Category: Features

Stanmore Coal has had great success with its pivot to Isaac Plains East operations in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, and looks set for a strong finish for 2019 with a solid toehold in the metallurgical coal market into 2020 and beyond. STANMORE Coal has reaped the financial rewards this year from its transition from the original Isaac Plains mine to Isaac Plains East in 2018. Chairman Stuart Bute said that favourable conditions and lower strip ratios at the new mine helped the company achieve an improved mix of coking and thermal coals, reduce production costs and increased sales prices and margins. “The company’s revenue from operations totalled a new record of $403.1m, an increase of 93pc on the previous year,” Mr…

Australian gold producer Regis Resources has topped the year off on a high, meeting its full year production guidance of 340,000oz and progressing new growth and exploration strategies across its tenements in WA and NSW for 2020 and beyond. 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…

The four-day annual PDAC convention held in Canada has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932, and is regarded as an attendance requisite for the world’s mineral industry. Plans are already well in place for the 2020 event. THE annual PDAC Conventions in Canada have been recognised as the premier mineral exploration and mining events for people, companies and organisations in, or connected with, mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1100 exhibitors, 2500 investors and 25,800 attendees from 132 countries, delegates can also attend technical sessions, short courses and networking events. The convention, run by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), is held each year in Toronto, and is the event of…

The 26th edition of the Investing in African Mining Indaba conference will take place in Cape Town, South Africa, at the beginning of February, 2020. THE premier African mining event will be bigger than last year, which saw more than 6000 delegates attend the exhibition, including about 600 investors and more than 1100 mining executives. According to Mining Indaba head of content Tom Quinn, the showcase will unveil the latest technologies and cover the latest trends and topics. He also said that because sustainability has many great touchpoints throughout the mining value chain, the issue will be spotlighted in most natural resources topics which are current in the industry and throughout the week at Mining Indaba. “Navigating the legal and…

As one of the nation’s largest coal producing regions, the Hunter Valley has remained steadfast in response to mounting global pressure over the mining of thermal coal for electricity. 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…

The Hellyer gold mine near Beaconsfield in Tasmania has been revived by NQ Minerals, which is mining a waste tailings resource predicted to generate $706m over a 10-year mine life. The company ramped up to production late in 2018 after acquiring the mine and its assets in 2017, and is looking for the next big project. NORTHERN Queensland Minerals (NQ Minerals) will see out its inaugural year of production at its flagship, 100pc-owned Hellyer mine on a high note. The company acquired Hellyer gold mine, an 8mt reserve of high-grade tailings, in 2017, and after a relatively short ramp-up period, started production late in 2018 dredging the tailings for lead, zinc and precious metals concentrates. The project has a 10-year…

The slide in lithium prices has forced many miners to cut production, including international company Galaxy Resources. But it’s confident its cautious strategy now will hold it in good stead when the market picks up again. DESPITE the recent slump in the world lithium market, Galaxy Resources remains optimistic and excited about the future, with the company committed to unlocking and creating superior returns for shareholders from its existing assets. The international ASX-listed company holds lithium production facilities, hard rock mines and brine assets in Australia, Canada and Argentina, wholly owning and operating the James Bay lithium pegmatite project in Quebec, Canada, and Mt Cattlin in Ravensthorpe, WA, which produces spodumene and tantalum concentrate. The miner recently announced that work…

IMAGE Resources’ 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…

Australia’s mines pose some of the most challenging, toughest workplace scenarios for vehicles, and so they must be equally tough to a scale not seen in any other industry. MINESITES would grind to a halt if it were not for 4WD light vehicles. And the people operating those vehicles must be suitably qualified. Driver incompetence has been a leading cause of 4WD accidents on site, but this can easily be rectified with driver training. Accidents on a minesite are in the public eye more than ever, and mine operators come under more scrutiny than just about any other industry. Each mine operator will have a specific set of rules that govern the way vehicles operate onsite, and will have a…

WA nickel miner, Western Areas, has had a strong start to FY20 as it continues ramping up toward production at Odysseus, hitting all major guidance targets across its Forrestainia operations, while reporting some exciting results from its extensive exploration portfolio. For the September quarter, Western Areas reported mill production at 5259t (FY20 guidance between 21,000 and 22,000t), at a cost of $3.06 (FY guidance oat $2.90/lb to $3.30). Its net cash flow was up $21.6m to $165.9m, receiving a $33.1m boost from the sale of Kidman Resources to Wesfarmers. Nickel prices have surged to a five-year high, jumping almost 70pc since the start of the year, peaking at $US18,153/t off the back of increased interest in nickel for the EV…

ACCORDING to the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), the resources sector added $74.3b to the State’s economy in 2018-2019 – and with new mining developments underway, the economy is set to grow even further in 2020 and beyond. QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said the sector already supports more than 316,000 jobs across the state, earns 80pc of Queensland’s exports and generates more than $5b in royalties for the State Government. “Queensland’s resources sector is now supporting one in every seven jobs, and one in every five dollars for Queensland’s economy,” Mr Macfarlane said. “That means from Burleigh Heads to Brisbane and from Mackay to Mount Isa, the resources sector is powering local economies and employing local people. “This year’s figures…