Category: Features

Fortescue: Leading the green industrial revolution Since its founding 20 years ago, Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has become one of the world’s largest iron ore producers and is the country’s major supplier of iron ore to China’s steel industry. Since its first shipment of iron ore departed Port Hedland, WA, to China in 2008, Fortescue now ships over 190mt of iron ore per year, with more than 2bt of iron ore delivered to its customers since its inception. Fortescue’s iron ore operations include two hematite mining hubs in the Pilbara — Chichester Hub and Western Hub — and the Iron Bridge magnetite mine, all of which are in WA. Operations...

Mine the gap: Australia’s 80,000 disused mines At least 80,000 Australian mine sites remain inactive and unrehabilitated, posing unaccounted risks to the environment and safety. Efforts to ensure rehabilitation throughout the life of mining operations and to promote an effective transition to post-mining landscapes are critical for Australia to achieve its goals of being a world leader in the energy transition and in ESG standards. The Australian Mining Review speaks with The University of Melbourne’s Professor Tim Werner and Monash University’s Professor Mohan Yellishetty to understand current gaps in mining data and opportunities for disused mine sites. Researchers are looking to convert Australia’s abandoned mines from...

Duketon gold mine: a future forged through growth Regis Resources (ASX: RRL) reports a third consecutive year where underground growth outpaced depletion at its Duketon and Tropicana mines in WA, with major plans to ramp up and optimise its current undergrounds. Notably, Regis intends to build sustainable capacity with four or more underground mines, by identifying and testing underground and open pit targets, to reach a target of 500kozpa combined production across its Duketon and Tropicana. Regis has an operating set of infrastructure with three mills at the Duketon greenstone belt, totalling about six years of mine life. Significant underground growth potential has been identified...

Unlocking our energy potential Australia’s critical minerals processing As demand for the energy transition grows, so does the demand for critical minerals that make renewable energy generation and storage possible. The demand for energy transition materials has doubled in the past five years to $484b (US$320b) led by the exponential growth of electric vehicles (EVs) and the continued deployment of solar and wind energy, according to CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency. At present, a concentration in supply chains may inhibit the pace at which Australian industry can accelerate its energy transition with these technologies. Australia needs to build resilience in its critical minerals supply chains, as highlighted in CSIRO’s From Minerals to Materials:...

Decarbonising steelmaking with BioIronTM Steel is one of the most important and commonly manufacturered materials in the world and turning iron ore into steel is an energy intensive process that accounts for around 7% to 9% of the world’s global CO2 emissions. As one of the world’s largest iron ore producers, Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) is aiming to find more sustainable ways to produce steel whilst meeting climate objectives and reducing emissions. It’s doing this by exploring three different pathways: lowering the carbon impact of existing blast furnace technologies; speeding up emerging technologies; and researching innovative low CO2 technologies. One of Rio’s most promising...

Bellevue Gold's road to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2026 Bellevue Gold (ASX: BGL) is aiming to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2026 at its namesake Bellevue Gold project in WA. One of Australia’s highest-grade gold mines, the Bellevue gold project has a mineral resource of 3.1moz and is one of the country’s newest gold producers with first production achieved in late 2023 and only ramping up from there. Bellevue expects the project to produce more than 1.8moz of gold over its initial 10-year mine life. The Australian Mining Review spoke with Bellevue Gold managing director and chief executive Darren Stralow about the company’s namesake project and its ambitious...

Norseman gold gearing up for growth Pantoro (ASX: PNR) has announced an 85,000m growth drilling program for FY25 at the Norseman goldfield in WA, in what promises to be an impactful year for the miner. The $25m program aims to develop four key areas to establish a third underground mine or substantially increase the size of the Scotia and OK mines during FY26. The growth program includes combined diamond and reverse circulation (RC) drilling over its existing mines, Southern mainfield,...

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...