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Orexplore Technologies (ASX: OXT) is conducting commercial validation tests on its new gold detection technology with multiple tier-1 gold mining companies. Orexplore’s technology detects nuggety gold on-site within 20 minutes, optimising the volumes of processed and transported core samples to laboratories which can take weeks or months to provide results. It quickly identifies nuggets larger than 100 micrometres in size through the full 3D volume of the core. It aims to reduce the required drill sample volumes and can potentially accelerate the utilisation of gold grades for operational grade control and improved nuggety deposit characterisation. Nuggety gold mines are difficult to find, design and operate, yet remain highly valuable if well developed and operated. Orexplore’s technology allows the coarse gold…

The QCoal Foundation has announced the inaugural recipient of the Christopher Wallin Prize for Excellence in Geology, established to recognise students striving for excellence in the field of geology, as Jose Pena Araya. Townsville-based Jose has just commenced his third year of a Bachelor of Geology. Originally from Chile but more recently from Mount Isa, Jose will receive the $2000 prize and the opportunity for paid work placement with QCoal Group. This prize, awarded to the second-year student studying a Bachelor of Geology at James Cook University who demonstrates a commitment to excellence by achieving the highest GPA in the cohort, was established by the QCoal Foundation in recognition of its founding donor QCoal Group’s long-term commitment to the geology…

CSI Mining Services, a subsidiary of Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN), has formed its first joint venture with Indigenous company PMW Industries (PMWI). A Traditional Owner Banjima business, PMW Industries has over 10 years of experience delivering rail and civil services. CSI and PMWI already have an established subcontracting relationship, delivering crushing, screening and rehabilitation services to tier one mining companies. The new joint venture will help strengthen this relationship with a focus on establishing a mining services contract portfolio. CSI chief executive Mike Gray says it’s fantastic to continue building on the existing relationship with PMWI. “CSI and PMWI have been working together since 2022, including establishing an accredited Indigenous trainee program for crushing and equipment operators,” he said. “We…

Life as we know it has accelerated at an unprecedented pace. A malleable approach and the capacity for dynamic adaptability is more important than ever before. In a world where advanced technological conversions require strategic integration and methodical systemic application, the more personal aspects of this operating shift may be often overlooked. Encompassing a myriad of complexities, the transition towards an automated future is typically geared towards the mechanical efficiency aspect, whilst losing sight of the profound human factors involved in such an industrious evolution. Although there’s no doubt that our automated technologies possess an impressive degree of self-sufficiency and inherent independent ability, the bottom line is that these applications also demand effective manual inputs to actualise optimal functionality into…

Although starting out in the competitive and price sensitive world of agriculture, Universal Field Robots (UFR), has become synonymous with mining. Its early innovations in lawn-mowing robots and avocado picking laid the foundation for a more innovative approach to technology as it transitioned into other industrial segments. The company’s commitment to technological advancement led to the introduction of UFRautonomy™, a reflection of the continuous evolution in its architecture and technology stack. UFR has quickly gained recognition as an R&D leader in the field of robotics and automation, facilitating its expansion across several industries including mining, solar farm construction, and defence. The partnership with Newmont Cadia marked a significant milestone, one that resulted in the development of an automated Bobcat Skid…

The first convoy of Kenworth C509 prime movers with autonomous technology has arrived at Mineral Resources’ (ASX: MIN) Onslow iron project in WA. The prime movers will be based at Mineral Resources’ Truck Maintenance Facility near Onslow while they undertake trials and verification before beginning autonomous operations. Mineral Resources director of technology and innovation David Geraghty says the arrival of the vehicles is an exciting milestone for the project. “The prime movers are being progressively fitted out with autonomous technology by autonomy specialist Hexagon. It’s fantastic to see the first batch arrive in Onslow in preparation of first ore mid-2024,” he said. “They will initially commence as manned operations, with trials and verifications with safety drivers to occur later in…

Anglo American has rejected BHP’s $59.57b (£31.1b) proposal as it “significantly undervalues Anglo American and its future prospects”. Additionally, Anglo American’s board believes the proposal contemplates a structure which is highly unattractive for the company’s shareholders, given the uncertainty and complexity in the proposal and significant execution risks. Anglo American chairman Stuart Chambers commented on the rejection of the proposal. “The BHP proposal is opportunistic and fails to value Anglo American’s prospects, while significantly diluting the relative value upside participation of Anglo American’s shareholders relative to BHP’s shareholders,” he said. “The proposed structure is also highly unattractive, creating substantial uncertainty and execution risk borne almost entirely by Anglo American, its shareholders and its other stakeholders. “With copper representing 30% of…

Ardea Resources (ASX: ARL) has entered a binding cooperation agreement with Sumitomo Metal Mining and Mitsubishi Corporation (Consortium) to develop the Kalgoorlie nickel project – Goongarrie Hub in WA. The incorporated joint venture will be Kalgoorlie Nickel (KNPL), which is currently a wholly owned subsidiary of Ardea. The cooperation agreement sets out the terms and conditions on which Ardea, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi and KNPL will fund and undertake a definitive feasibility study (DFS). Upon agreement by the parties and subject to a positive DFS, front-end engineering design and pre-commitment activities leading to a final investment decision on the Kalgoorlie nickel project – Goongarrie Hub. Separate to the cooperation agreement, Ardea, Sumitomo and KNPL have agreed on funding support arrangements, enabling DFS…

Successful applicants for Round 29 of the Exploration Incentive Scheme’s (EIS) Co-funded Drilling Program, Series 7 of the Energy Analysis Program (EAP) and the inaugural Co-funded Geophysics Program (CGP) have been announced. All up, 47 applicants will receive grants worth almost $7.5m in the EIS for projects to be drilled between June 2024 and November 2025. Round 29 of the EIS program saw a continued interest in battery minerals exploration with 57% of the project focusing on these commodities, including rare earth elements, lithium and nickel-cobalt. Western Mines Group (ASX: WMG) received $318,000 to fund drilling at the Mulga Tank project and Miramar Resources (ASX: M2R) was awarded $180,000 to target nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group element mineralisation at…

Jean Ferreira (left) and Aaron Locke, (founders of RaptorTech) at a recent commissioning of a Raptor Data Centre, an independently powered mine-wide private LTE (4G) network.From the distant echoes of 17th century experiments to the pulsating digital realms of today, telemetry has etched its mark on the annals of innovation. Its story is one of relentless evolution, fuelled by human ingenuity and the quest for remote connectivity. Imagine early scientists tinkering with rudimentary forms of remote communication, laying the groundwork for what would become the backbone of modern telemetry. Fast forward to the tumultuous battlegrounds of World War II, where telemetry emerged as a silent sentinel, guiding weapons systems and tracking missiles with unparalleled precision. Then came the space age,…

Transitioning to a renewable economy will require a new mining industry that can extract significantly more metal from the ground to meet future demand, while operating in accordance with stricter environmental, social, and governance responsibilities. However, this is compounded by a myriad of challenges. Exploration success rates are dwindling, existing deposits are becoming deeper and more arduous to mine, and ore grades are declining. Mining companies are collecting more data than ever, yet they struggle to maximise value to meet the greater demands placed on them. The gulf between data collection and data-driven decision-making can be significant. In recent years, the mining industry has realised that machine learning (ML) is key to gaining the full value from its data. This…