Latest News

Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) received three awards from two industry events held last week. At the 2023 WA Mental Health Awards, Mineral Resources was named the winner of the Happiness Co and Happiness Foundation Mentally Healthy Workplace Award. This award recognised the company’s efforts to encourage excellent mental health for both staff and volunteers. Mineral Resources head of mental health and wellbeing Chris Harris accepted the award on behalf of the company. “We’re proud to be recognised for the investment we have made in the mental wellbeing of our people,” he said. “At MinRes, we acknowledge that our people are our greatest resource, and we believe everyone deserves to go home well to their families.” At the 2023 AIM WA Pinnacle…

Mining contractor Byrnecut has chosen Sandvik to supply automated loaders, underground drills and rock tools at the Kathleen Valley lithium project in WA. Sandvik will supply seven Toro LH621i loaders with AutoMine, three Sandvik DD422i development drills with Dual Controls and a Sandvik DS422i cable bolter to Byrnecut. Sandvik will also supply Byrnecut with rock tools for Kathleen Valley over four years. The Toro LH621i underground loaders are engineered for rapid mine development and large-scale underground production. Smart boom geometry optimises hydraulic power for large rock handling and fast bucket filling. Under AutoMine Multi-Lite, an operator can remotely control and simultaneously supervise multiple Toro PH621i loaders, reducing exposure to dust, noise, vibration and mine hazards. This creates a safer work…

The WA Government is positioning the Port of Esperance for growth with a $12.2m investment in road upgrades to improve safety, access and efficiency to the port. Part of the larger Southern Ports, the Port of Esperance is the only deepwater port in the southern region and one of only two container crane ports in the State. It is also the third largest spodumene (lithium) port in the world and the region’s second largest employer. WA Ports Minister David Michael commented on the infrastructure upgrades and road renewals. “Almost all of the Port of Esperance’s non-iron ore trade is transported by road, so as the port continues to diversify beyond its traditional iron ore base, the delivery of quality road…

Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC) has welcomed the Queensland Government’s approval of its greenfield $1b open cut coal mine, Winchester South. The State’s Coordinator General has accepted the environmental impact statement (EIS) for the Winchester South metallurgical coal project with an evaluation report and recommendation for the project to proceed, subject to environmental conditions. The Winchester South mine will produce up to 17mtpa of primarily metallurgical run-of-mine (ROM) coal (11mtpa product coal), from an estimated 380mt of reserves, which will supply the international steel-making market for 30 years. “The Coordinator General recommendation is an important milestone for Whitehaven, for the people of Queensland and for our trading partners who rely on Australia’s high-quality metallurgical coal, which is essential for steel production,”…

Alliance Aviation Services (ASX:AQZ) has extended its contract with BHP (ASX:BHP) to provide its services for a further five years at the Olympic Dam project. Since 2007, Alliance has been providing its services to Olympic Dam and recently moved to an all-jet operation. The Embraer 190 delivers impressive economics, excellent performance, operational efficiencies plus spacious interiors. Alliance managing director Scott McMillan welcomes the extension. “We welcome this further five-year extension of our contract to supply air services between Adelaide and Olympic Dam,” he said. “Alliance has built a significant presence in South Australia and is proud of the 16 years of uninterrupted services we have provided to BHP Olympic Dam.” Located 560km north of Adelaide, Olympic Dam is one of…

The first of six Sandvik DR410i rotary blasthole drill rigs has arrived at the Gruyere gold mine. A joint venture between Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources (ASX:GOR), the Gruyere gold mine lies 1200km northeast of Perth in WA’s northeastern Goldfields. The mine is a tier one low-cost and long-life asset with current mine life of more than 10 years. In 2022, Gruyere delivered record annual gold production of 314,647oz. The Sandvik DR410i is a diesel-powered, self-propelled, crawler-mounter blasthole drill, ideal for surface mining. The Sandvik intelligent control system architecture gives operators real-time system diagnostics to monitor the health and performance of the equipment. The 14m extended mast option delivers a total depth capacity of 32.2m, eliminating the need to…

Komatsu Australia has been recognised for its commitment to training and development by winning the prestigious Australian Apprenticeships Employer Award at the 2023 Australian Training Awards. The Australian Apprenticeships Employer Award recognises employers who have made innovative improvements in training which provide beneficial outcomes for their apprentices and to their local community. Komatsu’s National RTO & technical capability manager Matthew Tosolini says the award win is a testament to Komatsu’s dedication to nurturing talent and providing apprentices with a supportive learning environment. “We have a strong focus at Komatsu to actively engage in the development of our workforce, whether that’s through our comprehensive apprenticeship programs, strong industry partnerships, or supportive workplace culture, it’s what sets as apart as a leader…

Queensland has opened up round 8 of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) with a focus on critical minerals. A total of $4.6m in grants is up for grabs and applications close on January 11 next year. The CEI program builds on the Queensland Critical Minerals Strategy and has reduced rent for new and existing exploration permits for minerals to $0 for the next five years, which is worth $55 million. It also builds on the Queensland Government’s $5b Copperstring 2032 project which will help unlock potentially $500b of critical mineral projects in the North West Minerals Province. Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart says the CEI grants program continue to back the resources sector and the State’s explorers. “Exploration is the…

Lithium prospectivity has been confirmed at Australian Critical Minerals’ (ASX:ACM) flagship Cooletha lithium project in WA. Overall, 10 high priority targets totalling a length of over 24km have been identified via ACM’s recent first-pass rock chip and mapping program. Lithium and lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite indicator minerals have been confirmed with multi-element assays identifying vectors towards evolved intrusive rocks. Multispectral analysis integrated with assay results and geological observations has defined multiple exploration locations in the Pilbara LCT pegmatite ‘Goldilocks zone’. Managing director Dean de Largie says the company is excited by the results. “Positive results from our initial exploration program across the large Cooletha lithium project have been integrated with world-class spectral analysis to detail a clear pathway to exploration success,”…

A new solar farm in the Northern Goldfields has been switched online thanks to a partnership between BHP (ASX:BHP) and renewable energy provider TransAlta. This partnership will help BHP reduce scope two emissions at its Nickel West northern operations by 12%. TransAlta president and chief executive John Kousinioris says the company is excited to flick the switch on a ground-breaking project. “This facility represents a first for both companies — it’s BHP’s first on-site, large-scale renewable project globally, and it’s TransAlta’s first renewable energy facility in Australia. It’s also the first time we have combined solar and battery storage to offer a hybrid solution,” he said. “This unique project enabled us to apply the extensive capability and technical knowledge we…

The South Australian Government has awarded the Chrysos Photon Assay team the Innovator of the Year at the 2023 South Australian Science and Innovation awards last Friday evening. The Chrysos Photon Assay team, consisting of chief technical officer Dr James Tickner, chief executive and managing director Dirk Treasure, Dr Alvin Chowles and Dr Rhys Preston, were awarded for developing and commercialising their game-changing Photon Assay technology for the mining industry. Dr Tickner says being able to understand how much valuable metal is in the ore is an essential part of the mining business. “Photon Assay is a completely new approach,” he said. “It uses high-powered X-rays to hit samples and activate any metal in the samples by giving off a…