open-pit and underground mining operations to prevent equipment damage and maintain productivity. By implementing efficient dewatering strategies, operational efficiency can be…

Capricorn Metals Ltd (ASX: CMM) announced its half-year profit before tax increased by 35% to $78.8 million over the previous corresponding period (pcp), a record half–year result for the gold miner.   The miner’s profit increase was buoyed by a rise in sales of 7%, to 60,341 ounces, on the back of a strong six months of operations at the Karlawinda Gold Project.   The Karlawinda Gold Project (KGP), located 65 kilometres south-east of Newman in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, commenced operations in June 2021, and has a 10-year mine life on current reserves.   “The KGP had a strong first half of operations producing 60,099 ounces at an all in sustaining cost (“AISC”) of $1,324 per ounce, consolidating its reputation…

A new report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has found that a government incentive program would accelerate the adoption of green explosives by miners.  Miners consume about half of Australia’s ammonia through explosives and a shift to green explosives could be done with a minimal increase in operating costs.  The IEEFA report found that by switching ammonia production facilities from fossil gas to green hydrogen Australia could lead the world in the production of green ammonia and lay the foundation for a new green hydrogen industry.  IEEFA Australia chief executive Amandine Denis-Ryan says “ammonia production stands out as a logical early adopter of green hydrogen”.   “Changing these processes is a relatively quick, simple step…

BlueScope Steel Limited (ASX: BSL) has announced it is considering its option to weigh in on South32 Limited’s (ASX: S32) plan to sell its Illawarra Metallurgical Coal business.  South32 announced yesterday that it had agreed to sell its Illawarra Metallurgical Coal (IMC) business for $2.53b ($US1.65 billion) as the miner presses ahead with its strategy to move away from coal to focus on zinc and copper.   The BHP spinoff agreed to sell the coal business to an entity owned by Golden Energy and Resources (GEAR) and M Resources, building on GEAR’s metallurgical coal holdings in Australia, in the deal expected to be finalised in H1 FY25.   BlueScope has since released a statement indicating that it may intervene on…

The Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) led a delegation of companies to Canberra as it continues to press the Federal Government for a production tax credit (PTC).   The delegation included representatives from mining and exploration companies crucial to the critical minerals sector, such as Wyloo Metals, IGO, Australian Vanadium, QEM, Pilbara Minerals, and Tesla.   AMEC chief executive Warren Pearce says the meetings provided “an opportunity to relay the real struggles facing the industry at the moment”.   “It also sends a strong message to the Federal Government that the time for action is now.   “The upcoming Federal Budget provides Treasury with a lever to pull that will reinvigorate the critical minerals sector and help Australia compete further downstream.   “If…

Westgold Resources Limited (ASX: WGX) says its revenue increased by 15% on the previous corresponding period to $363m, a record half year result for the West Australian gold miner.  Westgold also announced its net profit for H1 FY24 came in at $44m, representing a 500% increase on H1 FY23, as gold prices increased 22% on the previous corresponding period.  Although Westgold produced 122,342oz of gold H1 FY24, 5% less than the previous corresponding period, the gold miner says it is on track to achieve its FY24 guidance of 245,000-265,000oz.      Westgold Resources managing director and CEO Wayne Bramwell says “our mines and our people have now delivered four consecutive quarters of positive cashflow, and this lays the foundations to consistently and…

South32 Limited (ASX: S32) has agreed to sell its Illawarra Metallurgical Coal business for $2.53b ($US1.65 billion) as the miner presses ahead with its strategy to move away from coal to focus on zinc and copper.  The BHP spinoff agreed to sell the coal business to an entity owned by Golden Energy and Resources (GEAR) and M Resources, building on GEAR’s metallurgical coal holdings in Australia, in the deal expected to be finalised in H1 FY25.  South32 chief executive Graham Kerr says the deal “will realise significant value for our shareholders and is consistent with our strategy to reshape our portfolio toward commodities critical in the transition to a low-carbon future”.  “It will streamline our portfolio, strengthen our balance sheet…

  BHP has significantly bolstered its Oak Dam operations, one of the most significant copper discoveries in recent history, with 12 rigs presently on site and the majority of its 150-person drilling camp now occupied.  The miner has established an integrated copper province in the South Australia’s far north by combining the Prominent Hill and Carrapateena mines with its existing Olympic Dam mine, smelter and refinery, and the Oak Dam exploration prospect.  The so-called “OD Deeps” program has identified extremely high grades of copper deep underneath the Olympic Dam ore body, in some instances of more than 2%, according to the miner.  BHP asset president copper South Australia Anna Wiley says encouraging exploration data at Oak Dam is coupled with…

The South Australian government is planning to establish a hydrogen-based direct reduction iron (DRI) plant in the state by the end of the decade and is seeking partners to get the project off the ground. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas announced that an expressions of interest process would commence in June, seeking involvement from businesses to jointly investigate the development of a hydrogen-based DRI plant in South Australia. “The world needs steel, and as it seeks to decarbonise, it will increasingly need green iron and steel,” he said.  “We have the key ingredients for a DRI plant in the Upper Spencer Gulf – an unrivalled resource of magnetite, and soon, a supply of renewable hydrogen, produced using our spectacular wind…

Industry leaders have signed a deal to establish Australia’s first vanadium flow battery manufacturing supply chain in Queensland.   Idemitsu Australia, Sumitomo Electric Industries and Vecco Group signed a collaboration agreement to build a complete manufacturing supply chain, from mining to energy storage, expected to be operational in 2026.  Under this non-exclusive agreement, Idemitsu plans to market, sell and deliver vanadium flow batteries to Australian customers using Sumitomo Electric hardware and Vecco’s electrolyte made from vanadium mined in Queensland’s north west minerals province.   Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. general manager of energy systems division Mr Kamada says “we are very pleased to be able to participate in this framework together with Idemitsu Australia, which has a great track record in this country…