Latest News

WITH a strong portfolio of nickel and gold projects plus cash and current receivables of $126.4 million, WA’s Panoramic Resources is well placed for growth in the next 12 to 18 months. The company’s Savannah and Lanfranchi nickel projects are booming – Panoramic has forecast that it will produce between 17,500t and 18,500t of nickel this year – and its recently acquired Gidgee gold project is showing strong promise. Savannah nickel project More than 200km south of Kununurra in WA’s East Kimberley region, the Savannah project consists of a nickel sulphide ore body, an underground mine, a processing plant and associated infrastructure. The Savannah ore body, a sulphide-rich nickel, copper and cobalt formation hosted by the layered mafi c-ultramafi c…

CALIFORNIA’s Napa Valley is widely considered to be the US’s finest wine region: home to vineyards that produce some of the world’s most highly regarded wines. Yet the valley is more than just a destination for wine enthusiasts – the broad range of sight-seeing opportunities and activities on offer makes it an ideal destination for holiday makers of all ages and interests. The valley is in Northern California, at the north-eastern tip of San Francisco Bay (known as San Pablo Bay in the Napa Valley region), about an hour’s drive north of San Francisco. To the west is the Sonoma Valley, to the north is Lake Country and to the east is the Sacramento Valley. The Napa Valley is actually…

WITH visual imagery the most succinct and effective way to connect with a client, creating a brand identity through images has the ability to set a company apart from its competitors. A leader in the commercial photography industry, Christian Sprogoe Photography (CSP) specialises in mining, resources, engineering, oil and gas, construction and aerial photography – professionally documenting all aspects of a company’s operations and achievements, ranging from long-running projects in remote areas to in-studio photographic work. WA-based chief photographer Christian Sprogoe has more than 15 years of experience focusing his lenses on the industry, regularly travelling throughout Australia and overseas. CSP has been integral in developing, creating and supplying photography for companies and brands including Rio Tinto, Pilbara Iron, Woodside,…

PUMPING solutions specialist Tyco Pumping Systems recently partnered with dewatering expert Integrated Pumping Solutions to release mining specification diesel powered dewatering units for the Australian mining industry. The units, which are based around the new Southern Cross SXSHH high head dewatering pump, are mounted on a rugged steel skid that incorporates a 4000l fuel tank for a 750 kilowatt turbocharged Cummins diesel engine controlled by a digital electronic engine management system and diagnostic system. The units also incorporate an automatic vacuum-operated, self-priming unit which provides rapid and reliable priming in a wide range of applications and operating conditions. The SXSHH high head dewatering pump is the latest in a range of Southern Cross slurry and solids handling pumps which have…

WATER supply is arguably the biggest issue facing Australian mining: several recent catastrophic weather events that left the industry reeling, together with state and national regulations governing all facets of water use, have placed the spotlight firmly on the importance of mine dewatering. Wide-spread flooding in Queensland in January 2011 had severe financial and productivity-related impacts for the state’s mines, highlighting the serious implications of water management on mine sites. The cost of damaged machinery and infrastructure, coupled with the dangers posed to employee health and safety, had the capacity to threaten hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, impacting exports and regional and state economies. According to dewatering specialist Weir Minerals Multifl o’s managing director Paul Avey, one solution…

AS more companies investigate mining opportunities in West Africa, they are finding that operating in the region presents a new realm of risk management considerations. International SOS can assist companies in managing security and medical risks, which are often intertwined. Mining companies operating in Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea and Mauritania have recently had to activate their emergency response and site security plans following political and social unrest, to the point where site evacuations have occurred. Clear and robust emergency plans are only effective when they are underpinned by formal security updates, travel advisories and pre-determined risk ratings. Clear processes for deciding when to go into lock-down or when to begin evacuations are imperative to ensure the safety of staff and the…

BUILT for durability and performance, Acromet’s dry material handling equipment, such as bulk bag unloaders and screw feeders, is renowned for its versatility. The bulk bag unloaders are an alternative to large storage silos, which can be excessive, and small bags, which are becoming increasingly hard to handle. These units typically place a 1t to 2t bulk bag onto a support dish with an opening to pull the bottom discharge spout through. The product then drops into a chamber/hopper where it can be conveyed either pneumatically or mechanically. Key features of the units include an optional massaging system for the products; suitability for either a bottom-spout or no-spout discharge; adaptability to a dust extraction system; the ability to be placed…

EVERY now and then, a product will emerge on the market yielding a far better result than any other available substitute. The Xcentric Ripper, a machine attachment which uses a different approach to breaking rock, shale, asphalt and concrete, is one such product. Its success lies in the way the tooth innovatively attacks the rock in a vibrating circular motion as opposed to traditional hydraulic hammers that just repeatedly belt into the rock. The Xcentric Ripper is driven by a high-speed hydraulic mechanism that transfers force to the tine via sturdy mechanical arms. It is a machine of elegant simplicity and high effi ciency; allowing much higher productivity, minimum downtime and maintenance, and reduced noise levels. The Xcentric Ripper won…

THE southern hemisphere’s largest annual construction and infrastructure exhibition, CIVENEX will be held on May 16 and 17 this year at Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek. The annual event was established more than 50 years ago by the NSW division of the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (IPWEA) to provide an industry exhibition and forum for public and private sector engineers and contractors. Known then as Engineers Field Days, CIVENEX began with eight companies displaying their equipment on the grounds of The Spastic Centre in Allambie Heights. For the duration of the initial CIVENEX, the exhibitors volunteered their equipment and services to assist in the facility’s expansion, at no charge to The Spastic Centre. Since then, CIVENEX has been held…

SINCE its establishment in 1989, Centennial Coal has grown to become Australia’s largest independent coal company, supplying thermal and coking coal to domestic and export markets. A subsidiary of Banpu Public Company, Asia’s largest independent coal group, Centennial is one of the largest underground coal producers in NSW. It is a major supplier to the state’s energy industry, fuelling about 46 per cent of NSW’s coal-fired electricity from 12 mines: Springvale, Angus Place, Lamberts Gully, Charbon, Ivanhoe North, Clarence, Mandalong, Awaba, Newstan, Myuna, Mannering and Airly. Springvale and Angus Place The Springvale colliery is managed by Springvale Coal on behalf of its owners: joint venture (JV) partners Centennial Springvale (a Centennial Coal subsidiary) and Springvale SK Kores. Underground longwall mining…

AFTER a tough couple of years, Navigator Resources is anticipating positive cash flow from June onwards as it hits higher-grade ore at its flagship Bronzewing gold mine in WA’s Eastern Goldfields. The ore at the Cockburn pit, which Navigator has focussed on for the past year, lies beneath about 60m of mostly waste cover so until recently, mining entailed stripping the waste to expose the ore body, which improves in grade with increasing depth. Navigator progressed down to higher-grade ore during the March 2012 quarter, and is expecting to be reaping profits for the next few years. The company has evolved several times since it started out. Looking back to its debut on the ASX in September 2003, Navigator was…