Category: Features

All images: AIMEX. BY ELIZABETH FABRI MORE than 6000 mining professionals are expected to touch down at Sydney Showgrounds next month for the biennial Asia-Pacific International Mining Exhibition (AIMEX) conference. Running from 29 to 31 August, the free-to-attend event will be the biggest to date, bringing together the industry’s leading minds and technologies. First held in the 1970s, the AIMEX conference has become a must-attend event on the industry calendar; and it’s easy to see why. Spread across three days, the leading event presents a wealth of opportunities for the mining industry to up-skill, network and generate new business leads. “This year we have the first free-to-attend conference program at AIMEX that we believe offers visitors key insights into the...

All images: Doray Minerals. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND GOLD producer Doray Minerals is looking to its two producing assets – Andy Well and Deflector – for organic growth opportunities. WA gold producer Doray Minerals’ Andy Well gold project commenced production in August 2013; with the Deflector gold-copper project commencing production in May 2016. Both projects are currently undergoing aggressive exploration and development to increase the company’s mineral resources and reserves. Deflector The Deflector project is located 160km east of Geraldton in the southern Murchison region of WA, and was acquired following its successful takeover of Mutiny Gold in February 2015. After fast-tracking development of the $63m project, the mine commenced commercial production in November 2016 with an initial mine life of...

All images: Adani   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   DEVELOPMENT of Adani’s $16.5 billion Carmichael coal project is back on the table after the QLD Government made clear its position for the go ahead of the project. The Indian miner had dramatically suspended its final investment decision just days before its due date, blaming lack of clarity over royalty rates and the specifics of a $900 million Federal loan through the North Australian Infrastructure facility (NAIF).   Over the last two years, Adani’s proposed Carmichael coal project has tenaciously pushed through the approval processes for the gigantic mine and associated infrastructure which, if developed, had the potential to unlock widespread development in the Galilee Basin. The proposed Carmichael coal, railway and port...

Heavy mineral concentrate stockpiles at Jacinth- Ambrosia. Image: Iluka Resources.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   AFTER experiencing significant financial losses during 2016, international minerals sands company Iluka Resources is back on track with the Sierra Rutile acquisition now under its belt, and a handful of advanced production and exploration opportunities in progress to deliver future growth.   Iluka Resources is finally making a comeback. At the end of 2016, the company reported an 11.4 per cent decline in revenue brought on by low market conditions from the minerals sands sector, which was partially responsible for a total reported loss of $224.0 million after tax. However, higher commodity prices this year have generated a substantial increase in revenue for the global miner....

 All Images: Whitehaven Coal.   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   ON the back of increased seaborne coal prices, Whitehaven banked record revenue during the first half of the 2017 financial year which enabled the company to pay down more than $300 million of debt.   Whitehaven Coal is Australia’s largest independent coal producer, with five operating mines in North West NSW. The operations have a combined annual output of 20.1 million tonnes per annum (mtpa); however Whitehaven is undertaking expansion works at its flagship Maules Creek operation to increase its saleable coal output to 23mtpa by the 2019 financial year. Thermal and metallurgical coal is produced from one underground mine, Narrabri, and four open cut mines at Maules Creek, Tarrawonga, Werris...

All images: Aurizon.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   AURIZON is experiencing a difficult few months as it deals with the structural and financial damages experienced following Cyclone Debbie, but under the new leadership of ex-Rio Tinto executive Andrew Harding, the company’s strength cannot be questioned.   Former Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Andrew Harding took over the Aurizon reins in December; and has since made a wave of advancements. With close to 25 years experience as an executive in the resources industry, Mr Harding also brings a fresh and progressive approach to the role to further Aurizon’s Australian presence. “I joined Aurizon in December, moving from a wintery London to sub-tropical Brisbane,” Mr Harding told Melbourne Mining Club delegates in...

Prominent Hill mine. Image: OZ Minerals.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   WITH a history dating back to the 1800s, the South Australian resources sector is a continued force in Australian mining, boasting a portfolio of world-class projects and new exploration prospects for the next generation of mining.   South Australia is a proud mining region, with many noteworthy accolades to its name. To begin, the State is home to the world’s largest known uranium deposit and Australia’s largest underground mine, Olympic Dam. It also hosts 68 per cent of the country’s copper resources, 80 per cent of its uranium resources, 28 per cent of the economic gold resources, and more than 14 billion tonnes of iron ore. In 2016, the region...

All images: BHP Billiton BY ELIZABETH FABRI AS the hangover from Cyclone Debbie subsides, BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) continues to push forward with investments across its Bowen Basins operations, including $US204 million towards the Caval Ridge Southern Circuit (CRSC) capital growth project. A joint venture between BHP Billiton and Mitsubishi Development, the BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) is Australia’s largest coal producer and supplier of seaborne metallurgical coal, accounting for about 28 per cent of the world’s seaborne met coal trade. The coal giant owns nine mines covering a combined area of 75,000sqkm in the resource rich Bowen Basin in Central Queensland; seven of which are operational. Its current portfolio of operating mines comprises Goonyella Riverside, Broadmeadow, Daunia, Peak...

Water dust suppression at Dampier port. Image: Department of Water WA.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   AUSTRALIA is one of the driest continents in the world, and mining is thirsty business. In remote areas of the country water can be both scarce and overabundant, forcing mining operations to continually advance water management strategies and technologies to secure supply, minimise environmental footprint, and ride through extreme weather events such as cyclones, flooding, and droughts.   Water management in mining is a hot topic in all mining jurisdictions across the country. During 2014-15, an estimated 76,140 gigalitres (GL) of water was extracted to support the Australian economy, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Of this amount, 768GL or 4.4 per...

DESPITE a long history digging up gold and coal across its major mining hubs – Bendigo, Stawell, the Gippsland Basin and Latrobe Valley – Victoria currently ranks the least or second least attractive destination for minerals investment. Yet the State is the METS capital of the country; and through Government backing more investment is expected to flow into the region. A proud advocate of mining in the State, Victorian Resources minister Wade Noonan spoke to Elizabeth Fabri about the importance of mining and the programs in place to promote growth.   Q. While Victoria doesn't top the list for mining investment in Australia it does have a proud history. How important is mining to the State economy?   The mining...

All images: Newcrest.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   ON the back of one of its most eventful years to date, including an earthquake at its Cadia operation in April, Newcrest Mining remains in a comfortable position – on track to achieve its annual production guidance for the fourth consecutive year while advancing greenfields exploration overseas.   The Newcrest executive team made some big decisions in 2016. The global gold miner signed an agreement to sell its 50 per cent stake in its PNG Hidden Valley facility at a $10m loss, let go of its Marsden copper gold project in NSW, put its Ridgeway underground mine at Cadia into care and maintenance, and welcomed a new investment to its portfolio --...