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The WA Government will increase the Exploration Incentive Scheme  from $10m to $12.5m. Starting in 2021-22, the increase in EIS funding is aimed at further incentivising investment in WA’s mining industry. As part of the WA Recovery Plan, the EIS received a one-off funding of $5m in 2020-21, which temporarily increased the EIS budget from $10m to $15m. For the past two EIS rounds, the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has received a significantly higher number of applications. Previous EIS success stories include the discovery of the Nova nickel mine, the Tropicana gold mine, Gruyere gold mine and most recently the Bellevue Gold project. A recent independent study, covering the first 10 years of the EIS, reiterated the…

Australian mining has continued to support the nation’s export and economic success with new records set for total export value and a range of mineral commodities. New export data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics for the 2020/21 full financial year show the extraordinary magnitude and resilience of Australia’s mining exports. The mining industry has generated a new record high of almost $300b in export revenue for the Australian economy. As Australians cheer on their sporting champions at the Tokyo Olympics, they should be equally proud of their great mining workforce and the regional communities which continue to support the Australian minerals industry in breaking export records and meeting global demand for our world-class commodities. The array of new…

Fortescue Metals Group has become the first company in the resources sector in WA to remove all retail single-use plastic beverage products from across its business. Instead, beverages will be available for purchase in non-plastic packaging. Fortescue has also introduced reusable containers for all team members and contracting partners for use at its Pilbara mine sites. Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Gaines said the company was committed to safeguarding the environment for future generations. “We know that single use plastics are having a devastating impact on our environment, with up to 12.7mt of plastic entering our oceans every year, or the equivalent to a truckload of plastic every minute,” she said. “Through these new initiatives, we will be able to…

WA-based Kalium Lakes reports that it is on track to deliver first production of sulphate of potash by late September, with its robust network of brine supply and evaporation ponds delivering large volumes of potassium salts above the plant feed cut-off grade. More than 113,000t of contained SOP has been pumped to the end of July and 90,000t of potassium salts has been stockpiled, which is equivalent to about 9000t of SOP production. Harvesting operations continue, without interruption or delay, from the abundant supply of potassium salts available within the crystalliser ponds. Chief Executive Officer Rudolph van Niekerk said the operations team at the Beyondie SOP Project was working closely with the projects team through each of the separate commissioning…

A number of vending machines with a difference have recently been installed across various WA minesites, but instead of dispensing confectionery, chips and soft drinks, they provide essential oils, healthy snacks and sleep sprays. It’s all to do with helping keep the FIFO workplace a healthy place to work in. The 24/7 “wellness stations”, placed in mining camps, provides support in workplaces where mental health issues have been prevalent, and to help break the statistics of unhappiness in workplaces, schools and other communities. They are a highly visible, self-service solution for employees to easily access a range of practical tools and products that can help improve wellbeing, general health and state of mind. The company behind the roll-out — Perth’s…

BHP and its power partner in the Goldfields, TransAlta, are to build two solar farms and a battery storage system to help power the Mt Keith and Leinster operations. This will help BHP reduce emissions from electricity use at Mt Keith and Leinster by 12%, based on FY2020 levels. The Northern Goldfields Solar Project will include a 27.4MW solar farm at Mt Keith and a 10.7 MWsolar farm and 10.1MW battery at Leinster, and will displace power currently supplied by diesel and gas turbine generation. This will result in an estimated reduction of 540,000t of CO2e over the first 10 years of operation. This is the equivalent of removing up to 23,000 combustion engine cars from the road every year.…

Burgundy Diamond Mines has advanced several recent arrangements to facilitate its growth in the high-value fancy colour diamonds sector. Based off the proposed start of production of fancy yellow diamonds from the Ellendale Diamond Project in 2022, the company had previously announced the potential of cutting and polishing some of this production in the Kimberley of WA to unlock further latent value. Additionally, Burgundy has been formulating a wider downstream strategy that includes cutting, polishing, marketing and sales of potential production from other projects in its international portfolio, such as the Naujaat Project in Canada, as well as from third party supply. With the closure of other diamond operations in 2020, the company has had the opportunity to start building…

Resources and energy employers have been equipped with a new practical framework to assist them in navigating the industry’s distinct workforce mental health challenges, including varying rosters, remote isolation and fly-in, fly-out working arrangements. The Resources and Energy Industry Workforce Mental Health Framework is the latest initiative from Australian Resources and Energy Group AMMA, assisting employers in their shared commitment to building and maintaining mentally healthy workplaces. The industry-first framework further builds upon the resources and energy industry’s strong motivations to drive continual improvement in workforce mental health policies and initiatives. Organisations are provided with the theoretical tools to break down their workforce mental health and wellness capability from a policy, program and practical perspective. Employers can then benchmark their…

NRW Holdings has secured two new contracts from Rio Tinto, one of which will see it enter the renewable energy fold with an agreement to deliver a 34MW solar photovoltaic system at the Gudai Darri mine in the Pilbara region of WA. The contract, valued at $60 million, is part of Rio Tinto’s commitment to reduce the carbon footprint of its operations with a stated target to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The scope of work for the solar farm includes design, procurement, construction, testing and commissioning of all equipment including a 33 kV substation to be integrated into the overall Rio Tinto iron ore infrastructure, including remote control and monitoring via the Rio Tinto Iron Ore Remote Operation Centre.…

OZ Minerals has reported strong cash position on sound operational performance and a robust market in its latest quarterly release. In particular, a strong second quarter from the company’s major South Australian operations and favourable copper prices led to a 22% uplift in quarter-on-quarter copper production which contributed to a strong first half operating performance, with H1 net revenue of $986m enabling closing cash balance of $134m (unaudited) and zero debt. Group copper production guidance was on track, gold production increased and cash costs were lowered. Grade increased at Carrapateena in line with its mine plan. Prominent Hill continued to reliably increase the level of underground ore mined, with Q2 delivering the highest recorded underground ore mined to date. Managing…

WA-based Lynas Rare Earths, the largest rare earths producer outside China, has posted record quarterly revenue on the back of “very strong” demand for its range of specialised metals that offset softer prices. Lynas reported a jump in fourth-quarter revenue to $185.9m, more than triple $38m a year earlier, pushing the stock up 9%. Demand for rare earth materials such as neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) has rebounded from a pandemic-driven drop last year as electric vehicles continue to gain popularity amid a global push to reduce carbon emissions. Lynas and other western producers stand to benefit from efforts by the US to curb its reliance on China for the minerals, which are used in items such as magnets for windfarms,…