Category: Features

Sojitz Coal: Full speed ahead SOJITZ Coal Mining is an Australian subsidiary of Japanese company Sojitz and was established in 2002 as the holding company for its Queensland coal operations. SCM’s span of operations has grown to three Queensland coal mines – Gregory, Minerva and Meteor Downs -- and it has been quietly upgrading these. Sojitz managing director and chief executive Cameron Vorias said the company’s plans to develop its Australian coal mines were progressing well despite some hiccups in thermal coal prices. “Thermal coal prices have been stable but not brilliant,” Mr Vorias said. He said Australian thermal coal prices experienced a difficult market in 2019, when benchmark Australian thermal coal prices endured a steady decline over 2019, falling...

Carrapateena: Copping it sweet PRODUCTION at one of Australia's biggest copper mines is set for a solid rise. The OZ Minerals-owned Carrapateena already has the potential to produce 65,000t of copper and 67,000oz of gold a year over its expected 20-year lifetime. The iron-oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) underground mine, located about 160km north of Port Augusta in South Australia, produced its first concentrate at the end of December 2019, targeting 4.25Mtpa throughput rates by end 2020 and 4.7-5Mpta from 2023. OZ Minerals chief executive Andrew Cole said the company remained confident in the long-term demand for copper from traditional sources as well as from the rapidly expanding focus on carbon reduction. “The company is planning to continue its investment in growing Carrapateena,”...

Coppabella Mine: Mackay steel BUSINESSES around the Mackay region have long thrived on work provided by US company Peabody’s Coppabella, and the other mines in the vicinity. Its strong culture of community engagement and corporate responsibility provides ongoing support to community services, local emergency services, education, safety and environmental management. Coppabella celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018. Peabody Australia president George Schuller said that over its two decades in operation, Coppabella had provided benefits for the Moranbah and Nebo townships and the Mackay region as a whole. The comments were echoed by Queensland Regional Council director Ian MacFarlane. “Coppabella has exported coal to Japan, Korea and Taiwan, paying royalties to the State Government which are used to build the schools...

Adani: On the right track TIME continues to tick down to Adani Australia’s deadline of late 2021 for first coal exports from its giant Carmichael coal mine located in central Queensland’s unmined Galilee Basin coalfield. Adani finally received approval for its Carmichael mine and rail project from the Queensland government last year, more than a decade after the Indian-domiciled company had first submitted its project application to Queensland planning authorities in the late 2000s. An Australia-based spokesperson for Adani Mining said in an emailed statement to AMR that the project was proceeding to schedule. “We look forward to the completion of the mine and rail construction in 2021, and for our first coal to also be exported later that year,”...

Global Iron Ore and Steel Forecast Conference THE new century marks the 23rd year of the annual Global Iron Ore and Steel Forecast Conference, to be held in March 18-19 at the Westin in Perth, WA. This year’s event will focus on industry growth and developments, optimising value, managing and improving iron ore quality, developments in innovation and automation, and process improvements. It will also look at the role of renewable energy in reducing carbon footprints of businesses while also lowering energy costs and improving their bottom line. The event looks set to continue its role as the premier event for the global iron ore and steel industry. Join hundreds of iron ore executives, project directors, analysts, engineering firms, industry...

South32: In high demand SOUTH32 is walking the fine line between increased production at Illawarra Metallurgical Coal and reassuring climate conscious shareholders it is closely monitoring trends in consumer and market behaviour around coal. Releasing a report titled Our Approach to Climate Change 2019, the company has completed decarbonisation concept studies at Illawarra Metallurgical Coal, with the aim of identifying potential decarbonisation initiatives, which can be progressed into prefeasibility planning during FY20. However, metallurgical coal demand is set to skyrocket from 275mt (in 2017) to 372mt by 2030 – according to the NSW Minerals Council – and Illawarra is expected to increase production to around 7mt by the end of financial year 2020 and 8mt by FY21. In the September...

Koodaideri Project: Breaking ground THE $3.5b Koodaideri iron ore mine in WA is progressing to plan with engineering, procurement and construction activities on schedule for first production in late 2021. Koodaideri will deliver a new production hub for Rio Tinto’s world-class iron ore business in the Pilbara, incorporating a processing plant and infrastructure including a 166km rail line connecting the mine to the existing network. This includes construction of a new bridge in the Pilbara to carry the Great Northern Highway traffic over the proposed Rio Tinto Iron Ore Koodaideri Rail Line. The bridge project, funded by Rio Tinto and managed by Main Roads, is expected to create a minimum of 40 local jobs with a $23m contract awarded to...

Adani Coal: On the right track TIME continues to tick down to Adani Australia’s deadline of late 2021 for first coal exports from its giant Carmichael coal mine located in central Queensland’s unmined Galilee Basin coalfield. Adani finally received approval for its Carmichael mine and rail project from the Queensland government last year, more than a decade after the Indian-domiciled company had first submitted its project application to Queensland planning authorities in the late 2000s. An Australia-based spokesperson for Adani Mining said in an emailed statement to AMR that the project was proceeding to schedule. “We look forward to the completion of the mine and rail construction in 2021, and for our first coal to also be exported later that...

IT’S been a hive of activity in the Hunter Valley over the past few months. The region’s coalfields contain largely thermal and soft coking coal. Mines near the eastern edge of the basin are spread along the Hunter Valley from Newcastle in the south to Muswellbrook in the north, most of which are open-cut. Both soft coking and thermal coal products are produced from mines such as Hunter Valley Operations and Bulga. With the NSW Independent Planning Commission giving United Wambo the green light on August 29, the region will now be bolstered by another massive open-cut pit. Meanwhile, Mount Arthur has welcomed a new chief executive in Adam Lacey, and the Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) is expecting a...

THE 100pc-owned, high-grade, zircon-rich Boonanarring mineral sands project, 80km north of Perth, exceeded nameplate capacity in the second month of operation in January 2019. The company achieved profitability in Q1 and was cashflow positive in Q2. At Q3, the company had produced 201.4kt heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) for the year, with full-year guidance lifted to 260-280kt HMC, which the company said reflected the “better than expected operation performance”. The company’s ore processing rates had benefited significantly from the installation of a larger trommel at the feed preparation plant in August, which allowed for an 11pc increase in Q3 to hit 874kt. Image Resources managing director, Patrick Mutz, said that the success of the project in its first year of production...

AT the 2019 annual general meeting in November, Regis’ non-executive chairman James Mactier told shareholders the year had been a profitable one. “This year was one of significant achievement and change for Regis and I am pleased to report, another very profitable one,” Mr Mactier said. “Net Profit After Tax of $163.1m, despite being slightly down on last year, was a commendable achievement. “Record revenue from increased gold production and a higher realised gold price was offset by increased costs primarily due to increased strip ratios and industry-wide cost pressures.” Additionally, a non-cash write-down of some previously capitalised exploration expenditure was taken. “Our strong profitability, cash flows and outlook, enabled the board to declare fully-franked dividends for the year totalling...