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Exploration gets a boost in WA Grants worth $6.6m have been allocated to 39 recipients of the 32nd round of the WA Government exploration incentive scheme (EIS) co-funded drilling program.  By sharing the financial risk of early-stage exploration, the EIS enables companies to pursue high-potential projects that may otherwise be considered too risky or cost-prohibitive.    The long running scheme is considered highly successful with Lord Resources reporting success under the previous round at its Ilgarari project, where two co-funded drillholes intersected primary copper mineralisation.   Copper exploration has also yielded promising results for Redstone Resources, which recovered a 10m zone of continuous copper mineralisation from a co-funded...

Comfortable Mining Camp Fitouts Built to Last With Minesite Furniture, investing in modernising your facilities sets the tone for a productive and loyal workforce from day one. The moment an employee steps into their village, the quality of their living and working environment shapes how they feel about their job, their company, and their future. That’s why thoughtful design and high-quality furnishings send such a powerful message: we value our people. When workers feel supported, the payoff is clear - greater loyalty, higher morale, and improved productivity. Why Comfort Counts in Mining Villages In today’s competitive job market, workers aren’t settling for the bare minimum anymore. They expect accommodation and communal spaces that feel like home—and companies that deliver are...

China tightens rare earth exports, cracks down on information China has introduced new export controls on rare earths and related technologies ahead of trade talks with the US, barring its citizens from unauthorised overseas mining. This brings the total count of export-restricted rare earth elements to 12, as China tightened restrictions on seven in response to tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration earlier this year, stalling key defence, energy and automotive sectors. The new controls, effective immediately, require exporters to obtain permission for technologies used for rare...

Queensland to keep running on coal into 2050 The Queensland Government will build a new gas-fired power plant and continue operating coal-fired power plants into 2050, outlined in the state's energy roadmap released today. The roadmap outlines that coal will continue to underpin affordable and reliable energy supply to the state for as long as needed with gas emerging as a critical technology for system reliability. According to the roadmap, in 2025, there is about 8GW of coal-fired generation capacity owned and operated by...

Gold to become Australia’s second-largest export earner Gold is expected to overtake LNG to become Australia's second highest value export in FY26, according to the September 2025 Resources and Energy Quarterly (REQ). Australia’s gold export earnings rose 42% to $47b in FY25 and is forecast to grow a further 28% to $60b in FY26 before stabilising in FY27. That track will see gold become Australia’s second-largest export earner after...

Safety watchdog investigates FMG Nicola’s sudden shutdown An interim report into the FMG Nicola’s sudden engine failure has been released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), with the bureau now investigating why it was not made aware of the incident until five months later. The bulk carrier, fully laden with iron ore, departed Port Hedland on February 7 when the ship’s engine suddenly shut down about an hour into the voyage. A full report did not reach the ATSB at the time of occurrence...

Ford delays Liontown deal Liontown Resources (ASX: LTR) will not be delivering lithium from its Kathleen Valley operations in WA to the Ford Motor Company until at least 2029, if at all. Under the original terms of the offtake agreement, Liontown was to deliver 512,500dmt to Ford from January 1, 2027, onwards. The total has now been halved to 256,250dmt with initial delivery pushed back by at least two years. The reduction in lithium volume and delay in delivery are being attributed to slow electric vehicle (EV) uptake across the...

US Government secures stake in South32-backed critical minerals JV The US Department of War (DOW) will take an equity stake in Trilogy Metals to advance exploration and development in the Ambler mining district in Alaska. Under the terms, South32 has agreed to sell more than 8.2 million shares in Trilogy Metals to the DOW for about $26.9m (US$17.8m). South32 will reinvest the estimated $26.9m into Ambler metals to support exploration and development. South32 chief executive Graham Kerr comments on the decision. “We see great value in the US Government’s intention to develop the Ambler mining district,” he said. “It is our aim to unlock the...

Lynas to supply rare earth magnets to US Noveon Magnetics and Lynas Rare Earths (ASX: LYC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a scalable and domestic US supply chain for rare earth permanent magnets. Under the agreement, the companies will collaborate to develop a rare earth value chain in the US from the supply of separated rare earth oxides to the manufacturing of rare earth permanent magnets to serve key US defence and commercial customers. The scope of the...

Metso accelerates flotation innovation Metso has opened a new separation laboratory and pilot area at its research centre in Pori, Finland, bringing expanded research and development services for its customers.  The latest development at the research centre is the new coarse particle flotation (CPF) cell, which introduces a novel deep-froth pneumatic design that eliminates the need for fluidised beds, set for launch in 2026 following industrial-scale testing.  Metso Plus flotation technologies, such as the Concorde Cell and FloatForce+, were validated at Pori before their launch and both are now referenced globally across a range of commodities....

Peabody and Anglo American enter arbitration Anglo American has launched arbitration proceedings against Peabody Energy over the failed $5.7b sale of its Queensland steelmaking coal mines. Peabody pulled out of the sale by invoking a material adverse change (MAC) in August following a fire at Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine. Anglo American believed the event did not constitute a MAC under the definitive agreements due to the lack of damage to the mine or equipment and the clear progress being made within a rigorous and structured regulatory process towards restarting the mine. The buyer says it remains confident that a MAC occurred,...