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AFTER a poor March 2012 quarter, mineral sands major Iluka Resources has refinanced its debt by entering into $800 million-worth of five-year bilateral revolving credit facilities. The debt restructure replaces a $445 million syndicated term loan facility that was in place. In March 2012, $100 million of that facility had matured, with the remaining $345 million expected to mature next March. “Iluka is pleased to secure expanded debt capacity, with the new facilities recognising Iluka’s enhanced credit quality and favourable growth prospects,” Iluka chief financial officer Alan Tate said. “The new facilities will be available for general corporate purposes and provide flexibility for future investment decision making,” Mr Tate added. The debt restructure comes after Iluka posted a 13 per…

AFTER searching for suitable buyers for its distinctive magnetite-copper direct shipping ore (DSO), IMX Resources has signed a life of mine (LOM) contract with Vingo Resources for the latter to purchase 50 per cent of all ore produced from IMX’s 51 per cent-owned Cairn Hill mine in South Australia. Cairn Hill is a joint venture between IMX (51 per cent) and Taifeng Yuangchuang International Development Company (49 per cent); it produces about 1.7 million tonnes per annum of magnetite-copper DSO. Prior to this latest contract, Taifeng had been purchasing Cairn Hill ore under a LOM arrangement. However, in early January this year, Taifeng advised IMX it would not pay the set price for the 19th shipment of ore and requested…

STRUGGLING gold play Apex Minerals has received support from the Andrew Forrest-led The Metal Group, with the latter agreeing to invest up to $18 million in Apex and provide advice and access to its extensive contact network. The investment will give The Metal Group a 20 per cent stake in the troubled  miner. Previous chief executive officer of iron ore major Fortescue Metals Group, Mr Forrest recently loaned Apex a $4 million short-term debt facility via The Metal Group’s subsidiary AMNL Financing. Apex has been struggling to maintain profitable operations at its flagship Wiluna gold mine 1000km northeast of Perth. During the December 2011 quarter, Apex received an average $1667 per ounce of gold, however its cash operating costs exceeded…

IN its continued support of BHP Billiton’s Mt Arthur coal operations, Liebherr Australia will supply and commission an additional fleet of 18 Ultra Class Liebherr T282C Litronic Plus mining dump trucks for the miner. Further enhancing Mt Arthur’s existing Liebherr truck and excavator fl eets, the latest additions will see the on-site machine population increase to 61 Liebherr Ultra Class trucks, as well as eight R996 excavators and two R994B excavators. The ability of Liebherr Australia to support and to meet stringent noise emission standards is a critical factor in equipment selection, and the optional Liebherr Sound Attenuation Package ensures the Liebherr T282C Litronic Plus Ultra Class trucks deliver the full performance of the 3650HP engine while also achieving today’s…

DURABLE, reliable and versatile, Haulmax offers a range of haulage solutions for off-highway applications. With more than 25 years of research into the haulage industry, Haulmax’s purpose-built range of heavy-duty trucks is ideally suited to mining applications. When mining companies open satellite pits, often more than 10km away from their site’s processing plant and facilities, the cost of hauling materials and moving heavy equipment increases. Built for extended haulage upwards of 50km cycles, the Haulmax 3900 Series truck – specifi cally designed for off-highway haul roads – is an ideal solution. The 3900 Series is built around a complete Caterpillar powertrain, and 95 per cent of the serviceable parts are Caterpillar which makes Haulmax an ideal complement to any Caterpillar…

THE fire and emergency professionals at Fire & Safety WA support fi re safety education in communities across the state and provide unrivalled protection and suppression equipment to industry across Australia. The company provides approved products and cutting edge solutions to ensure its clients have a minimised risk to life and property. All brands have been manufactured by leading fire and safety companies. Fire & Safety WA has products for extinguishing industrial fi res, the fastest foam and suppression systems and the latest technology in protection garments. Its emergency response equipment includes Snap Tite fire hoses, AWG/Lancier rescue systems, Pacifi c Helmets, ADA protective apparel, POK fi re equipment and Solberg fire fighting foams. One of the brands backed by…

THE hazardous nature and typical remoteness of mining operations makes extra vigilance in fire preparation and prevention measures an ethical and regulatory necessity. Workers at all levels within mining organisations need to maintain high skill levels in their emergency response capabilities. Leading fire protection specialist Wormald has delivered fire safety awareness training to staff at Xstrata Coal NSW’s Glendell Mine. Glendell is an open-cut coal mine, adjoining the Ravensworth East and Mount Owen mines, which produces up to 4.6 milliontonnes of coal per year.Staff who attended the fire awareness training were taught how to adopt the correct procedures upon discovering a fire; how to identify different types of fire equipment on the site and how to use the fire equipment…

FIRE represents one of the greatest threats to workers in both open cut and underground mines – it can take very little for a minor outbreak of fire to escalate into a disastrous conflagration. The capacity to stop a fire in its tracks must be a top priority for mining companies, according to Delta Fire Australasia managing director Bob Grieve. The Australian mining industry has made significant, commendable advancements in safety in the 20th century, and in the past 25 years in particular. However, mining remains an inherently high risk and challenging operating environment, where the impact of a fire can have catastrophic consequences; challenges abound both above and below ground. In underground mines in particular, operating procedures have undergone…

GEELONG, Victoria’s largest regional city with a population of 270,000, is 75km southwest of Melbourne in Corio Bay. A large engineering and manufacturing support industry has developed around Geelong’s traditional automotive, petrochemical, aluminium, fertiliser and cement industries. An impressive network of 46 engineering related companies, the Engineering Network Geelong (ENG), was formed in 2009, auspiced by the Geelong Manufacturing Council (GMC). “With Geelong’s traditional industry base in transition, a key role of ENG is to provide linkages for Australian companies to utilise Geelong expertise, capacity and skill sets,” GMC executive officer David Peart said. “Attracted by outstanding quality and service, companies Australia-wide are increasingly using ENG.” With its own major port, airport and easy rail and highway access, Geelong’s transport…

FOR many years, Mine Radio Systems Pacific (MRS Pacific) has been the leading supplier of advanced, integrated communication and safety solutions for confined spaces throughout Australia. The company supplies communication systems technicians to large mining companies throughout WA. Its technicians are in high demand due to their expertise, experience and industry knowledge in the communications sector. “MRS Pacific approached a large Australian iron ore mining company when we heard they required assistance with finding very good quality radio communication technicians,” Mine Radio Systems Pacific managing director Graeme Corbett said. “We were given the tip by a former employee of the company. We filled the initial positions with our full time staff and our customer was so impressed we soon had…

SINCE beginning operations in 1978, Alminco has established itself as a leading supplier of equipment and services to the global mining industry. In addition to providing world-class technology solutions such as the unparalleled Scorpion range of crawler drill rigs, Alminco was recently honoured for its cutting-edge engineering prowess. The company was awarded the coveted Hunter Manufacturing Awards’ 2011 Excellence in Technology award for its Self Drilling Resin Bolt technology, an achievement backed by ACARP and awarded in conjunction with Alminco’s partner Minova. The Alminco Spyder Bolter also won an award, and was highly commended for its innovative application mounted to the Longwall pan line. This year, Alminco has launched two enhanced Diablo Quickdusters – in 1.5 tonne and 4t variants…