Category: Features

The Mount Pleasant coal mine at Muswellbrook, NSW, has applied to extend its lifespan by 22 years and double the amount of coal extracted each year. Joint venture owners MACH Energy and JCD Australia have lodged an Environmental Impact Statement with the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. The proposal will increase the extraction, processing, and processing of run-of-mine (ROM) coal from the current rate of 10.5mt to 21mt per year. The project will increase open cut extraction within the Mount Pleasant  leases by mining of additional coal reserves, including lower coal seams in North Pit. The EIS is seeking staged upgrades to the existing coal handling and prep plant and coal handling infrastructure to facilitate the handling and…

The latest innovations in mining took centre stage at the Austmine Conference and Exhibition in one of the first major face-to-face events for the resources industry since the pandemic began. Held at the Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre on May 25-27, Austmine 2021: Harnessing Intelligence allowed mining leaders to connect over strategic priorities and emerging technologies to drive a sustainable future for the industry. About 1000 local, national and international guests were wowed by cutting edge innovation developed by Australia’s leading Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies as they wondered the corridors of the massive exhibition hall. The brightest minds in the industry explored the intersection between people, processes and technology and how these important elements contribute to leaner,…

Fortescue Metals Group’s diesel usage would exceed one billion litres annually in just a few years if it did not pursue greener energy sources. The staggering figure was highlighted by the company’s Director of Sustainability Alison Terry at WA Mining Club’s May luncheon. Ms Terry said this is why FMG was moving “very rapidly” towards green energy, and particularly green hydrogen, initiatives. These initiatives would be advanced by Fortescue Future Industries, a wholly owned subsidiary of FMG that Ms Terry said was founded, from a business perspective, on the basis of FMG being an export-based business. “Hydrogen and green hydrogen in particular is a massive export opportunity for Australia,’’ she said. “And with decarbonisation, we also have the ability to…

Construction of Rio Tinto’s Western Turner Syncline Phase 2 (WTS2) expansion is moving ahead at a furious pace. And it’s been a boost for local WA and Pilbara Aboriginal businesses. To date, more than 85% of spending on the project – which commenced in 2020 – has been awarded to the businesses, directly through Rio Tinto or principal contractor Mondium. Rio Tinto has to date awarded contracts valued at more than $500m to support this latest development of its Greater Tom Price Operations. At peak construction, development will support a workforce of over 1000 people with the majority employed by WA businesses, including Guma Warnii, Monadelphous, Mondium, Kerman Contracting, Whittens, North West Mining & Civil, MACA Civil, Linkforce and Aerison.…

Backed by a strong operational base and a clear strategy to grow into an international diversified and sustainable mining company, Australian mining and exploration group Sandfire Resources has grown from strength to strength. Sandfire’s business is underpinned by a demonstrated commitment to the highest standards of safety, responsibility and sustainability, which has been recognised through receipt of numerous local, national and international Awards, including Prospectors of the Year; Best Australian Explorer; Developer of the Year; Hard Rock Mine of the Year; and in 2019, the Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence. Sandfire operates the high-margin DeGrussa Copper-Gold Mine, located 900km north of Perth in WA, which produces high-quality copper-in-concentrate with significant gold credits. In addition to delivering strong financial returns to shareholders,…

The Australian Government has identified a “pinch point” for the global supply chain of critical minerals, with an opportunity to develop the nation’s processing and early manufacturing stages. The Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing National Manufacturing Priority road map has recognised the gap in capturing additional value from critical raw minerals, such as lithium in which the primary growth has been in rechargeable batteries. One such operation in the process of ramping up spodumene concentrate production to nameplate capacity is the Mt Cattlin operation, 2km out of Ravensthorpe in WA and 100% owned by Galaxy Resources. Today, while on target to reach full capacity in Q2 this calendar year, it has commissioned ore sorter circuits to extract further value…

South Australia remains among the world’s most attractive jurisdictions for mining and mineral exploration investment, according to the Fraser Institute’s influential annual survey. The latest survey, released on February 23, ranks the state seventh out of 78 mining regions, with Nevada topping the list and WA coming in fourth place. South Australia ranked eighth on the Best Practices Mineral Potential Index, which rates the jurisdiction based on how much its geology encourages exploration investment. The survey is a massive vote of confidence in the mining industry, which plays a crucial role in driving economic development, investment, exploration and export opportunities for the state. In 2018-2019, the production value of mining contributed $6.9b to South Australia’s economic development, $311m in royalties…

When prospector Edward Hargraves made the first Australian payable gold discovery in Ophir in 1851, it was the making of Orange and many other nearby towns in regional NSW. It triggered the Australian gold rush and an unprecedented jobs boom, which saw the population of Orange balloon from 28 to 2701 in three decades. Fast forward 170 years and gold is still a key source of employment and prosperity in the area with several exciting projects on the horizon. Newcrest Mining is pushing full-steam ahead with stage two of its expansion project at Cadia, which is one of Australia’s largest gold mines. The $175m project primarily comprises the addition of a second coarse ore flotation circuit in concentrator one and…

If Doctor Copper is anything to go by, then the prognosis for global economic health and our nation’s copper mining industry is extremely positive. After the global economy plummeted in March last year due to the impact of COVID-19, including the price of copper, the mineral has completely rebounded from the depths of its plunge, soaring almost 100% in less than 12 months to more than US$9000/t. Experts predict the price rise to continue in 2021 due to increasing global demand brought on by the widespread transition to smart, connected cities as well as copper’s properties of being recyclable and antimicrobial. An average house contains 180kg of copper and an electric car contains about five times more copper than the…

While China’s unofficial ban on Australian coal continues amid trade tensions, overall export figures from the world’s largest coal port have remained resilient. Late last year when coal ships stopped departing the Port of Newcastle for China, which normally accounts for 20% of exports from the port, it sent shockwaves through the mining industry. During the 2020 September quarter, China’s total metallurgical coal imports plummeted by 14%, while thermal coal imports nosedived 38%, compared to the same period in 2019, according to the Australian Government’s Department of Industry. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, with producers finding new markets, as several other countries in Asia step in to fill the void in demand left by…

Aquila is an underground hard coking coal mine near Middlemount in Queensland, which forms part of the Capcoal joint venture between Anglo American (70%) and Mitsui & Co. Ltd (30%), with Anglo American the managing company. The mine project, announced in July 2019, proposes a medium seam longwall operation targeting the Aquila and Aquila Lower coal seams to produce hard coking coal and effectively extend the life of Anglo American’s underground operations in the area. Aquila will extend the life of Anglo American’s existing Capcoal underground operations near Middlemount by six years to 2028, and continue to utilise the associated infrastructure at the Capcoal complex as its nearby Grasstree mine approaches end of life. According to the company’s publication Capcoal…