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AOG bigger than ever THE Australasian Oil and Gas Exhibition is shaping up to be a whopper, with 118 new exhibitors signed up for the event at the Perth Convention Centre, from March 11-13. Businesses catering for the oil, gas and energy industry are gearing up to showcase a range of innovations and services. Renewable energy is making its presence felt with a Renewables and Energy Storage zone included for the first time. The dedicated exhibition floor will be promoting Australia as a leading investment destination for renewable energy products. As part of the renewables energy discussion, conference sessions around the path to energy transition, and energy diversification will be chaired by industry leaders. A raft of energizing and valuable...

Full automation for Roy Hill WA iron ore operator Roy Hill has plotted a path toward full automation. Leading global mining equipment and services provider Epiroc, in partnership with automation specialist ASI Mining, is set to convert Roy Hill’s mixed fleet of 77 haul trucks from manned to autonomous use. Epiroc/ASI Mining will meet Roy Hill’s requirements to deliver a safe, inter-operable solution for its truck fleet. There is also scope to expand to other mining vehicle types and manufacturers, as well as capability to integrate with existing and future Roy Hill systems. As part of this project, Epiroc/ASI Mining will work closely with Hitachi/Wencomine on truck conversion and integration of Roy Hill’s existing Wenco fleet management system. Roy Hill...

Antipa Minerals signs $60m farm-in deal ANTIPA Minerals (ASX: AZY) has entered into a $60m farm-in agreement and exploration joint venture agreement with gold miner Newcrest. The agreement covers the southern part of Antipa Minerals’ 100pc-owned exploration ground in the Paterson province of WA, now known as the Wilki project. The Wilki project abuts Newcrest’s Telfer mine for gold and copper and its O’Callaghans deposit. Under the deal Newcrest has the option to acquire a 75pc interest in the joint venture for Wilki. Also, Newcrest has entered into an agreement with Antipa Minerals to acquire a 9.9pc shareholding in the Australian company through a $3.9m share placement. Antipa Minerals chairman Stephen Power said the agreements with Newcrest will ensure a...

Monodelphous award tip top contract WA REMA Tip Top has received a bolster to its partnership with Monodelphous as the mining services giant awards it a $1.2m contract in the Pilbara, WA. Rema Tip Top will provide belt splicing capabilities for five conveyors, including overland and run of mine conveyors connecting Rio Tinto’s West Angelas Deposits C and D with its existing process plant and stockyard. REMA TIP TOP Asia Pacific chief executive, Benedikt Schneider, said that Rema Tip Top prides itself on its ability to provide best in class services. “This new contract with Monadelphous speaks to their trust in our ability to get the job done on time, to specification and with safety performance of paramount importance,” he...

Malaysia gives Lynas thumbs up WITH another three years’ grace to process rare earths in Malaysia, Lynas is surging ahead with its cracking and leaching plant in Kalgoorlie, WA. Lynas managing director, Amanda Lacaze, said  the company has confirmed its commitment to the 97pc Malaysian workforce with the renewal of the licence to operate. “We have created over 1000 direct jobs, 90pc of which are skilled or semi-skilled, and we spend over RM600m ($217 million) in the local economy each year,” she said. The plant is now ensured to be operational until at least July 2023. The licence includes the development of a permanent disposal facility in the first year. The construction of the cracking and leaching plant will be...

WA tops for mining dollars WITH a record $219b invested in resource exports in WA in 2019, the state is the world leader in attracting mining investment. This is reflected in the record number of workers currently employed by mining and resource companies as exploration and production ramps up. Fraser Institute senior policy analyst Ashley Stedman said that a sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes are key to making a jurisdiction attractive to investors. The comprehensive Fraser Institute mining survey assessed 76 jurisdictions across the world, with WA coming out on top on the Investment Attractiveness Index. “We consider both policy and mineral potential in the Investment Attractiveness Index,” Ms Stedman said. Apart from NSW, Australian states and territories...

Global Oil & Gas targets helium HELIUM exploration company Global Oil & Gas (ASX: GLV) has announced an exploration campaign for its 100pc-owned Southern Georgina project in Australia’s Northern Territory. The company said helium is a high value specialty gas and a vital element in the manufacture of fibre optic cables, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), semiconductors and in space exploration. “The helium market is currently undersupplied, and prices are on average 10 times that of natural gas,” the company stated. The ASX-listed company intends to expedite an exploration program to unlock the value of its Southern Georgina project which is prospective for helium. This will involve surface mapping and magnetics studies in the first half of 2020, and an ambient...

ERA sees challenging uranium market URANIUM producer Energy Resources of Australia has come close to exceeding its upper production guidance for 2019 and has realised slightly higher prices for its uranium oxide product. ERA stated it expects the uranium market to remain challenging in the near term, with the market’s surplus expected to continue into the medium term. “China-led demand growth is expected to support a rebalancing of the market over the longer term as China and other Asian countries continue to progress their nuclear power programs in accordance with long-term energy policy objectives,” ERA stated in its 2019 results announcement on Wednesday. ERA achieved an average price of US$41.89/pound last year on all sales of its uranium oxide product...

Automation training in Pilbara schools THE Resources Challenge, an initiative aimed at teaching school kids coding and automation skills for jobs in the mining sector, was signed this week and will be implemented in schools in the Pilbara this term. Year 5 and 6 students in 26 primary schools in the region as well as students at Karratha Senior High School and the Port Hedland School of the Air will take part in the program, which has been funded and developed through the Pilbara Collaboration Charter. Signatories to the charter consist of WA Premier Mark McGowan, CME and its members BHP, Chevron Australia, CITIC Pacific Mining, Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto Iron Ore, Roy Hill, Woodside and Yara Pilbara. Chamber...

Australian resources companies draw $1.15b AUSTRALIAN resources and energy companies attracted $1.15b of investment funding in the October-December 2019 quarter, the highest amount since April-June 2018, according to an analysis by Austex Resource Opportunities. Austex principal consultant Rob Murdoch said the trend for increased investment funding to ASX-listed metals and energy companies had carried over into early 2020. Australian gold, copper and oil and gas companies listed on the ASX all did well in terms of attracting funds, including from small investors in Australia, he said. “The large capital raisings in Q4 2019 are a result of recent exploration success for copper-gold porphyries in the Lachlan Fold belt of NSW and the Paterson province in WA, along with new gold...

Alto shares halt on takeover bid TRADING was halted Tuesday in shares of ASX-listed gold company Alto Metals (ASX: AME) after it received a takeover approach from Goldsea Australia Mining, a subsidiary of Chinese company Shandong Goldsea Group. Alto Metals shares will stay in a trading halt until Thursday or pending its response to the takeover approach. The gold exploration company advised its shareholders on February 24 that Goldsea had offered to acquire all of its shares for the price of $0.065/share in cash. Alto noted that Goldsea’s approach was subject to conditions including Foreign Investment Review Board approval and due diligence to confirm the mineral resource in its Sandstone Gold project. The company stated that its directors advise Alto...