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BCI Minerals granted two mining leases BCI Minerals (ASX: BCI) has been granted two mining leases for its Optimised Mardie project (OMP) on the Pilbara coast of WA. The leases were granted by the WA Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and are key drivers in progressing the necessary approvals to finalise the Mardie salt and potash project. Furthermore, BCI also received approval for its Groundwater Monitoring and Management Plan (GMMP) from the WA Department of Water and Environmental Regulation. This approval requires BCI to update the groundwater modelling using data collected while the first three evaporation ponds are being filled....

Fortescue opens Gladstone electrolyser facility Fortescue (ASX: FMG) has opened its electrolyser facility in Queensland which is one of the first in the world to house an automated assembly line. The 15,000m2 manufacturing facility has the capacity to produce over 2GW of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser stacks per year. Fortescue Energy chief executive Mark Hutchinson says the facility establishes the company as an original equipment manufacturer. “The process of splitting hydrogen and oxygen isn’t new – but the innovative ways the world is looking to use green hydrogen to decarbonise are, and that means demand for green hydrogen and for the electrolysers to produce it is growing...

Westgold and Karora to merge and form +400kozpa gold mining company Westgold Resources (ASX: WGX) and Karora Resources have agreed to combine and create a +400kozpa gold mining company. Under the agreement, Westgold will acquire all Karora shares with Karora shareholders to receive 2.52 Westgold fully paid ordinary shares, 68¢ in cash and 0.30 of a share in a new company to be de-merged from Karora for every Karora share held. Upon completion of the transaction, Westgold will have a portfolio of assets capable of producing more than 400kozpa exclusively from a WA asset base, high quality exploration targets and a clear pipeline...

$4.6m funding to drive Queensland critical mineral discoveries Queensland companies will be able to dig, drill, sample and survey for new critical mineral deposits following a $4.6m boost. Funding has been given to projects prioritising the discovery of critical minerals which are needed to make solar panels, turbines, batteries and other technologies the world needs to decarbonise. The latest round of the Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) provides funding of up to $300k to 18 projects across regional Queensland including near Chillagoe, Townsville, Mount Isa and Cloncurry. The CEI program complements the Queensland critical minerals strategy which oversees $245m in investment to transform the...

Stanmore Resources acquires remaining 50% of Eagle Downs Stanmore Resources (ASX: SMR) has acquired the remaining 50% in the Eagle Downs metallurgical coal project and 100% of the Eagle Downs South tenements in Queensland. Stanmore acquired the first 50% of Eagle Downs from South32 (ASX: S32) in early February 2024. The remaining 50% was held by Aquila Coal, a subsidiary of China Baowu Steel Group Corporation. For Eagle Downs, Stanmore will pay $22.81m (US$15m) in cash to Aquila on completion of the transaction and $30.41m (US$20m) payable upon the first 100kt of col being mined from longwall mining methods. It also consists of a...

Heritage surveys confirmed for Prinsep Dates have been locked in to complete an Aboriginal Heritage and Ethnographic survey with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) over Accelerate Resources’ (ASX: AX8) Prinsep lithium project in WA. The survey will provide clearances to conduct drilling and other exploration activities over the spodumene-bearing northern and southern pegmatite trends. Drilling is expected to begin as soon as possible, following approvals for the heritage survey and program of works. Located 15km south of Karratha, Prinsep forms part of Accelerate’s larger Karratha lithium projects portfolio which covers around 90km2 of prospective tenure within the Karratha – Roebourne hard-rock lithium...

QEM extracts 99.93% pure vanadium pentoxide from industrial waste Critical minerals explorer and developer QEM (ASX: QEM) has extracted 99.93% pure vanadium pentoxide from Queensland industrial waste. These results complete the study carried out on QEM’s behalf by The University of Queensland Hydrometallurgy Research Laboratories (UQ), part of the School of Chemical Engineering. The results set the groundwork to begin optimisation and pilot-scale work. QEM supplied The University of Queensland with vanadium-bearing spent catalyst from Incitec Pivot’s Mount Isa sulphuric acid plant. Work determined that an acid lead followed by solvent extraction, crystallisation and calcining is a technically viable method of recycling spent catalyst to produce...

CSI Mining Services awarded five-year crushing contract CSI Mining Services, Mineral Resources’ (ASX: MIN) mining services arm, has been awarded a crushing contract for Atlas Iron’s McPhee Creek project in WA. The five-year contract is for the supply and operation of a 10Mtpa primary crushing plant fed by Atlas Iron via dump trucks or front-end loaders. The product will be stockpiled for reclaim and haulage by Atlas Iron. CSI chief executive Mike Grey says the contract adds to the company’s pipeline of upcoming work. “It’s fantastic to strengthen our partnership with Atlas Iron, with CSI also...

GenusPlus Group receives $50m worth of Fortescue work contracts As part of Fortescue’s (ASX: FMG) decarbonisation plans, power and communications infrastructure provider GenusPlus Group (ASX: GNP) has been awarded two work contracts worth $50m. The two contracts are for the construction of civil foundation and the construction of a 220kV circuit overhead transmission line to transmit power between the power station at Fortescue’s Solomon and Eliwana mines in WA. Under the contracts, GenusPlus will construct the pole civil foundations and install the transmission poles, conductor, optical ground wire and hardware. Work has already begun and is expected to be completed by mid-2025. GenusPlus managing director David Riches welcomes the opportunity...

BHP completes Blackwater and Daunia divestment BHP (ASX: BHP) and Mitsubishi Development (MDP) have completed the divestment of the Blackwater and Daunia mines to Whitehaven Coal (ASX: WHC). Both mines were part of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) metallurgical coal joint venture in Queensland. BHP and NDP each hold a 50% interest in BMA. Whitehaven Coal paid BMA $3.07b (US$2b) cash consideration on completion, plus a preliminary completion adjustment of $67.73m (US$44.1m) for working capital and other adjustments. On October 18, 2023, Whitehaven paid a $153.59m (US$100m) deposit on signing of the asset sale agreement. There remains a cash payment of $1.69b (US$1.1b), payable by Whitehaven Coal...

Rio Tinto appointed manager of Ranger rehabilitation project Under a new management services agreement (MSA), Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) will manage the Ranger rehabilitation project in the Northern Territory on behalf of Energy Resources of Australia (ERA). The MSA will build on ERA’s existing rehabilitation work with Rio’s technical expertise in designing, scoping and executing closure projects. Transition to Rio Tinto’s management will begin immediately and is expected to take around three months. Under the agreement, Rio and ERA will aim to complete the Ranger rehabilitation project in the safest and most efficient way, and to a standard that will establish an environment similar...