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Dampier Salt to sell Lake MacLeod for $375m Dampier Salt has entered a sales agreement for the Lake MacLeod salt and gypsum operation in WA to salt company Leichhardt Industrials Group for $375m. Dampier Salt is a joint venture between Rio Tinto (68%), Marubeni Corporation (22%) and Sojitz (10%). Lake MacLeod is one of three solar salt sites owned by Dampier Salt with the other two operations in Dampier and Port Hedland. It lies within Baiyungu country in the Gascoyne region of WA and consists of a 1.5mtpa salt operation, 1mtpa gypsum operation and a deepwater port. Dampier Salt is the world’s largest exporter of seaborne salt with capacity...

Sandvik receives largest ever surface drill rig order Sandvik has received its largest ever order for surface drill rigs from US-based Sandvik dealer Country Boy Supply, valued at $36m (SEK 248m). The order consists of 34 surface drill rigs which will replace Country Boy Supply’s current contractor fleet in Georgia and Tennessee. The order includes 16 Leopard DI650i drills, six Leopard DI550 drills, five Pantera DP1600i drills, three Ranger DX800 drills, three Ranger DX700 drills and one Pantera DP1500i drill. Automation will play a key feature in the fleet upgrade as part of the new rigs will be equipped with Sandvik AutoMine. AutoMine is a cutting-edge tele-remote solution that enables...

Zinc and lead anomalies identified at Wellington Coincident zinc and lead anomalies have been identified within Great Boulder Resources’ (ASX:GBR) Wellington base metals project in WA. In October and November, 700 soil samples were collected and assayed by Intertek Genalysis in Perth. The sample coverage represents around 63% of project area, with the remaining sample locations yet to be completed. The assays confirmed coincident zinc and lead anomalism in the northwestern and eastern areas of the project, matching the original GSWA sample data. The zinc and lead anomalism is supported by strong pathfinder anomalism including elevated copper, cobalt, magnesium, tungsten, nickel and thallium. Furthermore,...

Pilbara Minerals expands Ganfeng offtake agreement Lithium producer Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) has expanded its existing offtake agreement with Ganfeng Lithium Group. In 2017, Pilbara Minerals and Ganfeng signed an agreement for Pilbara Minerals to supply 160ktpa of spodumene concentrate from its Pilgangoora operation in WA. The expansion results in an allocation of up to 310ktpa of spodumene concentrate over CY24, CY25 and CY26. In CY24, Pilbara Minerals will supply a further 150kt of spodumene concentrate, taking the total supply in 2024 to 310kt, while in CY25 Pilbara Minerals will supply an additional 100kt (with the option to increase to 150kt at Pilbara Minerals’ choosing) of spodumene concentrate, taking the total...

Green Critical Minerals evaluates Boulia prospectivity Green Critical Minerals (ASX:GCM) has conducted exploration activities to further its understanding of the molybdenum, uranium and vanadium prospectivity at the Boulia project. Following the increased interest and global demand for molybdenum, uranium and vanadium, GCM undertook soil sampling and reviewed existing radiometric data and historical fieldwork in 2023. This work determined the evaluation of Boulia is reliant upon soil and drillhole geochemistry as well as magnetic and radiometric imagery. Given this, GCM has scheduled further relevant exploration work in 2024. Four peak areas of molybdenum, uranium and vanadium geochemistry were recognised with all lying within faulted limestones. These...

Ark Mines signs MOU for HMS offtake and processing Ark Mines (ASX:AHK) has entered a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with heavy mineral sands (HMS) producer Currumbin Minerals for the supply and delivery of mineral sands from the Sandy Mitchell project. The MOU outlines the framework and timeline for the two companies to work together towards a definitive collaboration agreement that will facilitate the treatment of HMS ore transported from Sandy Mitchell to Currumbin’s treatment facility. The terms of the MOU set out the key roles and responsibilities of both companies to establish the definitive agreement which is expected to result in the production of...

Kwinana big battery stage two reaches milestone Battery systems are now in place at the Kwinana Battery Stage Two — a significant milestone for the WA State Government’s plan for cleaner, reliable and affordable energy. Synergy has installed the containerised battery systems at what will become WA’s biggest grid-connected battery energy storage system, providing 200MW of power with 800MW of energy storage. Once completed, the battery system will be capable of powering 37,000 homes across the State for around four hours. Kwinana Battery Stage Two has already created more than 160 jobs during its current construction phase which is expected to be completed late 2024. WA Premier Roger Cook commented on the milestone....

Multiple high-priority EM targets identified at Balladonia Multiple high-priority electromagnetic (EM) targets have been identified at AusQuest’s (ASX:AQD) Balladonia project in the Fraser Range region of WA. A 1104km airborne VTEM survey was flown along east-west flight lines spaced 200m apart with a base frequency of 25Hz. Preliminary interpretation of the VTEM data has outlined several strong electromagnetic responses, indicative of potential massive sulphide mineralisation. These responses extend over 300m to 1km in length and are generally discrete in nature. The larger anomalies are considered more likely to reflect graphitic source rocks while the moderate conductive responses that coincide with distinct magnetic lows are considered potential carbonatite targets. AusQuest managing director Graeme Drew...

Start of a Goodyear with high-grade nickel confirmed Assay results from Lefroy Exploration Limited’s (ASX: LEX) diamond drilling program at the Goodyear nickel deposit near Kambalda in WA’s Goldfields region have returned highly elevated values in hole GYD040. The drillhole returned a highly elevated nickel intersection of 1.2m @ 10.01% Ni from 278.71m within massive to semi-massive sulphides. Lefroy Exploration managing director Wade Johnson says the high-grade nickel intersection in the first hole of the program is a very good start to the exploration campaign at Goodyear. “The intersection in GYD040 is one of the highest grade intervals of nickel mineralisation known at Goodyear, with our first drillhole intersecting massive...

Cummins Range joins forces with Newhaul Cummins Range, a subsidiary of RareX (ASX:REE), has partnered with Newhaul to provide product haulage and logistical support for the Cummins Range rare earth and phosphate project. A term sheet lays out the binding obligations to define forecast operational costs in support of definitive feasibility studies for the project and to reach a binding haulage contract before the end of FY24. Furthermore, the terms bind Newhaul to immediately establish a special purpose vehicle (JV Co) to provide haulage services to the Cummins Range project and provide an option for Cummins Range to enter the joint venture by acquiring 50% of the shares in JV...

Primobius receives Mercedes-Benz refinery purchase order Neometals’ (ASX:NMT) joint venture company Primobius has received a purchase order from Mercedes for a hydrometallurgical refining hub. A 50:50 joint venture between Neometals and SMS group, Primobius is an incorporated battery recycling company commercialising a patented lithium-ion battery (LiB) recycling process. Valued at $30.8m (€18.8m) the purchase order was awarded as part of a cooperation agreement with Mercedes. Under the agreement, Primobius is responsible for the engineering, equipment supply and installation of a 2500tpa fully integrated, closed loop Mercedes LiB recycling pilot plant. The hub is designed to match the capacity required to process intermediate feed material generated from the front-end refining Spoke. The Mercedes...