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Global mining services provider Thiess has moved more than 10m banked cubic metres semi-autonomously at the Lake Vermont mine in Queensland. The milestone was achieved three years after Thiess launched its fleet of six Cat D11 dozers with the semi-autonomous tractor system (SATs). Thiess head of autonomy and operations technology Trent Smith commented on the milestone. “10m banked cubic metres is equivalent in volume to 4000 Olympic-sized swimming pools — moving this amount without an operator in the machine is a significant milestone,” he said. “It reflects Thiess’ ongoing commitment to linking people and technology to deliver safety and operational efficiency outcomes. “With this technology, a single operator can quickly and easily control multiple dozers from the comfort and safety…

Construction has commenced on a new data centre in the Northern Territory, called D1 Darwin, an $80m critical infrastructure project that will house about 1,500 racks and support up to 8MW IT load. The construction of this new NEXTDC data centre is being managed by Kapitol Group NT and will create and support up to 200 jobs. NEXTDC is Australia’s only provider of integrated edge data centre and remote operations solutions. The new centre is within walking distance from the new Charles Darwin University CBD campus and will offer critical digital infrastructure to support all levels of business and government. It will also house an innovation centre providing collaborative spaces to enable Territory technology innovators, start-ups and growth companies. Northern…

Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) and Aymium have partnered to develop and trial a renewable biocarbon product for use as an alternative resource to reduce emissions in large scale industrial processes. This product has been successfully trialled as a replacement for anthracite used in ilmenite smelting processes at Rio’s metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy, Quebec. The complex is a world-leading producer of high-grade titanium dioxide feedstock plus iron and steel for specialised applications. Rio Tinto minerals chief executive Sinead Kaufman says the company is delighted to work with Aymium. “We are delighted to work with Aymium to develop and trial this renewable biocarbon product that has real potential as an alternative, low carbon resource for our processes,” she said. “We are investing to…

Global mining technology company Weir will partner with CEEC International (CEEC) to drive sustainable innovation and improve productivity in mining. In addition to renewing its support as a premium sponsor, Weir will participate in CEEC’s newly launched Global Water Initiative, a groundbreaking collaboration to drive action to ensure responsible water use within the industry. Water is fundamental to the way in which minerals are processed. However, in some parts of the world there is not enough, and in some parts there’s too much. So mining needs to use water wisely. Weir understands this and is developing tailored solutions to help the industry increase water recovery and recycling rates and, where possible, introduce water-free steps within mining processes. The Global Water…

National mining and related industries day is celebrated on November 22 as a day to celebrate the country’s essential mining and related industries, plus the people who work in them. First launched in 2013 by co-patrons Gina Rinehart and Tad Watroba, the day is a way to celebrate the enormous contribution of Australia’s mining and related industries, and to remind those in the industry to be proud of it and stand up for it. In her inaugural speech for national mining and related industries day, Ms Rinehart said the day would be an opportunity for the industry to tell their story. “We are here today to celebrate an industry group that is too often shy about speaking of its efforts…

Sandvik has launched the CT55 and CT67 top hammer tool systems to increase efficiency, reduce cost, save fuel and simplify automated drilling. The multi-patented, first-of-its-kind curved thread design reduces stress levels by distributing them over a larger area inside the tool. This enables the system to handle higher drilling power and a drill rig’s full potential. Sandvik vice president of product line top hammer Anders Brungs commented on the new systems. “We are proud to offer an innovation that delivers significantly increased efficiency, since higher drilling parameters are allowed with fewer stops for breakages,” he said. “Our design increases productivity by 15% while reducing fuel consumption by 15%, as faster drilling means less flushing time.” This higher productivity can be…

Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO) is undertaking the largest demolition project in Australia’s history at its Gove alumina refinery where the equivalent of three Sydney Harbour bridges in steel will be shipped and recycled. This demolition is part of the broader closure program at Rio’s Gove operations where bauxite mining is expected to stop later this decade. The first shipment, which contains around 15kt of scrap steel, recently left the Gove wharf for Asia to be converted into new steel wire, bar and beam products. All up, 142kt of steel in 10 shipments will be exported to Asia while 300kt of concrete will also be recycled for road construction and other projects. Rio Tinto Gove closure general manager James Low says its…

Seven high priority lithium anomalies have been defined at Flynn Gold’s (ASX:FG1) Mt Dove project in the Pilbara region of WA. The anomalies come from an in-fill soil sampling program which was designed to evaluate multiple lithium and gold anomalies outlined from an ultra-fine fraction (UFF) soil sampling program. The seven high priority anomalies reveal broad areas of lithium soil anomalism, extending lengths between 600m and 3.1km plus widths of between 200m and 1km. Furthermore, the anomalies lie with the predominantly shallow sand covered eastern part of Mt Dove. In addition to the seven high-priority coherent lithium geochemical anomalies, 11 lower priority, less coherent lithium anomalies were also identified. The original UFF soil survey focused on gold exploration while the…

Fenix Resources (ASX:FEX) has signed a binding ore purchase agreement with iron ore producer 10M for the purchase of 500kt of high-grade hematite iron ore. Under the 24-month period, 10M will supply 500kt of +60% iron direct shipping ore (DSO) from the Woolbung Peak deposit within the Twin Peaks direct shipping iron ore project. Using its expanded port capacity and logistics capabilities, Fenix will be responsible for haulage, storage, port services, ship loading, marketing and sales. Fenix chairman John Welborn says the company is delighted to be partnering with 10M. “The 10m ore purchase agreement is an immediate boost to our export tonnages while we work to bring the Shine iron ore mine and Beebyn-W11 deposit into production alongside our…

The WA State Government will invest more than $4m to establish a carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) industry in the state. CCUS involves capturing and storing carbon dioxide to reduce emissions from industrial-scale processes and projects, and it will play an important role in decarbonising hard-to-abate industries across the world. Commissioned and co-funded by the WA LNG Jobs Taskforce and undertaken by CSIRO and the Global CCS Institute, the study found WA is capable of storing its own carbon and turning existing infrastructure into CCUS hubs. To help progress CCUS in WA, the State Government will invest $4.3m towards a CCUS action plan, putting WA at the forefront of the industry globally. The action plan will aim to accelerate…

Fortescue Metals (ASX:FMG) has formed Fortescue Capital — headquartered in New York — and named Robert Tichio as chief executive and managing partner. An integral part of Fortescue’s commitment to deliver green energy projects and decarbonisation investments, Fortescue Capital is a new green energy investment accelerator platform tasked with delivering greater returns for shareholders. Fortescue Energy chief executive Mark Hutchinson commented on Fortescue Capital. “Fortescue is taking is global pipeline of green hydrogen and green ammonia projects to final investment decision, and in doing so has communicated our intention and desire to bring additional equity investor onboard,” he said. “Further, Fortescue has previously communicated its planned investment to decarbonise its Pilbara operations, and we see Fortescue Capital as an essential…