Latest News

The Queensland Government has passed legislation that strengthens the coexistence between the State’s resources, renewable energy and agriculture industries. Reforms include expanding the scope of Queensland’s coexistence institutions, including the GasFields Commission Queensland which will know be know as Coexistence Queensland. The role of Coexistence Queensland will be to provide enhanced information, engagement and education services to the community and industry on land access and coexistence issues across the resources and renewable energy sectors. Previously, focus was just on the onshore gas industry. Other coexistence reforms include: Expanding the remit of the Office of Groundwater Impact Assessment to provide advice, on request, to government entities on subsurface impacts from petroleum and gas activities. Expanding the role of the Land Access…

Queensland Parliament has passed new laws to protect the health and safety of workers in Queensland’s mining industry. The newly passed Resources Safety and Health Legislation Amendment Bill addresses serious risks on mine sites and includes reforms of critical controls and the introduction of enforceable undertakings. Queensland Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart says resources workers’ safety is his primary focus. “The most important thing to come out of out of any workplace at the end of each shift is its workers, and that is why safety is my number one priority,” he said. “Our goal for these reforms was to improve the resource sector’s safety and health performance, and to reduce the number of fatalities and serious accidents.”…

A pioneering Moranbah, QLD program designed to equip local talent with cutting-edge electrotechnology skills is creating career pathways into the mining industry while fostering thriving communities. Anglo American – which operates five steelmaking coal mines in the Bowen Basin – partnered with Moranbah State High School (MSHS) and Major Training to deliver the electrotechnology course in the region. The course provides an entry-level understanding of electrical systems, circuitry and safety while allowing graduates to carve six months off an electrical apprenticeship. With a 100% success rate, the 19 graduating students from Moranbah, Dysart and Clermont will get four credits towards the 20 credits needed to complete their Queensland Certificate of Education. MSHS student Alexandra Ibbertson, who is about to finish…

The WA Government has approved draft mining amendment legislation that will ensure security of mining tenure and address key industry issues. In 2017, the High Court found that granted mining leases were invalid if they did not strictly follow the process for preparing and lodging tenement applications outlined in the Mining Act 1978. Following this outcome, the WA Government has drafted amendments to address procedural matters in Mining Act 1978 to prevent similar scenarios from arising in the future. The changes include amendments to address common pitfalls in the tenement application process such as the statements required to accompany an exploration licence application. WA Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael says security of tenure is essential in mining. “The …

Envirostream Australia, a subsidiary of Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT), has signed a three-year mixed metal dust (MMD) offtake agreement with SungEel HiTech for battery recycling. Under the agreement, SungEel will purchase a minimum of 60% of Lithium Australia’s annual MMD production, subject to certain minimum quality requirements. SungEel has been a customer of Lithium Australia since 2020 and has purchased more than 300t of MMD, reflecting the growing demand for recycled materials for use in battery manufacturing processes. SungEel recently opened the third hydro centre in South Korea which is the largest litium ion battery recycling plant in the world and can input 20,000t of MMD in phase one. Lithium Australia managing director and chief executive Simon Linge says the…

Golding Contractors will acquire the mining services contract, associated fleet and transfer of employees of HSE Mining deployed at Stanmore Resources’ South Walker Creek (SWC) mine site in central Queensland. The transaction value of $85m will be funded via leading national mining and civil contractor NRW Holdings’ (ASX: NWH) asset finance facilities, as Golding is a wholly owned subsidiary of NRW. The agreement is expected to generate about $250m in annual revenue and is set to expire in August 2025. During this time, Golding will employ about 550 HSE personnel and operate the heavy mining equipment presently deployed at the SWC mine site. NRW managing director and chief executive officer Jules Pemberton says this acquisition continues NRW and Stanmore’s long-standing…

The Northern Territory Government has taken steps forward with the cornerstone Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct project with one of its key proponents, Tivan, signing an agreement with Japanese giant Sumitomo Corporation. Tivan, headquartered in Darwin, and Sumitomo will drive the development and financing of the Speewah vanadium project in the Kimberley region of north-east WA. Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson says support from the Northern Territory government and Sumitomo is key to progress. “The Northern Territory Government has been steadfast in their support of Tivan Limited as we turned the company around over the past 18 months,” he said. “Our strategic alliance with Sumitomo Corporation enables us to progress our strategic goals with confidence, including at the Middle Arm…

The first Early Learner CAT 793 battery-electric haul truck is on its way to BHP before it hits the road at the Jimblebar mine in WA in October 2024. Members of BHP’s operational decarbonisation team recently visited Caterpillar’s Tuscon proving ground to witness the CAT 793 haul truck in action. BHP vice president of operational decarbonisation Dan Heal says this is an exciting time for the company. “It’s incredibly exciting to be here in Tucson seeing this battery-electric truck in action,” he said. “Not only do these trials represent an important step on BHP’s operational decarbonisation journey, but the technical outcomes could help to inform how we approach these challenges moving forward. “As we progress towards potential deployments, we need…

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has introduced the electric Sandvik DR416iE, the next-generation i-series rotary blasthole drill. The Sandvik DR416iE joins the Sandvik DR410iE, the Sandvik DR412iE and the Sandvik DR413iE as the fourth and largest electrified rig in Sandvik’s intelligent rotary blasthole range. This drill rig is designed to deliver superior performance and sustainability in demanding mining conditions. It’s ideal for iron ore and copper applications and can drill a hole diameter range of 270mm to 406mm. Powered by a 1044kW electric engine, the electric system of the Sandvik DR416iE incorporates a soft starter to help reduce impact on the mine’s power grid, preventing disruption to other equipment. The multi-voltage and multi-frequency electric motos offer greater flexibility, while the…

Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa) has reached key milestones in its acquisition of Alumina (ASX: AWC) and expects to complete the transaction on or about August 1, 2024. These milestones include: filing its definitive proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on June 6, this year, with a shareholder meeting scheduled for mid-July to vote on the transaction; regulatory approvals from Brazil’s Administrative Council for Economic Defence (CADE) for the acquisition on May 13, this year and for which the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will not conduct a public review of the transaction; Alumina registering its scheme booklet with ASIC and distributing it to its shareholders before the vote on July 18, this year. with the Federal Court of…

The Port of Esperance has welcomed a new iron ore exporter that will boost iron ore trade by up to 1.5mtpa. In a new agreement with Southern Ports, Gold Valley Iron Ore will be granted access to critical iron ore infrastructure at the port, including rail receival facilities, conveyors, shed space and the ship loader. This marks the first time a second customer has been able to access the iron ore circuit through the port and the first from the Wiluna area. Additionally, long-term customer Mineral Resources will continue to export through the shared infrastructure at the port. Gold Valley Iron Ore is expected to export its first shipment from the Port of Esperance in September 2024. WA Ports Minister…