Author: Samantha Bawden

Rio appoints new chief executive Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has appointed Simon Trott as the company’s chief executive effective from August 25 2025. The appointment follows the resignation of the company’s current chief executive Jakob Stausholm earlier this year. Currently Rio Tinto iron ore chief executive, Mr Trott has a track record of exceptional delivery over 25 years in various roles across a wide range of commodities and geographics. Through his current role with the company, Mr Trott has improved operational performance (underpinned by safety and financial discipline), reset partnerships with key...

PLS launches hybrid truck trial with Switch PLS (ASX: PLS) has partnered with WA-based innovation company Switch to develop and trial a hybrid diesel-electric truck. Over the past year, both companies have worked together to develop a hybrid solution for PLS’ 150t class of haul trucks that meets operational requirements. The resulting custom hybrid haul truck blends the reliability of diesel with the efficiency of electric vehicles. The haul truck is designed to reduce emissions, improve fuel performance and build internal capability at PLS as it continues its broader energy transition. Full battery-electric haul trucks remain a long-term goal across the resources industry. With...

BHP explores battery electrification BHP (ASX: BHP) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with battery electrification pioneers FinDreams Battery (FDB) and Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). Recognising the need for innovative solutions to address the challenges of Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, BHP is working closely with both companies to explore the application of existing and emerging technologies. BHP and FDB will investigate powertrain battery solutions for heavy mining equipment with adjacent flash-charging infrastructure.  The companies will also explore BYD commercial vehicles and light vehicles for use across BHP’s operations....

Atlas’ successful start Image Resources (ASX: IMA) has successfully completed three planned shipments of heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) in the June quarter from its WA-based Atlas mineral sands project. The shipments from the project, located 170km north of Perth, totalled 35kt and had a total booked revenue of around $22m. Atlas is now operating at nameplate capacity, a significant milestone for the project. Operations at the project commenced in early April this year with the June quarter marking the first quarter of production at Atlas. This follows rapid and successful project commissioning in February and March this...

Australia’s first underground lithium mine Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) has officially opened its Kathleen Valley lithium project 680km north-east of Perth, WA. The project is a globally significant, long-life operation and Australia’s first underground lithium mine that is expected to generate jobs and bolster local development. Liontown has already signed offtake agreements with some of the world’s leading electric vehicle (EV) and battery manufacturers including Tesla, Ford, LG Energy Solution and Beijing Sinomine. With these contracts, the company has secured demand for the project’s initial production and positioned itself as an emerging force in the global lithium supply chain. Boosted by a $15m interest-free loan from the...

Oresome opportunity for Queensland students Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) has seen twenty Year 10 students from across the state attend its first engineering camp this week. The Oresome Engineering Camp for Year 10 students was jointly facilitated by The University of Queensland (UQ) and the QMEA, the education arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC). Running over the school holidays at The University of Queensland (UQ), the three-day camp saw students work with university and industry experts to investigate, create and complete a series of engineering projects. The projects included designing an emergency services vehicle and an autonomous mining truck. [caption...

WA exploration supercharged by next-gen tech The WA Government has unveiled a next-generation spectral scanner to accelerate resource discovery across the state. Developed by CSIRO, the new HyLogger 4 system replaces the ageing HyLogger 3. It captures high-resolution data from drill core samples, allowing users to rapidly analyse geology and improve resource targeting. Since its commissioning in 2009, the HyLogger 3 processed more than 600,000m of drill core from more than 2,000 drill holes across WA. Though the HyLogger 3 offered reliable mineralogical data, the updated HyLogger 4 delivers higher-resolution capture and enhanced analytical capabilities, improving the detection and understanding...

Northern Star delivers golden results Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) has reported total gold sold for the June quarter was 444koz, bringing the total gold sold during FY25 to 1634koz. The majority of the total was supported by Northern Star’s Kalgoorlie production centre, which totalled 832koz of gold sold for FY25 and 118koz for the June quarter. The company’s FY25 total sales are within its revised group guidance range of 1630-1660koz with an all in sustaining cost (AISC) expected to fall between $2100-2200/oz. The Yandall production centre in WA reported production that fell in the mid-point of...

Fleet Space pioneers multiphysics exploration Fleet Space Australia has launched ExoSphere MT as part of its AI-powered mineral exploration platform ExoSphere. Featuring next-generation magnetotellurics (MT), ambient noise tomography (ANT), active seismic and gravity surveys, the platform enables companies to acquire, process and integrate high-resolution 3D exploration data into AI-powered insights. MT is a passive geophysical method that uses naturally occurring variations in the Earth’s electromagnetic (EM) fields — produced by solar winds and thunderstorms — to measure the electrical resistivity and conductivity of subsurface materials. Uniquely suited to image crustal...

BUMA wins multi-million-dollar contract extension BUMA Australia has been awarded a two-year contract extension at the Goonyella Riverside coal mine in central Queensland, a joint venture between BHP (ASX: BHP) and Mitsubishi Alliance. The contract will see BUMA, a wholly owned subsidiary of PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama, continue to deliver mining services at the project through to September 2027. BUMA will continue to deploy three prime fleets throughout the contract period to the Goonyella project. Since 2022, BUMA Australia has provided labour, supervision, technical expertise and mobile plant services for pre-strip operations and coal mining at...

WA Premier takes green iron to Japan WA Premier Roger Cook is travelling to Japan to support continued collaboration on the clean energy transition between the nation and WA. Japan is a significant investor in WA with longstanding partnerships in the state’s resources sector. In a series of high-level meetings with government and industry stakeholders, Mr Cook will reinforce WA’s relationship with Japan. An important discussion topic for the trip will be WA’s continued resources exports that will contribute to Japan’s energy transition. Opportunities for mutually beneficial co-operation across areas such as green iron, ammonia, carbon...