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Image: Rio Tinto. BY ELIZABETH FABRI AUSTRALIA’S mining sector has an opportunity to cement itself as a world-leader in the robotic space, according to new research by The Australian Centre for Robotic Vision. Its newly launched Robotics Roadmap revealed mining was already ahead of other sectors, but the path to commercialisation was a key barrier in transitioning robotics from the R&D phase to market-ready product. Driverless trucks and drones were already deployed across major operations, delivering productivity efficiencies, improved safety, and cost savings. However, other areas to be unlocked included robots for mining in hazardous and remote geographic areas; using robots to mine on-demand when resources were required; developing independently aware robotic systems to reduce reliance on a control room;…

BY ELIZABETH FABRI RIVERSGOLD, Minotaur Exploration, St George Mining, Emmerson, and DevEx Resources were just some of the companies to secure funding as part of the Government’s four year, $100 million Junior Minerals Exploration Incentive (JMEI). The JMEI, successfully passed by the Senate in March, provides a tax incentive to invest in small exploration companies undertaking greenfields minerals exploration in Australia. It replaces the former Exploration Development Incentive (EDI), and allows mineral exploration companies (with no mining income) to raise capital, and renounce and pass future tax deductions to their Australian resident investors. 46 companies applied for their share in $31.5 million for the 2018/19 income year, up from 23 companies a year prior. Association of Mining and Exploration Companies…

 MACA has continued to make strong progress on the bulk earthworks at the Gruyere JV project. Image: Gold Fields Australia. BY ELIZABETH FABRI MACA and its subsidiary MACA Interquip have added more than $60 million to its order book via new contracts across mining and infrastructure projects in WA and Victoria. In the civil space, MACA has secured a new earthworks contract to build evaporating ponds for Western Areas’ Cosmos nickel project, and has confirmed a $12m variation to the bulk earthworks contract with the Gruyere Joint Venture between Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources. The company also picked up a $30m design and construct contract with the WA Main Roads Authority for the Coongan Gorge realignment, and a $6m…

Image: IGO. BY REUBEN ADAMS INDEPENDENCE Group (IGO) has confirmed an evolving focus on assets “aligned to the emerging super-cycle for energy storage minerals” after announcing the sale of its Jaguar zinc-copper operation in WA to CopperChem for just $73.2m. In June last year CopperChem, a subsidiary of diversified investment house Washington H. Soul Pattinson and Company, also acquired  IGO’s Stockman copper-zinc project in north east Victoria for $47.5m. IGO acquired both the Jaguar/Bentley and Stockman assets in a $531m takeover of Jabiru Metals in 2011. $25 million will be paid on completion of the Jaguar transaction – scheduled for 31 May — and an additional $48.2 million in deferred cash payments. The transition of ownership will be rapid, with…

BY ELIZABETH FABRI THERE was lithium, cobalt and graphite; now, a new technology commodity market is emerging – high purity alumina (HPA). Currently fetching prices as high as $US40,000 per tonne, demand for the aluminium oxide powder is set to explode in the coming years.  We chat with near term producer Altech Chemicals. Australia is well placed to meet global demand for HPA, with a handful of projects at various stages of development. The processed premium non-metallurgical alumina product (with a purity equal to or greater than 99.99 per cent) is characterised by its low friction, non-corrosiveness, and thermal and electrical insulating ability. The product is sought after in an array of technology applications, acting as the separator between the…

BY CAMERON DRUMMOND GLOBAL March quarter copper production decreased 4.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter as only one-third of the top 15 producers reporting an increase in output, according to S&P Global. Production from the top 15 producers in the 2018 March quarter fell by 136,548 tonnes (t), or 4.8 per cent, compared the December 2017 quarter. However, output rose by 14.8 per cent, or 345,725t, on an annual basis in the March quarter. MMG, Grupo México and Vale sustained the bulk of those losses, with Vale recording the biggest fall – down 20.3 per cent – due to unscheduled mine maintenance and lower processed ore grades across some of its operations. MMG reported a loss in production of 31,799t, or 19.9…

The upgraded 486,000oz Mt York deposit remains open in most directions, with potential to add further ounces both along strike and at depth. Image: Kairos Minerals. BY REUBEN ADAMS DRILLING at Kairos Minerals’ Pilbara gold project 100km south of Port Hedland has delivered a massive 290 per cent resource increase for the Mount York deposit resource to 486,000oz – with strong potential for further growth. The updated indicated and inferred resource for Kairos’ Pilbara gold project, including Mt York, Iron Stirrup and Old Faithful, has been boosted by 150 per cent to 14.4 million tonnes at 1.3g/t gold for 643,000oz. Each of the deposits remain open both along strike and at depth, providing outstanding opportunities to further increase the resource…

BY ELIZABETH FABRI ASX-listed Australian Mines has identified large-scale cobalt-in-soil anomalies at its Thackaringa project near Broken Hill, NSW. Recent surface geochemical sampling at Target Area A uncovered three zones of elevated levels of cobalt that are reportedly similar to the Pyrite Hill and Big Hill prospects at Cobalt Blue’s identically named Thackaringa project. Australian Mines said with the anomalous zones partially buried by a shallow alluvial cover, surface expressions of cobalt mineralisation greater than 15ppm (grams per tonne) were considered significant. “This technique, for example, has been successfully used by Alloy Resources on its Ophara CobaltGold project directly to the west of the Australian Mines’ Thackaringa Project, as well as being the documented geochemical signature of the Pyrite Hill…

Image: Jwmcdonald81 BY REUBEN ADAMS THE QLD Supreme Court has taken the extraordinary step of freezing more than $200m of Clive Palmer’s assets, as Queensland Nickel liquidator PPB Advisory looks to recover millions of dollars allegedly owed by the mining magnate from the 2016 collapse of the refinery. On 25 May the Supreme Court granted an application by Queensland Nickel liquidators for freezing orders against Mr Palmer and several of his companies. In Mr Palmer’s case the value specified was $204,943,664.39, but other amounts were specified for the companies concerned. In its Summary of Judgement, the Court based its decision on its belief that Queensland Nickel liquidators had a good arguable case against Mr Palmer and the companies concerned.  Also,…

The undeveloped Cloncurry project – including the proposed Eva copper mine – could give CMMC a global production footprint. Image: Altona Mining. COPPER MOUNTAIN MINING (ASX:C6C) Canada-based Copper Mountain Mining (TSX: CMMC) is now trading on the ASX following a $93m acquisition of QLD-based Altona Mining and its world-class Eva copper project. In the transaction Copper Mountain acquired $30m in cash, the development-ready, permitted 73,000tpa Eva project, and a 379,000 hectare mineral land package in the prolific Mt. Isa area of QLD. JUPITER MINES (ASX:JMS) Jupiter is back in the ASX, with its $240m initial public offering (IPO) reportedly the largest in the Australian metals and mining industry over the last decade. Jupiter’s main asset a 49.9 per cent interest…