Category: Features

All images: Tianqi Lithium Australia By Elizabeth Fabri WITH construction of the newly approved Kwinana lithium processing plant off to a flying start, discussion surrounding a subsequent expansion at the nearby Greenbushes mine has the WA lithium industry bullish for the future. There is no denying 2016 was a watershed year for lithium. Improved investor sentiment coupled with a hike in prices has seen the commodity climb as interest in battery technology soared. While many projects have sprung up across WA, government approval of Tianqi Lithium Australia’s $400 million Kwinana lithium plant in September was ‘the icing on the cake’, and was expected to generate up to 500 construction jobs and more than 115 full time production positions. Once operational in...

The mouth of the inner harbour at the Port of Port Hedland. By Cameron Drummond THE Pilbara Ports Authority has achieved record throughput across its operations for the second time in as many years, as it looks to begin the replacement and upgrade of vital port infrastructure in the current financial year. Pilbara Ports Authority, the world’s largest bulk export port authority, is set to undertake substantial enhancements to its port operations at the ports of Dampier and Port Hedland, which are located along the coast of the mineral-dense Pilbara region of Western Australia. These upgrades are set to enhance efficiency, increase safety and capacity and allow for more product to be exported. The PPA is responsible for about 70 per...

Resolute Mining announced plans to construct $US95million underground gold mine at its Syama mine in June. Image: Hugh Brown. By Elizabeth Fabri HOME to some of the world’s largest untouched resources, Africa is treasure trove for foreign investment with Australia leading the chase as the region’s largest contributor. As more projects enter production, opportunities for ASX-listed miners and contractors are only expected to grow. Africa's resource wealth is no secret; the continent produces more than 60 metal and mineral products, from high-grade gold to diamonds, platinum, bauxite, manganese, iron ore and copper. However, for many years concerns around regional stability prevented overseas companies from taking that much-needed ‘leap of faith’.. In the early 1990s Africa still only received five per...

The Tropicana processing plant capacity was now upgraded from 5.8mtpa to 7.5mtpa.   By Elizabeth Fabri   DECEMBER is a big month at Tropicana. On the back of a major expansion and drilling program, the WA project will see the rewards of an upgraded 7.5 million tonnes per annum run rate, and its first reserves review that could extend mine life out to 2030. THE Tropicana joint venture between AngloGold Ashanti (70 per cent) and Independence Group (30 per cent) has been producing gold since September 2013. The project was the first significant Australian greenfields gold discovery to come online in more than 10 years, and has been closely watched by the industry since. Its three gold deposits, Tropicana, Havana and...

The Sierra Rutile acquisition was soon to be finalised. Image: Sierra Rutile.   By Elizabeth Fabri   WHEN new Iluka Resources managing director and chief executive Tom O'Leary stepped into the role in September, the company was grappling with a $20.9 million net loss from the first half of the year. Three months in, and Mr O’Leary is steering the company out of a financial slump and towards a prosperous 2017. It's been a year of change for mineral sands company Iluka. A leadership shakeup, weak US dollar, lower income from its Mining Area C iron ore royalty, higher non production cash costs, and depressed zircon price have all played a part in company performance. In the first half of 2016,...

Mining at Kinsevere in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By Cameron Drummond AFTER the record breaking purchase of the Las Bambas copper project in Peru, MMG has had a reasonably quiet 18 months consolidating and improving existing projects. MMG Limited is a Chinese-owned (China Minmetals 74 per cent) mining consortium listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and ASX with copper, zinc and other base metal projects across four continents. MMG aims to become one of the top mid-tier miners by 2020 by investing in significant exploration and development projects such as the Las Bambas copper operation in Peru, aquired from Swiss-based miner Glencore for $US5.85 billion in 2014. The company also owns the Sepon and Kinsevere copper mines in Southern...

The Argyle pink Jubilee diamond, weighing in at 12.76 carats, was the biggest pink rough diamond ever discovered in Australia. Image: Rio Tinto.   By  Elizabeth Fabri   NOTHING exudes class and timeless beauty like an Argyle diamond. While the majority of the mine’s production are champagne and cognac in hue, on much rarer occasions Rio Tinto will unearth one of its famous pink stones. The spectacular and rare coloured diamonds found at Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine are synonymous with the Kimberley region’s vividly painted landscapes. Since the mine began operating in 1983, Rio Tinto has produced more than 800 million carats of rough diamonds through its 11 million tonnes per annum processing facility, with its name now in lights as...

More than five million ounces of gold has been produced at Telfer since operations recommenced in 2004. Image: Newcrest.   By Elizabeth Fabri   BIDDING farewell to its Hidden Valley and Marsden projects has Newcrest looking to the future, and there is much to celebrate. From increased production at Cadia East, progress at Wafi-Golpu and a potential stake in gold junior SolGold, Newcrest’s sights are set on continued success across its global asset base. Newcrest Mining produced 2.439 million ounces of gold and 83,000 tonnes of copper in FY16, meeting the group’s production and cost guidance for the third consecutive year. The gold giant’s managing director and chief executive Sandeep Biswas described the results as “solid” and identified a number of...

Rio Tinto's Hunter Valley Operations (HVO) project produced more than 13 million tonnes of thermal and semi-soft coking coal in 2015. Image: Rio Tinto.   By Elizabeth Fabri   AS thermal and coking coal prices recover from record lows, the resources industry remains hopeful the worst is now over for NSW’s economic ‘engine room’; the Hunter Valley. The Hunter Valley is Australia’s largest regional area, comprising 11 local governments, about 600,000 residents, and the country’s seventh largest city, Newcastle. Coal mining in the region dates back to 1791, and continues to drive the economy with a number of world-class coal projects spread across the 29,145sqkm expanse. When coal prices took a hit four years ago, the Hunter’s strength was put...

The 20-metre deep box cut being constructed at Carrapateena. By Elizabeth Fabri MOMENTUM is building across the OZ Minerals portfolio as works advance on the second decline at Prominent Hill, and construction begins at the highly anticipated Carrapateena project. In September, OZ Minerals began works on the Carrapateena decline, pushing the miner another step closer to delivering first concentrate in late 2019. On 30 September a host of industry officials, including South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, visited the site to celebrate the discovery of one of the country's largest undeveloped copper deposits. “Carrapateena has compelling project economics and by starting the decline now, we are further de-risking the project and creating more shareholder value,” OZ Minerals managing director and chief executive Andrew...

The Whyalla steelworks operation. Image Arrium. Photography Sean Kelly.     By Elizabeth Fabri HOME to 68 per cent of the nation’s copper and 25 per cent of the world’s known uranium, South Australia’s resources industry is an irrefutable force. Additional state government support, which aims to kick-start investment and sector growth, reflects its importance. South Australia, affectionately known as the ‘Copper Kingdom’, has been a key contributor to Australia’s mining industry as far back as the 1800s, and today boasts the world’s largest uranium deposit and the country’s largest underground mine, Olympic Dam. In 2014/15 the State’s minerals and petroleum sector had a gross value of product at $5.958 billion and regionally the industry contributed a gross regional product of $6.377bn....