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A team of geologists from Sydney University has released promising findings for the development of a new land analysis technique that could benefit Australia’s declining opal mining industry. Opal is Australia’s national gemstone, with Queensland’s Great Artesian Basin producing over 90 per cent of the world’s supply. However, no significant gem sources of have been discovered within Australian territory since the 1900s; unlike gold exploration, there are no widely accepted strategies or concepts available to guide opal miners to new prospects. Australia’s known opal fields have become progressively barren, particularly in the last 20 years, with mining ventures becoming increasingly expensive but less fruitful. An article published in the Journal of Australian Earth Sciences and in Computers and Geosciences, revealed...

MANY fly in, fly out (FIFO) workers are willing to take a pay cut of up to 27 per cent to survive the mining downturn, according to a new live market report. According to online labour market website FIFOBids, workers in management, health, safety and environment and geology had been most affected, with geologists willing to decrease their rates from $71 per hour to $52/hr, and management workers from $80/hr to $67/hr. “ downturn in mining and resources in Australia, as well as delays in approvals of major projects, has put downward pressure on demand for key skills and wages,” the report stated. Since last year the number of geologists in the field doubled as graduates entered the market –...

DRILLING at Poseidon Nickel’s Windarra nickel project has discovered high grade mineralisation that could potentially double reserves. The Mt Windarra site, 260km northeast of Kalgoorlie in WA, currently has a total mineral resource of 3.95 million tonnes at 1.73 per cent for 68,300t of contained nickel. Bonus for the company is the relatively cheap extraction cost, as the mineralisation zone is close to existing mining infrastructure. Poseidon managing director David Singleton said the results would provide a stream of bonuses to the already economically robust project. “Our discovery cost, prior to this campaign, has been circa 10 cents for every pound of nickel in resources and these drilling results should continue that cost trend,” he said. “I’m particularly pleased with...

A seven-hole drill program completed by Australian explorer White Rock Minerals in April has produced substantial gold mineralisation results. Drilling has reinforced evidence of gold within the company’s emerging Red Rock prospect, at the Mt Carrington gold-silver project in north eastern NSW. The program was designed to infill drilling gaps within known mineralisation zones, to firm up existing data on the geological model. To date, 17 of the 23 holes drilled have been assessed to hold promising gold quantities at easily accessible depths. The newest test drills were also exploratory in nature, testing for gold vein continuance, particularly within the northerly mineralisation belt, Deadman’s Zone. This zone remains open to the north. The assays conducted from the newest diamond drilling...

ALTHOUGH construction is incomplete, Rio Tinto has struck a deal with Lundin Mining to offload its Eagle mine project for US$325 million. The Michigan-based project is roughly 55 per cent complete and includes a high grade underground nickel-copper mine and mill. Lundin chief executive Paul Conibear said the purchase represented a unique opportunity to acquire a low-risk, high-return project. “The acquisition of the Eagle Mine its ideally within Lundin Mining’s asset base and is the result of the disciplined approach we have been focussed on for some time to acquire high-quality, advanced stage assets in low-risk, mining-oriented jurisdictions,” he said. “The Eagle mine represents a very unique opportunity to acquire a high-grade project which is under construction and expected to...

A proposed $4.2 billion coal mine in the Galilee Basin has received environmental approval from the Queensland Coordinator-General. The proposed Kevin’s Corner project – being developed by Hancock Galilee, a wholly-owned subsidiary of India’s GVK Group – comprises two open cut mines and three underground mines, accommodation for 2000 staff and an airport. Kevin’s Corner will produce 30 million tonnes of coal per year and rely on the railway infrastructure of the nearby Alpha coal project, to transport the product to the Port of Abbot Point. “We are pleased with the consent given by the coordinator-general which culminates in the provision of a State Environmental Approval for the project,” said GVK vice chairman G V Sanjay Reddy. “This project will...

ASX-listed explorer Crusader Resources has progressed towards full production rights at its newest mining venture, the Posse Iron Ore project, after receiving a full environmental licence for the Brazil-based project. Lying 30km from Belo Horizonte in the country’s east, Posse Iron Ore has operated under a trial mining licence since opening in March which restricted throughput at the mine to 300,000 tonnes of ore per annum. However, six weeks after the mine’s first production, Crusader was granted a combined preliminary and installation licence for environmental approval of its 100 per cent owned iron ore project by Brazil’s Minas Gerais State Environmental Council, COPAM, enabling it to apply for complete mining rights and ramp-up production to full capacity. All key infrastructure...

A prospective $1.45 billion bauxite mine at the Gulf of Carpentaria has been granted conditional environmental approval, after five years of bureaucratic bickering between mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan and the Federal and Queensland governments. Rio welcomed the milestone for the South of Embley project, which allows the company’s current bauxite portfolio on Queensland’s upper western apex to extend south along the border, past the Embley River near Cape York. The Queensland Government approved the plans a year ago, but the decision was vetoed by Federal Environment minister Tony Burke due to rising concerns of the possible impact on protected reef in the area. Mr Burke granted official approval in May this year, subject to 76 conditions under national environmental...

NEW plans are in the pipeline for the Pilbara’s rail network after the WA Government and Atlas Iron announced plans to become involved, in two separate deals. Rail transport company Aurizon is drafting a state agreement with the government to create a fourth iron ore rail network in the Pilbara which could cost more than $4 billion, a close source told The West Australian. Aurizon was expected to reveal the second stage of its study by the end of June, examining how the rail line would link to North West Infrastructure’s port space at South West Creek. Atlas Iron was originally close to the project but has since become quiet on negotiations and is now reportedly looking for an alternative...

GLOBAL miner Glencore Xstrata has allegedly cited a ‘serious safety breach’ for the termination of a contract with Macmahon Holdings at its $129 million CSA expansion project in NSW, The Australian Financial Review has reported. Macmahon advised that its shaft sinking project was terminated by Glencore Xstrata subsidiary Cobar Management on 4 June and it would seek further details regarding the decision. “Macmahon is currently seeking clarification on the reasons for and consequences of the termination and will advise of the impact on market guidance once details are known,” the company stated. The alleged breach was said to have occurred in April. The AFR reported that while the contract termination was initially viewed as yet another corporate measure to cope...

LOCAL junior explorers have received some financial respite after $7.2 million was distributed to 61 drilling and prospecting projects in WA. The State Government’s cash injection was part of the latest round of grants under the Exploration Incentive Scheme (EIS) aimed at supporting juniors struggling for investment. The program provides funding for up to 50 per cent of direct drilling costs, capped at $150,000 for a multi-hole project; up to $400,000 for a single deep hole, depending on the mineral; and $30,000 for prospecting projects. WA Mines and Petroleum minister Bill Marmion said the program would financially assist smaller companies and subsequent exploration would add to the geological knowledge of the state. “The co-funded drilling program provides incentives to drill...