Category: Features

New Hope managing director Shane Stephan. Image: New Hope Group. Demand for coal fired power is expected to increase in the coming decades, both at home and abroad. Emma Davies spoke with New Hope Group managing director Shane Stephan about its Bengalla mine, flow on effects of Stage 3 at New Acland and his outlook for coal exports to Asia.   Q. What steps did you take to achieve a 5 per cent increase in production in FY18 to 9 million tonnes?   It was really due to a 10 per cent increase in the production out of Bengalla in NSW. Multiple things drove the production improvements from Bengalla; investments were made in 2016 in improving pit room which enabled...

THERMOGRAPHY gives mine operators the ability to diagnose a multitude of problems; from a crack in a conveyor roller to the heat escaping from a poorly insulated pipe. In recent years the price of the technology has plummeted causing the industry to explode, but it hasn’t come without growing pains along the way. Over the last 30 years, thermography, or thermal imaging, has become a regular part of the maintenance, predictive diagnosis and condition monitoring on most mine sites around the world. Thermal imaging technology could detect problems invisible to the naked eye, and therefore would be able to save time, money, and create a safer environment for workers by ensuring mine equipment is not jeopardised by faulty components. A...

All images: Stanmore Coal. STANMORE Coal’s grand plan to turn its $1 Isaac Plains mine into a 15-year mega project is beginning to pay off, with its share price reaching an eight-year high during March on the back of strong half-year results and timely acquisitions.   STANMORE Coal has risen from a near-death experience during the coal downturn, to a company that stands today with healthy cash flow and a portfolio of long-life assets. The miner’s renaissance began in July 2015 when it nabbed Peabody subsidiary Millennium Coal’s undeveloped Wotonga (Isaac Plains East) project for $7 million. And then – the deal everyone remembers – its $1 purchase of Vale SA and Sumitomo Corp’s nearby Isaac Plains mine and infrastructure,...

Members of the board visit the Thunderbird project site. All Images: Sheffield Resources. SHEFFIELD Resources is advancing development of its flagship Thunderbird mineral sands project, between Derby and Broome in Western Australia, with first production to begin in Q4 of 2020.   The Thunderbird mineral sands project is one of the largest, high-quality mineral sands discoveries in recent decades, and after securing all key permitting early this year, is now construction ready. The project will generate a suite of mineral sands products, including premium zircon suitable for the ceramic sector and LTR ilmenite – which would be one of the highest-grade sulphate feedstocks available globally. Sheffield Resources anticipated a two-year construction phase for the project with the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS)...

Northparkes began as an open pit mine but, in 1997, used the block cave method to extract ore for the first time in Australia. All images Northparkes Mines. NORTHPARKES has a big year ahead of it with construction underway at a new copper-gold project that will continue its block cave mining method that has set it apart. Under the fresh leadership of Hubert Lehman, Northparkes was also focussed on continued investment in the community in which it operates.   Northparkes Mines started 2019 on a high, with the green light for a new project, and a new managing director appointed to lead it through its next growth phase. In early January, the joint venture (JV) between China Molybdenum Company (CMOC)...

BHP’s Olympic Dam mine. Image: BHP. SOUTH Australia’s mining industry is seeing a renaissance with numerous new projects and the completion of several major developments. WITH more than $1 billion committed to the development of mining and mining infrastructure across South Australia, the mining industry is continuing to be an important economic contributor. South Australia Mineral Resources and Energy minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said that mining was one of the key pillars of the State’s economy. “The resources sector already supports jobs and business opportunities in this State and increasing the number of mines through exploration and expanding the ability of existing mines to increase production and mine-life will further broaden the critical role the sector plays in the...

ON 25 January, the tailings dam collapse at Vale’s Feijão mine near Brumadinho, Brazil, sent a torrent of sludge into the miner’s administrative area and surrounding Vila Ferteco community. Traditional mineral processing methods require a significant amount of water to grind, wash and treat ore and tailings dams have been the primary waste disposal system to store slurry leftover from the plant. The thick mud, if released, not only can have negative impacts on the environment, it could also pose a major safety risk to on-site workers and nearby communities. In international operations like Brazil, the collapse of two dams in less than four years, has put wastewater management in mining to the front of discussions. In late February, Brazil’s National...

METS Ignited is an Australian industry-led organisation that aims to help Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies connect with the industry, and grow. Elizabeth Fabri spoke with METS Ignited chief executive Ian Dover about what the team had been up to in its recent Accelerator programs, and advice for companies looking to adopt new technologies across their business. Q: Take us through your recent Accelerator programs across Australia, and how impactful they have been for industry?   We began with the Igniting METS Accelerator pilot in late 2017. Igniting METS was an Australian-first joint initiative between METS Ignited and the QLD Government to assist Mining, Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies. The accelerator sought to bring SMEs with innovation...

BHP is focussed on transitioning its Nickel West operations to become a global supplier for the battery market and with its newly approved Venus and Yakabindie deposits, the company looks ready to make the move. Image: BHP BHP Nickel West received the green light from the WA Government in late 2018 to develop the Venus ore deposit in the northern goldfields.The Venus deposit, which forms part of its Nickel West operations, is one of the most significant opportunities for the business with more than 200,000 tonnes of contained nickel. A BHP spokesperson said first stoping production from the site was expected in March 2019, with production expected to be in full swing by the end of the year. “This is...

WA-based junior Echo Resources is well-placed to begin operations at its Yandal project with key infrastructure already established, significantly reducing its timeline to production. Image: Echo Resources. ECHO Resources is rapidly moving from explorer to developer at its 100 per cent owned Yandal gold project in the Eastern Goldfields, WA. The project has existing mineral resources of 1.7 million ounces and ore reserves of 856,000 ounces, which Echo is confident it will continue to expand through the application of modern exploration techniques. Echo chief executive Victor Rajasooriar said that the company was on track to complete Yandal’s revised Bankable Feasibility Study in the March quarter– which will dictate the project financing strategy. “Depending on the outcomes of that study and our...