Author: Chloe Coutinho

Alkane goes for gold with $89m Tomingley expansion Alkane Resources (ASX: ALK) announced increased gold production above 100,000ozpa with strong resultant cash flow in a five-year plan for its Tomingley gold operations in NSW. Production will be sourced from underground and open cut mining, with 455,000 to 505,000oz of gold expected over the next five financial years. This increase follows plans to realign Newell Highway and expand the existing processing plant to a nominal 1.5mtpa rate through 2025. Alkane will fund the $89m realignment and expansion through cashflow and...

$8m allocated to WA wind energy program The WA Government has signed a collaborative agreement with Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC) to establish a wind energy industry support program. As part of the State’s Wind Turbine Manufacturing Initiative, $8m will be committed to establishing the program which will assist local businesses in their pursuit to manufacture and service wind turbine components and power up WA's energy capabilities. WA Minister assisting the State and Industry Development, Jobs and Trade Minister Stephen Dawson says the program will support the...

Alcoa Australia appoints new leader Alcoa Corporation has appointed Elsabe Muller as operations vice president – Australia and Alcoa Australia president, effective October 2024. Ms Muller will be responsible for Alcoa’s bauxite mining rehabilitation, alumina refining and aluminium smelting activities in WA and Victoria. After more than 30 years with BHP (ASX: BHP), currently serving as its group HSE officer, Ms Muller brings considerable local and international resources sector expertise to Alcoa. Alcoa executive vice president and chief operations officer Matt Reed...

Mineral Resources announces Yilgarn Hub shutdown Mineral Resources (MinRes) (ASX: MIN) will cease Yilgarn Hub iron ore shipments by the end of the year following a viability assessment that confirmed the site is not financially viable beyond 2024. MinRes cites limited remaining mine life across five operating mines and significant capital cost and lead time required to ensure continuity of supply as driving factors in the decision. Yilgarn Hub operations will safely ramp down over the next six months, with up to 4mwmt expected to ship by the end of 2024. Mining...

EQ Resources granted permit to explore historic mine site EQ Resources (ASX: EQR) has been granted an Exploration Permit for Minerals (EPM) for critical minerals at the Wolfram Camp in Queensland’s Far North. The EPM approval allows EQ Resources to begin drilling, geological mapping, and soil and rock sampling over a 480 km2 area to unlock tungsten resources at the site, which includes the former Wolfram Camp and Bamford Hill mines. EQ Resources chief executive officer Kevin MacNeill says they are excited to get boots on the ground. “At EQ Resources, we understand the importance of responsible and sustainable mining practices,” he said. “As we...

Australia welcomes Chinese Premier’s visit as Fortescue and Tianqi lead energy transition Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted a three-day visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China’s high-level delegation in June as part of efforts to foster improved Australia-China trade relations. Premier Li’s visit, the first by a Chinese Premier since 2017, featured a tour of...

$37.7m to support NSW mining communities and protect workers The NSW Government is making additional investments in mine safety and rehabilitation in the 2024-25 NSW Budget. A total strategic investment of $37.7m will support mining communities, ensure rehabilitation of mines and support health and safety for mine workers in NSW. This includes $13.6m over four years for mine rehabilitation, a key priority for regional communities. This funding package increases dedicated regulatory resources to ensure compliance with rehabilitation requirements and provide support for local communities. Inspectors at the NSW Resources Regulator will oversee a projected increase in rehabilitation...

Thiess secures 4-year extension at Caval Ridge Thiess Group has been awarded a four-year contract extension with BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) for the Caval Ridge Operations in Queensland. With a revenue of $580m, the contract sees Thiess continuing to provide mining services at the Caval Ridge mine, operating and maintaining mining equipment to move overburden to support BMA’s production requirements. Thiess executive chair and chief executive officer Michael Wright says the extension is a contributing factor in Thiess’ continued success. “We are very pleased that our ongoing commitment to safe and sustainable mining has resulted in BMA awarding us a four-year...

Whitehaven transitions 100-year-old Werris Creek to full time rehabilitation Whitehaven Coal is winding down mining activities at Werris Creek mine in NSW to transition to full time rehabilitation which is expected to conclude in 2027. Last coal was extracted in April and the final train is set to depart the site by the end of June. The site has delivered over 26mt of high-quality thermal coal since Whitehaven commenced operations in 2005 while maintaining its position as Whitehaven’s lowest-cost producer. Werris Creek operations manager Murray O’Keefe praises the high standards set by Whitehaven’s personnel over a near-two decade run. “The...

Queensland SuperGrid soars thanks to renewable energy Powerlink, in partnership with Queensland startup Infravision, is using drones to string 50km of transmission lines to connect the Genex pumped storage hydro system to the Queensland electricity SuperGrid. The world-class powerline stringing system, which is developed, manufactured and assembled out of Coolum Beach, Queensland is the longest section of high voltage electricity transmission line strung by drones in the Asia-Pacific region. Infravision air operations global president Josh Williams says this system sets a new standard in renewable energy. "Infravision and Powerlink Queensland are setting new standards in the energy sector...

Solid rock home for Queensland water battery The Queensland Government reports promising investigative geotechnical drilling at the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin pumped hydro project which is expected to deliver the largest water battery of its kind in the world. Investigations drilled to 850m, yielding 3,800m of geotechnical cores, mostly extracted by local Mackay, Queensland drillers, Twin Hills Engineering. WSP and SMEC have identified very strong, coarse competent granite rock ideal for dam construction, tunnels and potentially multiple underground multi-turbine powerhouses. Queensland Government geologist Tony Knight says the samples are ideal for this project. “The samples I inspected from the site...