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Tropicana has delivered a 72 per cent increase in ore reserves since the project was approved in November 2010.   Image: AngloGold Ashanti.   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   ANGLOGOLD Ashanti and Independence Group have locked in $46 million for Phase One of its Long Island strategy at the Tropicana gold mine, 330km northeast of Kalgoorlie, WA.   The development will see 2.1 million ounces (moz) added to the Tropicana business plan, extending the mine life until 2027. Tropicana will also have a 6 megawatt ball mill installed to increase production and gold recovery rates by 3 per cent to 92 per cent. The JV partners said the Long Island strategy was driven by developing a more cost-effective way to mine waste....

BY ELIZABETH FABRI   COPPER is in favour as demand picks up in China, while electric vehicle and the renewables boom looks to build sustainable price momentum into the future. Yet the base metal, as is the case for many commodities in 2017, has also been defined by its volatility. Will the good time continue?    Copper has been a particularly interesting commodity to watch throughout the 2017 year. On the back of sudden price gains in late 2016, the base metal had a volatile start to the year, continuing its upswing in the first few months, (due to supply disruptions at three of the world’s largest mines), before plummeting to three-month lows in April. As analysts predicted, the slump...

Image: Cox Architecture.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   FORMER WA Government architect Steve Woodland has unveiled plans to build a $100 million mining museum in Perth to pay homage to the State’s rich mining history.   Mr Woodland, who now works as a principal director at architecture firm Cox, said the proposed museum would act as an educational facility for children, and a place for events and celebrations. “The Museum of Mining WA could offer experiences like no other in the world,” Mr Woodland said. “Mining is in many ways a central part of who we are and yet our visitors see very little evidence of it in our city. “Many visitors are surprised — and disappointed — that it...

Hunter Valley Operations, NSW.  Image: Yancoal. BY ELIZABETH FABRI HEALTHY demand for coal from key international markets is delivering more jobs for the NSW mining industry, according to NSW Minerals Council chief executive Stephen Galilee. Recent figures from industry organisation Coal Services reported more than 20,600 coal production jobs across the State in July; 1300 additional jobs year-on year, and the highest amount since March 2015. Of the newly created jobs, more than 1000 were based in the Hunter Valley, signalling good news for the 8000 plus mining supplier businesses across the region. “Our NSW coal mining communities have done it tough over the past few years, so this jobs boost mining is really good news for local economies,” Mr...

Australian Mines’ Sconi cobalt project.  Image: Supplied. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND AUSTRALIAN mines has tapped investors for $20 million in a heavily-oversubscribed capital raising for its Sconi cobalt-nickel-scandium play in Northern QLD. The funds will be used to continue trial mining and undertake a bankable feasibility study, due to be completed in April 2018. The budding cobalt miner is also constructing a demonstration-size processing plant capable of producing commercial-grade samples of cobalt sulphate, nickel sulphate and scandium oxide. These samples will be used to progress negotiations with potential off-take partners and financiers, the company stated. In March, a Sconi pre-feasibility study (PFS) reported a mineral resource of 514,000 tonnes (t) of nickel, 54,500t of cobalt and 1950t of scandium, making it...

Year-on-year Gold Demand Trends: Q3 2017.   BY REUBEN ADAMS   SOFT jewellery sector demand and lower inflows into exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in Q3 2017 are blamed for the lowest level of global gold demand since Q3 2009.   According to the World Gold Council’s latest Gold Demand Trends report, the 9 per cent year-on-year drop to 915 tonnes (t) was attributed to a 3 per cent fall in global jewellery demand, as India’s new GST and tighter anti-money laundering regulations deterred buyers. Inflows into gold-backed ETFs grew by just 19t compared with the remarkable 144t influx in Q3 2016. Investors continued to favour gold’s risk-hedging properties, but the greater focus was on buoyant stock markets, the report stated. Alistair...

Emeco has expanded its business at a critical time in the market.   Image: Emeco. BY CAMERON DRUMMOND MINING equipment supplier Emeco Holdings will expand its market share with the $69.8 million purchase of national supplier and maintenance provider Force Equipment. The acquisition will provide Emeco with a further 179 high-quality and low-hour machines, taking its fleet total to 897, and doubling its WA presence. The transaction price is about 2.96 Force’s FY17 EBITDA of $23.6m, with Emeco funding the purchase via an $80m equity raising. Emeco managing director Ian Testrow said the buyout of Force was a part of the company’s strategy to becoming a world leading provider of equipment rental. “The acquisition of a market leading business like Force...

Image: The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office.   BY REUBEN ADAMS   MINERS are confident that China's unprecedented $US1.3 trillion infrastructure investment program, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is the vehicle to drive massive medium to long term demand for iron ore. Short term forecasts, however, paint a less-than-rosy picture.   “Among the range of possibilities we consider, our base case remains that Chinese steel production is yet to peak,” BHP Market Analysis and Economics VP Dr Huw McKay wrote in September. “The most likely timing of the peak is the middle of next decade.” Australia’s iron ore majors have a consensus positive outlook – and a key driver is the Belt and Road Initative (BRI), a China-led...

Hundreds of industry workers descended on WA State Parliament on 10 October to protest the royalty increase.  All images: The Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA.   BY ELIZABETH FABRI   THE WA Labor Government is licking its wounds after WA Liberals announced it will block its controversial gold royalty increase proposed to fix the State’s finances. Announced back in September in the State Budget, the royalty involved a 50 per cent increase from the current rate of 2.5 per cent to 3.75 per from January next year, when the Australian gold spot price is above $1200. The royalty increase received strong opposition from companies and industry groups such as the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA (CMEWA), which launched a...

METS Ignited general manager industry implementation Ian Dover presenting at the cluster launch. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE Queensland Government has launched its METS Ignited Bowen Basin Cluster Program set to create more than 3000 additional mining technology jobs in the next decade. The Mackay pilot program was announced earlier this year as part of the State Government’s Roadmap and Action Plan, part of its $420 million Advance Queensland initiative. The program is a joint initiative with METS Ignited, and aims to promote collaboration to solve real business problems and in turn deliver more jobs and business opportunities. “Local miners will identify their challenges, and local mining technology companies will collaborate on innovative solutions to bolster the North Queensland economy,’’ Member...

Utilising both cities as FIFO hubs would minimise unforeseen travel risks and downtime.  Image: Queensland Airports.   BY CAMERON DRUMMOND   A TWO horse race has ended in a dead heat, with both Rockhampton and Townsville to become FIFO hubs for Adani’s $16.5 billion Carmichael coal development. The cities both put in strong individual business cases, and Adani decided to utilise twin marshalling points for the massive mine, rail and port project. Adani Australia chief executive Jeyakumar Janakaraj said the first order of business would be the construction of an airstrip close to the mine to deliver construction workers from Townsville and Rockhampton. “Then we can start construction of the Carmichael thermal coal mine and the western sections of the...