Author: Samantha Bawden

BCI Minerals gets green light for Australia’s largest ever salt project BCI Minerals (ASX: BCI) announced that it has transitioned to full-scale operations at its Mardie salt and potash project. This now marks the Pilbara as the home of the world’s third-largest salt project. This follows approval from the Commonwealth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water on the projects updated Groundwater Monitoring and Management Plan (GMMP). The project, located 80km south-west of Karratha in WA, is the first salt operation Australia has seen in nearly three decades and has an expected operation...

Fortescue signs $350m electric drill deal Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has confirmed it has signed a $350m major contract with mining equipment manufacturer Epiroc to acquire more than 50 electric drills. This decision is part of Fortescue's progress towards operating at net-zero emissions. The company has committed to purchasing a fleet consisting of both autonomous electric platform drills and autonomous electric contour drills. The fleet is anticipated to be operational by 2030, aligning with Fortescue’s goal of replacing ageing diesel-powered equipment. The autonomous electric fleet will be operated from Fortescue’s Integrated Operations Centre in Perth, WA and is expected to cut diesel consumption...

Rio Tinto unearths exceptional yellow diamond Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) has discovered one of the largest gem-quality yellow diamonds to ever be found. Weighing in at 158.20 carats, this rough diamond was found at its Diavik diamond mine located in the remote Northwest Territories of Canada. This is one of five diamonds weighing in over at 100 carats to ever be found at Diavik in its two decades of operation. Diamond production at Diavik is primarily white gem quality diamonds, with less than a percent of its production yielding yellow diamonds. Diavik diamond...

Super Pit sees arrival of new Liebherr fleet In February of this year, Leibherr-Australia, on behalf of Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST), commissioned five PR 776 dozers. These five dozers are the first of thirteen brand-new Liebherr machines to be acquired by Northern Star at their notorious Super Pit gold mine located near Kalgoorlie, WA. Liebherr-Australia will also supply two more PR 776 dozers, five R 9150 excavators and an R 9400 excavator to the company. This commissioning of these machines grows the number of existing Lieberr machines in Northern Star’s current fleet to seventeen. Northern Star began...

Northern Star closing in on $5b bid for De Grey Gold Road Resources (ASX: GOR) has announced its support of Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST) acquisition of De Grey Mining (ASX: DEG). Gold Road has advised that it has the intention to vote all the De Grey shares it holds in favour of the scheme. Gold Road holds approximately 17.26% of De Grey shares, which are valued at over $1b, making it the company’s largest shareholder. Northern Star is Australia’s largest listed gold miner, valued at almost $25b, and will know if its bid has been successful following a...

Cobalt Blue pioneers Australia's first cobalt refinery Cobalt Blue (ASX: COB) has signed a binding pre-final investment decision consortium deed with Iwatani Australia to develop Australia’s first cobalt refinery located in Kwinana, WA. The deed outlined terms in which both companies will advance the refinery towards a final investment decision (FID). Conditions of the agreement include: Samples produced by Cobalt Blue meeting customer specifications Finalising a suite of Project related agreements covering joint venture relationships and operational plans, feedstock supply and offtake, and intellectual property licensing Completion of technical studies and independent due diligence reviews Agreement on a financing plan to cover project funding...

Mineral Resources marks milestone at Onslow Iron project Mineral Resources (MinRes) (ASX: MIN) has had a successful first blast at the Cardo Bore East deposit located in the in the West Pilbara region, WA. The deposit is located 12km south of a larger deposit within the Onslow Iron project, the Ken’s Bore mine site. Cardo Bore East will support the project’s anticipated production increase of up to 35 million tonnes per annum. Following a successful first blast and targeted drilling program, an increase in works to prepare the site for further mining and haulage activity has commenced. Cardo Bore East is projected to...

AusQuest commence major drilling program at Balladonia AusQuest (ASX: AQD) has announced the commencement of its drilling program at the Balladonia project located in the Fraser region of WA. The program targets a range of metals including copper, lead, zinc and silver. The drilling program is expected to take six weeks to complete. Initial assays are expected from late May to early June this year. AusQuest’s managing director Graeme Drew says the company is very pleased to be drilling again at Balladonia now that they have successfully defined some promising large-scale base metal targets. “Geological comparisons that have been made with productive base metal regions like Northwest Queensland...

BHP donates to Pilbara healthcare project BHP (ASX: BHP) has announced the 2025 beneficiaries of its largest ever Telethon donation, including a significant boost to the East Pilbara-based Upstream health project. The project, run by Puntukurnu Aboriginal Media Services (PAMS), aims to provide permanent and culturally appropriate child and maternal health care services throughout the region. PAMS is already having life changing effects on the local community. Jennifer Landi, Martu woman and single mother of five, praises the programs aid over multiple aspects of her life. “Raising a child on your own is already difficult, but caring for multiple children is incredibly overwhelming. “I’ve been doing this...

Great Boulder announces Ironbark progress Great Boulder Resources (ASX: GBR) has commenced a scoping study for its Ironbark gold deposit near Meekatharra in WA. Within the company’s flagship Side Well gold project, Ironbark hosts a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 100,000oz at 3.3g/t gold. Assuming a toll treatment model at a neighbouring gold processing plant, the scoping study will explore economics of open pit mining. Engineering consultancy Entech estimates completion of the study within six to eight weeks. Negotiations for the Ironbark mining lease application are ongoing. A detailed flora and fauna survey is also being prepared. Great Boulder managing director Andrew Patterson says this...