Author: Samantha Bawden

Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve: Australia’s move to independence The Australian Government has pledged an initial investment of $1.2b to create a strategic reserve of critical minerals for Australia. The move follows China placing export restrictions on several critical minerals in response to the US imposed tariffs on Chinese goods. China currently dominates the global critical mineral supply chain being the top producer of 30 of the 50 minerals considered critical. Australia has major deposits of various critical minerals and rare earths, however, almost the entirety of the processing of...

WA Government funds to unlock new exploration opportunities The WA Government has announced that it is allocating $11.2m in funding to the successful applicants of its 31st round of the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS). The EIS aims to encourage exploration for the long-term sustainability of the resource sector by helping overcome the financial barriers that early-stage projects often face. The latest round of funding will support 77 projects across WA, 49 projects of which will receive a total of $7.8m to support drilling programs. There are also 25 geophysics ventures that will receive $3.2m and three energy analysis program (EAP)...

Apollo Hill delivers lustrous drilling results Saturn Metals (ASX: STN) have announced notable drilling results from its flagship Apollo Hill gold project that indicates significant potential for future growth. The announcement includes results from 41 drill-holes and 8,816m of assays from drilling completed at the site. Highlights of the results include: 41m at 1.92g/t gold from 248m including 10m at 4.12g/t gold from 268m 21m at 1.79g/t gold from 116m including 8m at 4.05g/t gold from 123m These results will contribute towards a second mineral resource estimate (MRE) upgrade, a maiden ore reserve and a pre-feasibility study later this year....

Cosmo Metals expanding operations in NSW Cosmo Metals (ASX: CMO) has announced that it has acquired the highly prospective Bingarra and Nundle gold, antimony and copper projects in northern NSW along the Peel Fault. The company’s focus now moves to implementing its exploration strategy across the projects, spanning approximately 743km2 across the New England Orogen region. The New England Orogen extends from northern NSW along the eastern coast of Australia and up to Townsville in Northern Queensland. The region hosts globally significant orebodies including the nearby Hillgrove gold-antimony deposit and the Mt Morgan gold-copper deposit in Queensland. Both high-density light...

Alcoa goes dollar for dollar with donations for Foodbank Peel Alcoa (ASX: AAI) are calling football fans to help tackle food insecurity in the Peel Region of WA by partaking in the 2025 Peel Thunder Charity Game Day. The event will run on the 10th of May this year and will help raise essential funds and food donations for Foodbank Peel. This will be the second year that the company has committed to matching fan donations dollar for dollar to double the impact and provide essential groceries to families and individuals in need. It...

Fortescue to charter new ammonia-powered ore carrier Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has signed an agreement with Bocimar to charter a new green ammonia-powered vessel. This agreement aligns with the progress both companies are making to decarbonise the shipping industry. Bocimar is a division of CMB.TECH, a diversified group striving to decarbonise the maritime industry, that owns and operates bulkers that transport coal and iron ore. Fortescue is anticipating the delivery of the 210,000 dwt Newcastlemax vessel by the end of 2026. This vessel will become a crucial element in the shipment of iron ore from the Pilbara to Fortescue’s international customer base. The highly...

Celebrating a century of Caterpillar This month, leading Cat® dealer WesTrac celebrated dual milestones, 100 years since the inception of Caterpillar® and 35 years of partnership. The first iteration of Cat machines was delivered in 1913 to NSW when Holt Manufacturing Company showcased tractors and harvesters to local farmers. The machines proved to be so popular that the business secured a position in the Australian market. The Caterpillar brand was born on the 15th of April 1925 following the merge of Holt Manufacturing Co and C.L. Best Gas...

Mount Arthur coal mine to be given second life NSW coal giant Mount Arthur will be given a second life as a pumped hydro energy storage project following its 2030 closure. BHP (ASX: BHP) has announced its partnership with renewable energy and infrastructure company ACCIONA Energia to transition the project. In 2022 BHP confirmed that Mount Arthur Coal mine would be ushered to sleep as it reached the end of its economic life in 2030. The NSW Government approved the extension of mining activities for a further four years from July 2026 to June 2030 as part of its...

Macmahon sees colossal cost savings with tyre repair initiative At Tropicana gold mine, located 330km northeast of Kalgoorlie WA, tyres are one of the largest and most costly consumables. The challenging environment at Tropicana means that wear and tear is unavoidable, but instead of discarding tyres at the end of their life cycle, Macmahon (ASX: MAH) is taking a more sustainable approach. The company is leading a repair initiative to give injured tyres a second life. This not only allows for massive cost savings but to also lowers their ecological footprint. Since 2020 Macmahon’s tyre repair team has repaired...

Black Cat gets go ahead for Myhree underground operations Black Cat Syndicate (ASX: BC8) has received approval to commence underground mining at Myhree gold deposit. This will follow the completion of the sites open pit later this year. Myhree is located within the Kal East gold project area in Kalgoorlie, WA and is 24km from the 1.2Mtpa Lakewood processing facility. The project’s underground deposit currently compromises a mineral resource estimate of 815kt at 4g/t of gold and remains open at depth. The company is progressing multiple WA projects as part of its ‘more gold soon strategy’. Black Cat’s managing...