Category: Features

BHP’S US$3.6 billion South Flank project is expected to replace the Yandi mine as it reaches the end of its economic life in the early to mid-2020s. The project would provide sufficient feed to sustain the current level of iron ore production from the company’s Pilbara mines, and with an 80mtpa output by 2021, it will be the single largest annual production iron ore mine that BHP has even developed. BHP South Flank project manager Simon Thomas said South Flank would provide an increase in BHP’s West Australian Iron Ore (WAIO) operations average iron ore grade, and subsequently result in higher-quality lump and fines products. “South Flank will allow us to increase the quality of our products, satisfying rising demand…

IN 2017, Scott Morrison famously entered parliament with a lump of coal stating “don’t be scared, it won’t hurt you, it’s coal”. But as it turns out, he was wrong. The incurable Black Lung or coal workers’ pneumoconiosis has hit Queensland coal mines with a vengeance, leading to new dust control standards on mine sites. Exposure to dust can cause irritation to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract, and prolonged exposure, breathing in coal dust, silica dust and other finely powdered materials, can lead to a range of serious lung diseases. Workers who are exposed to respirable dust at levels that exceed the occupational exposure limit (OEL) are at risk of developing diseases including silicosis, coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP), chronic…

AS Australia’s greenfield outcropping and sub-cropping deposits become increasingly scarce, miners are digging deeper than ever before, exploring new options on green and brownfields tenements. To do this, they must be able to look further underground to map the subterranean deposits before expensive exploratory drilling programs can take place. Geophysical technology allows explorers to do just that – giving explorers high resolution 3D models of up to 3km below the surface. According to Independence Group (IGO) chief geophysicist, Andrew Fitzpatrick, “the new frontier is exploring undercover”. Mr Fitzpatrick spoke with the Australian Mining Review about the way IGO has been using geophysical methods and technologies on the company’s Nova deposit, and its satellite Albany Fraser copper-nickel project in WA. The…

THE town is Emerald by name, and, if Japanese miner Sojitz has its way, will also be emerald by nature. Located in Queensland’s Bowen Basin, it’s  has been the hub of mining operations by the trading conglomerate ever since it bought an interest in the Minerva coal mine in 1994. By 2010, ownership had increased to 96pc, enabling the company to directly own, operate and manage the business. In 2018, it also announced plans to develop the nearby Meteor Down South coal mine in a joint venture with U&D Mining. Now, 25 years down the track from that initial foray, Sojitz continues to expand its presence in the region by acquiring the mothballed Gregory Crinum coking coal mine from BHP…

THE ambitious diversification and rebranding of CopperChem to Round Oak has been no small task. The unlisted subsidiary of Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company (WHSP) is in the process of establishing itself as an emerging base and precious metals producer, off the back of a series of acquisitions that have expanded its interests past its copper-producing roots to include zinc and gold. In the Past 12 months, the company’s portfolio has grown to include the Jaguar copper-zinc operation in WA, Cloncurry and White Dam gold operations in Queensland and South Australia respectively, and the Stockman and Barbara projects in Victoria and Queensland. In 2018, revenue for the company was at $18.7m, up from $18.4m in the previous year. In…

WA’S South West holds three gateway ports that connect it to the rest of the world – the Ports of Albany, Esperance and Bunbury  – and Southern Ports is their custodian. Unlike role-specific organisations such as the Hunter Valley Coal Collective which focuses its energies on getting one commodity (coal) to one port (Newcastle). Southern Ports manages multiple ports, customers, industries and multiple products. This gives it a unique and multi-faceted role in the supply chain. Its principle role is to facilitate trade through the commercial management of the ports, and to return a dividend to the government of Western Australia. As FY19 comes to a close, Southern Ports will celebrate another successful year. From the beginning of FY19 to…

BOTH the 2019 half year results and March quarter results for South32 bode well for the year ahead, with chief executive Graham Kerr confident of an achievable production guidance for 2019. “For the full year we’ve increased production guidance at Illawarra Metallurgical Coal by 7 per cent with production guidance unchanged for all other operations,” he said. “We’ve also lowered unit cost guidance for most operations as we maintain operating discipline and benefit from a stronger US dollar.” Saleable production at Illawarra for the March quarter increased by 68 per cent and 2033kt to 5Mt in the nine months ended March 2019, and was set to produce 6.5kt as it started on the extraction of new panels at both Appin…

FULL year financial results for 2018 showed Yancoal’s Australian operations are performing well, with a record annual total saleable coal production of 50 million tonnes (32.9mt attributable) up 59 per cent from 31.5mt (or 18.5mt attributable) in 2017. Yancoal’s coal mining operations produce a mix of premium thermal, semi-soft coking, and PCI coals, together with mid-to–high ash thermal coals. To maximise pricing opportunities, Yancoal also has the diversity of product types and mining operations to blend Run-of-Mine (“ROM”) and washed coal (“Saleable”) to meet specific customer needs. ROM production was 17.3mt – up 9pc compared to the previous corresponding period (PCP) – and saleable coal production was up 2pc over the PCP at 13mt. Yancoal chairman Baocai Zhang stated that…

THE Port of Port Hedland saw iron ore exports increase in FY18 by 3 per cent to 508.9 million tonnes, and exports are expected to rise for FY19 regardless of the pause in port operations caused by tropical Cyclone Veronica which hit the coast in March of this year. Cyclone Veronica caused a total shutdown at Port Hedland of 92.5 hours, 132 hours at the Port of Dampier and 109.5 hours at the Port of Ashburn. PPA chief executive Roger Johnston said despite the longest closure in years resulting in a slightly lower guidance for the big players like Rio Tinto, BHP and FMG, iron ore exports at Port Hedland was still going “gangbusters”. “A week’s production up here is…

SINCE 2001, the Wallaby deposit has been delivering ore to the Granny Smith mill, marking 30 years of continuous production; and in 2019, Granny Smith looks set to deliver another milestone as it installs one of the world’s largest solar PV micro-grids. In 2013, Granny Smith changed hands when Gold Fields purchased 100 per cent of the mine from GSM as a part of its Yilgarn South operations purchase. Today, the mining at Granny Smith takes place underground at the Wallaby deposit, where Gold Fields uses the inclined room and pillar (IRP) method for mining in areas with a moderate dip, and transverse long-hole stoping (TLHS) in zones with variable dips. The ore is transported 12km from the Wallaby underground…

THE Hunter Valley region is undoubtedly one of NSW’s engine rooms, and a powerhouse of Australian mining. Its history goes all the way back to the early 1800s, when the government began mining the first coal in the colony’s history. Today, the Hunter Valley is home to more than 272,000 people and comprises 41 coal mines owned by 11 producers. It is spread over more than 450km, with coal haulage distance of up to 380km. There were more than 31 points for coal loading, four rail haulage providers delivering to three terminals, and as a collective, filled and exported more than 1400 coal vessels every year through the port of Newcastle. With the growing demand for coal in South East…