Author: Samantha Bawden

Rare earths identified at Ironback Hill Magnetite Mines (ASX: MGT) has discovered near-surface clay hosted rare earth element (REE) mineralisation at its Ironback Hill project in South Australia. The identification of REE followed re-testing of limited clay rich samples from archived reverse circulation drill samples originally drilled by the company at the Ironback Hill deposit from 2011-2012. Magnetite Mines managing director Tim Dobson says the company has commenced a low-cost assessment of its vast South Australian tenement base for gold and critical minerals potential. “While the development of the Razorback iron ore project remains our...

Woodside backed hydrogen plant launched Yesterday, the WA Government opened the $16m Hydrilyte Technology pilot plant — offering the prospect of a safe and scalable way to transport hydrogen. The plant, operated by WA company Carbon 280 in Kwinana, uses its patented Hyridlyte Technology that uses a metal hydride suspended in a light mineral oil with a process that locks the hydrogen in a solid state within the liquid. The Hydrilyte and hydrogen solution can be stored indefinitely without loss and requires the process to be reversed to...

Automation driving global conveyor belt demand Increased emphasis on industrial automation and the rising integration of mechanised systems across diverse industries are driving rubber conveyor belt market growth. As companies focus on improving operational efficiency and reducing manual labour, the adoption of automated material handling solutions is accelerating. Rubber conveyor belts have become integral components across various industries and processes, offering flexibility, reliability and high performance in the handling of bulk materials and heavy loads. Industries, such as mining, construction, manufacturing, food processing and logistics, are increasingly deploying conveyor...

Weir developing new backfill technology Weir is collaborating with German company Schwing Stetter to develop an unrivalled hydraulic piston pump for backfill pumping applications. As part of this collaboration, Weir and Schwing are working together to share product and application knowledge to enhance the technology and deliver a solution to customers. Weir reported a growing demand for higher capacity pumps in line with mining  industry trends shifting towards higher production rates and lower ore grades which, by extension, is resulting in increased tailings volumes. As many above ground tailings storage facilities...

CPB’s Australian-first turbine prototype Earlier this year, CPB Contractors launched an Australian-first trial of a next-generation 6KW-rated prototype vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The first-of-its-kind wind turbine was developed by Adelaide-based renewable energy technology start-up company, VAWT-X, in collaboration with Flinders University and Firestone Hybrid Generators with funding from private equity, state and federal governments. The prototype was installed on the South Australian Government’s Fleurieu Connections Alliance (FCA) main south road duplication project’s Aldinga compound in February and has been undergoing extensive operational testing...

Roy Hill’s mining leases under threat The WA Supreme Court has dismissed Roy Hill’s application to protect the ownership of two mining leases at its $12b Pilbara operation. The case, filed mid-2024, sought a declaration that two of its mining leases could not be impeached as long as they were the subject of a registered mortgage. Roy Hill previously applied for a new mining lease to cover operations in 2017 and protect the validity of operations. This followed Fortescue (ASX: FMG) founder and executive chairman Dr Andrew Forrest’s High Court campaign, lodged in 2013, to...

Weir appoints new minerals division management Weir has announced the appointment of Mick Henderson as the company’s Asia-Pacific minerals division regional managing director.  Mr Henderson brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of delivering results across eastern Australia and the Pacific Islands.  His deep regional insight and customer-first mindset underscore the company’s commitment to supporting mining and resources customers with innovative solutions, responsive service and operational excellence.   Since joining Weir in 2017, Mr Henderson has led teams across Queensland, Papua New Guinea,...

TOMRA’s transformative ore sorting technology  TOMRA Mining technology’s advanced sensor-based ore sorting technology has delivered measurable value to Pilbra Minerals’ (ASX: PLS) Pilgangoora lithium operation.  The technology, commissioned at PLS’ lithium project a year ago, has achieved impressive results, boosting production, reducing costs and unlocking value from previously uneconomical ore.  In Q4 FY25, PLS reported a 77% increase in production volume and a 10% reduction in unit operating costs (FOB) compared to Q3 FY25, attributed to the ramp-up of the P1000 expansion and the integration of TOMRA Mining’s cutting-edge sorting technology.  (Image...

New pilot facility fast-tracks membrane innovation  Monash University and CSIRO have unveiled a joint membrane pilot facility to grow Australia’s ability to translate research into real-world industrial solutions.  The faculty, housed in the Monash Centre for Membrane Innovation (MCMI) at the university’s Clayton campus in Victoria, bridges a critical gap between lab-scale breakthroughs and commercial deployment.  Membranes are essential to many future-focused industries, enabling everything from clean hydrogen production and energy storage to low-waste chemical processing and efficient water purification.  MCMI director professor Matthew Hill says the facility is already being used by academic and...

WA mining industry making strides in gender inclusion  Edith Cowan University (ECU) has reported that mining companies in WA have made strong progress in increasing the number of women employed across the industry.  The study, The rise of women in mining — How to improve inclusion and diversity through organisational programs, found that five WA mining companies, which took part in the study, had set 63 targets focused on hiring and promoting more women and increasing inclusion efforts.  Participant organisations included South32 (ASX: S32), Gold Fields, Thiess and Evolution Mining (ASX: EVN) who contributed through interviews and focus groups as well...

Liebherr and Glencore’s partnership grows  In August, Liebherr-Australia finalised multiple equipment supply agreements with Glencore across six of its Australian operations.   These agreements will see Liebherr-Australia deliver 17 machines across some if Glencore’s major mining operations in Queensland and NSW by the end of 2026 as part of the first phase of this ongoing partnership.   Of the 17 machines in this phase, seven have already been successfully commissioned across Glencore’s sites, which has resulted in important milestones achieved...