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THE presence of metallic blue crusts on termite mounds could indicate the presence of other base metals in the surrounding area. A CSIRO study in the southern Pilbara region of WA, using advances in sample analysis, has shown how the blueish manganese crusts displayed unique zinc signatures that indicated metal deposits were in the vicinity. The crusts are also found in rock and cave varnishes, making them an easily accessible exploration tool for base metals including nickel and cobalt, which will support the world's transition to a low emissions future. Lead scientist Sam Spinks said CSIRO's innovative new exploration tools and processes were helping to tackle the global challenge of sustainable energy and resources. "Australian explorers need new, cost-effective techniques...

RESOURCES Minister Keith Pitt has welcomed the long term commitment by some of Australia’s largest mining and upstream petroleum companies to major resources projects, despite the major economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I understand the extremely difficult situation facing companies and workers across the economy including in the resources and energy sector,” he said. “Any project delays are deeply regrettable and any people losing their jobs in the short term is something the Government is working hard to avoid and minimise – be that direct employees or the numerous contractors and sub-contractors that work in this sector. “We simply can’t afford to lose the skills and knowledge that these workers bring to the country. “The next few months...

ORICA and Epiroc Rock Drills are jointly developing a semi-automated explosives delivery system, enabling safer and more productive blasting operations in underground mines. As mines go deeper and ore bodies become more remote, the case for blasting automation becomes clearer. The partnership brings together the deep expertise and experience of two global industry leaders to address the growing demand from customers mining in increasingly more hazardous and challenging underground operations. Orica chief commercial and technology officer Angus Melbourne said the partnership with Epiroc allowed Orica to leverage its exclusive wireless initiating system, WebGen, to deliver the critical first steps towards the automation of drill and blast operations. “Automation is a key pillar of our technology strategy and supports our vision...

THE Australian Steel Institute (ASI) has called on the Government to classify the steel industry as essential. The peak industry body represents the entire steel industry value chain, including major producer members BlueScope Steel, InfraBuild Steel, Molycop and Bisalloy, and says the industry must be kept operational in the event of severe lockdowns designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. In a joint statement with the Australian Workers' Union, the ASI said steel was a high capital cost industry with low people density and high value. “The steel industry already practices very high standards of hygiene to protect all employees from routine work health and safety risks,” they said. “These practices have been galvanised and heighted since the outbreak of...

RESEARCHERS have developed new methods for recognising potential mineralisation hidden beneath barren cover rocks in under-explored areas of WA. A major collaboration between the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA), the Centre for Exploration Targeting (CET) and sponsor Gold Road Resources, the project seeks to apply new computational technology to solving the challenges of mineral exploration below barren cover rocks. The work targeted WA’s Eastern Yilgarn Craton and Albany-Fraser Orogen, where highly-endowed regional geology known to host world-class mineral deposits is buried and hidden from view by later sediments. Led by geophysicist Mark Lindsay at the University of WA, the CET research team developed innovative processing techniques to improve the quality of conventional geophysical constraint, and applied cutting-edge machine...

A BREAKTHROUGH in Australian-made integrated hardware and digital technology can now be used as a tool for the remote management of onsite workforce COVID-19 transmission risk in real-time. The digital enablement of the units, named Bat Booths, manufactured by Mideco and developed by Pulse Mining Systems, will not only assist mining and quarrying operations to keep rolling during the pandemic, but also help to protect frontline workers from dust-related respiratory illnesses and other on-going work-related health threats. Bat Booth was originally marketed as a simple but effective device for reducing the risk to workers from dust-related respiratory illnesses such as CWP (black lung disease) and silicosis. The strategic alliance between Mideco and Pulse led to the development of real-time business...

AFTER 18 months of successful field trials conducted across three WA mine sites, MineWare has announced the launch of its Argus Wheel Loader (WL) system—an OEM independent wheel loader monitoring system that lifts productivity and reduces cost per tonne in real time. Argus WL delivers real-time feedback to the wheel loader operator via an intuitive touchscreen to make material handling and loading jobs safer, faster and more accurate. MineWare marketing and sales vice president Roy Pater said Argus WL extended the company’s portfolio of monitoring systems as customers continue to digitise their operations and leverage real-time information across more of their ground engaging equipment. “Building on the success of our world-leading Argus and Pegasys monitoring systems for electric rope shovels,...

WA LITHIUM Australia has had a positive year with promising developments including the acquisition of Mt Deans East and the completion of the Ravensthorpe mine rehabilitation. The company has updated its raw material strategy for 2020 in order to establish a high-quality lithium resource base. Primary supply opportunities, including the Medcalf prospect, are being explored. Mine-waste streams (historical dumps and tailings) and discharge from currently operating mines are also being considered as sources. The Medcalf prospect has a cluster of stacked pegmatite dikes with abundant spodumene and a possible extension suggested by a lithium-in-soil geochemistry anomaly that was later discovered. The spodumene samples show positive signs with very low levels of deleterious elements. The company also announced that the Mt...

LEGISLATION has been passed in Queensland to set up an independent health and safety body for workers in the resources sector from July 1. The new body will be called Resources Safety and Health Queensland (RSHQ) and will regulate the safety and health of workers in the state’s minerals, coal, petroleum and gas, quarry, small scale mining and explosives industries. This puts into action the Safety and Health Queensland Bill 2019, based on recommendations by the Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis (CWP) select committee. Queensland Mines minister Anthony Lynham said the new regulator would focus on enhancing safety of the state’s 70,000 resources workers. “It will be totally separate from the government’s broader function of growing and facilitating mining and exploration projects...

IRON ore will prop up Australia’s resource and energy export earnings despite the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new estimate put forth by the Australian Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. The department’s latest Resources and Energy Quarterly (REQ) forecasts commodity export earnings to hit a record $299b in 2019-2020, an increase of $18b from 2018-2019. The REQ covers a five-year outlook, highlighting long-term structural changes affecting global commodity markets including urbanisation, industrialisation and technological change. This edition includes information on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the commodity outlook. While oil prices have been falling due to diminishing global demands for air travel, gold prices have been increasing as investors look towards safe options, benefiting...