Category: Features

All images: Rio Tinto.   BY REUBEN ADAMS   SURGING demand from Chinese alumina refineries is helping push the price of the bauxite back up – for now, anyway – ahead of the country’s aggressive winter shutdown policy. Yet the long term fundamentals are very promising, and Rio Tinto’s Amrun development is poised to take advantage.   In August, Chinese bauxite and alumina imports increased 46 per cent and 123 per cent respectively. By late October the alumina price, based on Metal Bulletin’s FOB Australia index, had climbed 53 percent to $469.74 a tonne in two months; its highest level since the index was launched in 2010. In an October note, Wood Mackenzie senior analyst Ami Shivkar stated that there...

Exploration drilling at Greater Doolgunna. All images: Sandfire Resources.   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   AS development of the Monty deposit continues to schedule, Sandfire Resources is making moves to unlock the full potential of the Greater Doolgunna orebody.   ‘Exploration and expansion’ has been Sandfire Resources’ mantra in 2017 against the backdrop of a very healthy copper market. As the Monty development (Springfield JV) progresses, a key focus for Sandfire has been intense, multi-pronged drilling programs around its Greater Doolgunna project and the Springfield JV which covers 5846 square km. A farm-in agreement between Sandfire and Enterprise Metals was also signed in October for Enterprise’s entire Doolgunna project area. After spending $1.5m drilling in the area, Sandfire can sole fund...

Rio Tinto’s Silvergrass iron ore operation. Image: Rio Tinto.   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   IT'S been tough – but things are looking up for the Pilbara mining region, as iron ore continues to rip higher on steady Chinese demand and exciting opportunities in lithium and gold come into play. Known as the engine room of Australia, the WA Pilbara is the largest iron ore producing region in the world, accounting for almost 37 per cent of global production and 52 per cent of seaborne exports in 2015. Iron ore mining in the Pilbara commenced in the 1960s, after the Australian Government lifted an embargo on iron ore exports in 1938 in the lead up to World War II. By the...

All images IGO.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   LESS than a month since the official opening of the Nova project, Independence Group  -- in the hunt for the next Nova-style deposit -- has again increased its footprint in the Fraser Range region through a new Joint Venture deal. Independence Group (IGO) is on the rise again in FY18. After bringing its $443 million Nova nickel-copper-cobalt mine into commercial production on 1 July, the mine’s balance sheet is set for a turnaround year as it adds an extra 26,000 tonnes of nickel, 10,000 tonnes of copper and 800t of cobalt to its annual production. Over the last two years, the company’s focus has been developing Nova. But now  the project is...

Grange Resources’ historic Savage River magnetite mine. Image: Tasmanian Minerals and Energy Council.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   LEFT behind during the mining boom while other State’s prospered, Tasmania is on its way back with a string of mine reopenings signalling renewed confidence for the sector.   After battling tough, the Tasmanian mining sector is making a return. Unlike its mainland counterparts, Tasmania was hurt by a resources boom side-effect; the strong Australian dollar. With an economy heavily reliant on trade exposed industries, Tasmania felt the sting when the Australian dollar surpassed the US dollar in 2010/2011, and then when commodity prices tumbled. “The high Australian dollar (we all remember when it hit $1.10 U.S) was a drag on all...

  BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   AFTER consolidating its Australian processing operations, Iluka is looking to restart zircon production in Australia and progress a major development of its newly acquired Sierra Rutile operation.   Perth-based Iluka Resources is a major international mineral sands producer and marketer with a major production base in Australia, as well as mining and processing operations in Sierra Leone. It is the world’s largest producer of zircon sand and a major producer of high-grade titanium ores, natural and synthetic rutile. Iluka has recently gone through a transformational period, consolidating its Murray Basin plant to process all its Australian material at its Perth Basin operation. The miner is also ramping up development of its $393 million Sierra Rutile...

The Dugald River tailings storage facility dam wall. All images: MMG.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   A SURGE in zinc demand over the last 12 months has MMG well placed as its $1.4 billion Dugald River mine nears first shipment in December, several months ahead of schedule.   Sitting on one of the world’s largest undeveloped zinc-lead-silver deposits, Dugald River will come online at an opportune time for MMG as it works towards its goal of becoming a top mid-tier mining company by 2020. It will be a game changer; once Dugald River enters production MMG will add a further 170,000 tonnes of zinc (at peak) to its group production a year. This represents a sizeable increase on current group...

BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   THE Carmichael coal, rail and port project will purportedly make up just one third of Adani’s total investment into Australia by 2022, with the Indian mining giant earmarking 1500MW worth of renewables projects and a 1 million tonnes per year agribusiness export mechanism.   Construction works have started this month on Adani’s mammoth $16.5 billion Carmichael coal mine, rail and port project, two months after company chairman Gautam Adani gave the operation the green light. The massive undertaking has come under intense scrutiny by environmentalists, as well as the State and Federal politicians since it was brought to the table six years ago. However, Adani persevered through a myriad of red tape and court appeals, confirming...

All images: Gascoyne Resources. BY ELIZABETH FABRI WITH construction now underway at its flagship Dalgaranga project, Gascoyne Resources’ time in the sun has arrived as it transitions to gold producer. There is light (and gold) at the end of the tunnel for Gascoyne Resources with first gold slated at its Dalgaranga project in the second quarter of 2018. The Dalgaranga project within the Murchison region WA  –formerly operated by a JV between Equigold and Western Reefs  – produced 229,000 ounces of gold between 1996 and 2000, with little exploration undertaken at the site since. It wasn’t until 2013 that Gascoyne Resources, recognising the region’s vast potential, purchased an 80 per cent interest in the project. The company’s decision to acquire...

BY REUBEN ADAMS   PORT Kembla is the second largest coal export port in NSW, handling about 11 percent of total exports from State. To meet current needs and future expansion demands the coal terminal is undergoing extensive restoration and compliance works – which will culminate in the replacement of the existing stackers and reclaimers with brand new machines.   In 2014, thyssenkrupp was awarded the contract for the design, supply and construction of the reclaimer and in 2015, of the three replacement stackers. Over three years, the $100 million project has generated more than 400 jobs in design, supply, construction and commissioning of the equipment which is currently being shipped from WA to its new home at Port Kembla....

LIGHTNING, high-speed winds, heavy rain, droughts and even humidity are some of the adverse weather events facing mining projects.  MetraWeather meteorologist and storm chaser Rebekah LaBar spoke to Elizabeth Fabri about how meteorologists can help resources companies minimise downtime and manage weather risks through tailored real-time forecasts and commentary.   Q. What inspired you to become a meteorologist? When I was 12 years old I saw my first tornado. It passed right by my family’s farm in central Washington State in the US, which is not a common place to see tornadoes. I was absolutely terrified, which drove me to learn about severe weather; I believed that if I understood it better I would not be so scared if I...