Author: Samantha Bawden

Next-generation miners tested in old-school methods Engineering and geology students will dig, pan and muck their way across Langley Park in Perth, WA, this weekend in the 2025 AusIMM Asia Pacific Mining Games Competition. This year’s games, formerly known as the National Mining Games Competition, will be the biggest in the event’s history, with 34 teams from 14 student chapters of AusIMM competing in a series of challenges based on old-school techniques. The games will also go public for the first time, with the event held on Perth’s doorstep to...

Youanmi gold project advances Rox Resources (ASX: RXL) has made significant progress at its Youanmi gold project in WA with the completion of dewatering at the United North pit ahead of schedule. After obtaining major environmental approvals, the company is advancing its definitive feasibility study (DFS), evaluating mining works tenders and preparing for the commencement of underground mining. With pumping at United North finishing early, preparation works for the exploration decline are expected to commence in Q4 CY25. Rox Resources managing director Phill Wilding says seeing the initial plant layout following metallurgical results and confirming the company...

Aquila mine named innovation award finalist A breakthrough underground excavation guard at Anglo American’s Aquila coal mine has been named a finalist at the 2025 Prospect Awards. The new system — dubbed The Armadillo for its unique shield design and first-of-its-kind industry adaptability in Bowen Basin coal mines — has been recognised in the Innovative Mining Solution category for its use on the site near Middlemount, Queensland. Developed in partnership...

Queensland company wins Australia’s top safety innovation award INTELICS, a Queensland-based software company, has won the Safety Innovation Award at the Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference (QMIHSC) 2025. The award recognises its Contractor Management Platform (CMP), which is already transforming safety and contractor management across some of the country’s largest mining operations, as a game-changer for mining safety. CMP enables mining companies to gain real-time visibility of contractor competency, equipment compliance and proactive risk oversight — areas traditionally seen as high-risk in the resources sector — helping operations shift from reactive to proactive...

Weir advances sustainable tailings solutions Weir has entered into a strategic cooperation agreement with MINEXXT to strengthen its global leadership in thickened and paste tailings solutions. Weir will integrate MINEXXT’s cutting-edge thickening technology, engineered to deliver high-performance thickened and paste tailings solutions, into its global tailings portfolio. This will enhance Weir’s ability to collaboratively meet the evolving needs of its customers with precision and confidence. Weird global tailing process director Erik Vlot says the value of this cooperation agreement lies in having access to exceptional, world class thickening technology....

Timor-Leste to host 5th Energy, Mining & Business Forum From November 24-26, 2025, Timor-Leste will take centre stage as it hosts the 5th Timor-Leste Energy, Mining & Business Forum — the country’s leading platform for advancing strategic investment and partnerships across its oil and gas, energy, mining and infrastructure sectors. This high-level summit is endorsed by the Autoridade Nacional do Petróleo I.P. (ANP) and the Autoridade Nacional dos Minerais (ANM) and organised in partnership with the Energy Circle and the Net-Zero Circle by IN-VR. Spanning three-days, the summit will welcome more than 300 global delegates, more than 50 international and local speakers and feature pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings, transforming Dili into a dynamic hub for deal-making, knowledge exchange and regional collaboration....

Fenix wins 290mt iron ore project Fenix Resources (ASX: FEX) has signed a 30-year agreement, for exclusive iron ore mining rights at the Weld Range project in WA, with Sinosteel Midwest Corporation.  The project, about 500km from Geraldton, hosts an iron ore grade of 56.8% and encompasses several high-grade hematite direct shipping ore deposits, including the premium Beebyn-W11 deposit with 20.5mt of ore at a grade of 61.3%.  Fenix executive chairman John Welborn says securing the project immediately surrounding the company’s existing operations in the Weld Range is a game changer.   “Development...

Critical battery breakthrough at Curtin A game-changing technology delivering greener and faster production of a critical battery material has been awarded at the 2025 Curtinnovation Awards.   The winner of the events major prize, the Griffith Hack Overall category, was the Curtin Carbon Group for RapidGraphite which uses a new method to create synthetic graphite — a key component of lithium-ion batteries.  The technology uses catalytic processing and renewable waste carbon such as woodchips, agricultural waste or even plastics to sustainably produce high-performance graphite without  conventional mining or energy-intensive refining.  Curtin University...

2025 AREEA Industry Awards honours trailblazers The resources, mining and energy sector’s most innovative businesses and individuals have been celebrated at the 2025 AREEA Industry Awards last week.  Announced at AREEA’s Gala Dinner events in Brisbane and Perth, the annual Industry Awards recognise outstanding workplace achievements across wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, innovation and leadership.  AREEA chief executive Steve Knott says the winners reflected the sector’s ability to adapt, innovate and lead through transformative times.  “Our industry continues...

McArthur River's historic heritage agreement Glencore has signed a cultural heritage management agreement with the Gudanji Yanyuwa Garrwa Marra Aboriginal Corporation (GYGM).   The agreement builds on a previous landmark cooperation agreement signed in April 2025 between McArthur River mine, in the Northern Territory, and the GYGM, cementing a shared commitment to recognise, respect and manage cultural heritage ensuring culture and mining can coexist responsibly.  GYGM executive officer Nicholas Fitzpatricks says since the mine started 30 years ago, the GYGM...

China’s energy industries thrive under pressure Edith Cowan University (ECU) has found that China’s stringent environmental regulations could potentially be enhancing productivity in the new energy sector.  A report released in collaboration between ECU and Harbin University of Science and Technology, Environmental regulation and firm productivity: evidence from China’s new energy industry, investigated the new energy industry, a strategic industry for China, and the mechanisms through which environmental policies could affect productivity at a firm level.  According to the report, China has seen unprecedented economic development since the launch...