Category: Features

Element 25 expansion essential for energy transition Element 25 (ASX: E25) is expanding its Butcherbird processing facility in WA to 1.1mtpa of manganese oxide concentrate. This follows the release of its January 2024 feasibility study (FS) which demonstrated potential for robust economic returns and rapid capital payback. Element 25 has commenced detailed design, planning and procurement for the Stage 2 expansion project. Expansion of the Butcherbird processing facility is an important step in providing feedstock for the planned battery-grade high purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) project to be built in Louisiana, USA. The refinery will be the first ever north American HPMSM facility in partnership with...

Whitehaven Coal's acquisition of the Blackwater and Daunia mines

Effective mine waste management isn’t simply about containment. It’s a complex relationship between science, technology and economic considerations which aims to minimise environmental impact, mitigate risks to human health and foster sustainable practices that endure beyond the life cycle of a mine. Whilst mining has been conducted for millennia, the storage and handling of associated waste has only in recent decades been the focus of government and public scrutiny according to Associate Professor Anita Parbhakar-Fox from the Sustainable Minerals Institute at the University of Queensland. Prof Parbhakar-Fox says if waste materials are not appropriately managed, then a wide range of related environmental issues can easily arise....

Gold Fields' Au-some achievements Gold Fields is tracking well against the 2030 environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets for its six priority ESG areas – three of them related to its people and stakeholders and the other three to the environmental impacts of its mines. Mariette SteynExecutive Vice President: Sustainable DevelopmentGold FieldsB.Eng (Chem), University of Stellenbosch; MDP, Gordon Institute of Business Science.Ms Steyn was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President: Sustainable Development on 1 June 2024.She joined from South32, where she was Vice President of...

Q&A with Bellevue Gold chief sustainability officer Luke Gleeson and his introduction into the Power50 list For the second year running, FS Sustainability has released the Power50 list which lists the 50 most influential environmental, social and governance (ESG) leaders in Australia from ASX-listed companies who act on a wide variety of sustainability issues. Entrants in this year’s list are addressing challenges that need urgent attention, such as climate change, with emphasis on renewable energy and net zero targets. The professionals listed come from a wide range of companies, including financial, mining and consumer goods, just to name a few. The Australian Mining Review speaks with Bellevue Gold (ASX: BGL) chief...

Sustainable processes at the Mardie salt and potash project A future tier one solar evaporation project, the Mardie salt and potash project will become the first major salt project developed in Australia in over 25 years. Owned by Mardie Minerals, a wholly owned subsidiary of BCI Minerals (ASX: BCI), the project will also become the only Australian operation to produce commercially saleable salt and sulphate of potash (SOP) fertiliser. With its location on the West Pilbara coast of WA, Mardie will harness a natural seawater resource concentrated through solar and wind evaporation. Mardie has the critical characteristics for establishing a large-scale solar evaporation project, including an optimum climate, a...

Whitehaven Coal: Australia's leading coal producer Australia’s leading coal producer Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) operates seven mines — six open cut and one underground — in the Gunnedah Coal Basin in NSW and Bowen Basin in Queensland. Due to its unique properties, including the fact it delivers among the lowest carbon emissions per tonne of coal consumed in the seaborne trade, Whitehaven’s coal is highly sought after across international markets, particularly Asia. Along with metallurgical coal, Whitehaven produces a premium thermal coal product, which is also high-energy, low-ash and low-sulphur, for use in high-efficiency, low emissions coal fired power stations. In the first of a two-part series...

Forging ahead: New Acland stage 3 Containing more than 500mt of coal, the New Acland Coal Mine is located 35km northwest of Toowoomba in Queensland. It is operated by New Acland Coal (NAC), a subsidiary of New Hope Group. New Hope Group purchased the mine in 1999 and for the past 25 years the mine has economically contributed to the Darling Downs region. Operations at New Acland began in 2002 with the mine officially opening in March 2003 by then Queensland Premier Peter Beattie. It expanded to stage two in 2005 and by 2012 the mine produced 5.09mtpa of thermal coal. New Acland Stage Three For the past...

Fosterville: Victoria's Golden Eagle With 2023 production totalling 277,694oz, Agnico Eagle Mines’ Fosterville mine in Victoria is the largest gold producer in the state. Previously owned by Kirkland Lake Gold, Angico acquired Fosterville in February 2022 following the completion of the merger between the two companies. Spanning an area of 1400km2, Fosterville hosts numerous brownfield and greenfield exploration targets. Exploration programs to date have traced only 20km of potential gold bearing structures, highlighting untapped exploration potential. Notably, the presence of visible gold becomes increasingly significant at depth and is observed more frequently below a depth of 800m within the Lower Phoenix and Harrier gold systems....

BROKEN LINKS: Fixing Australia's mining supply chain When ship hits the fan With supply chains facing ongoing severe disruptions, such as global pandemics, climate events, floods, bushfires, hostility in the Red Sea, industrial action at shipping ports, ongoing military conflicts and more, the downstream effect on businesses, consumers and the global mining industry are significant. The Australian Mining Review speaks with Dr Elizabeth Jackson, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Curtin University, about the current state of global and Australian supply chains, including the big issues and big trends facing these complex logistics systems, as well as how they impact our mining sector.   Sustainable supply chains Dr Jackson is a global supply chain expert...

Raising the bar on First Nations cultural heritage protection Business and investment leaders have taken a pivotal step by committing to a new best practice standard in the management of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage. The Dhawura Ngilan Business and Investor Guides were launched in Canberra on March 19 by the First Nations Heritage Protection Alliance (FNHPA). Dhawura Ngilan means ‘Remembering Country’ in the Ngunnawal Language. The Guides are inspired by, and take the name from, the Dhawura Ngilan Vision, drafted by Heritage Councils across the country with the backing of the FNHPA. This Vision sets the course for First Nations heritage over the next decade. Dhawura Ngilan offers practical steps for the mining industry to integrate local...