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Brightstar Resources (ASX: BTR) has received approval from the WA Government to begin production at its Lord Byron open pit gold mine at its Laverton Hub in WA.   The project is on track for development and production in H2 CY26 after receiving approval from the WA Department of Mine, Petroleum and Energy (DPME) for Lord Byron’s mining proposal and closure plan.   Brightstar’s managing director Alex Rovira says Lord Byron mine is pivotal to accelerating gold production growth in the company’s Laverton Hub.  “Importantly, the Lord Byron open pit is located less thank 10km from our operational Fish underground mine, with surface infrastructure items already in place as a result of the construction of Fish resulting in streamlined, low capex…

Weir has redesigned its market-leading heavy-duty submersible slurry pump to deliver reliable performance in the harshest slurry environments.   The WARMAN SHW-XTR heavy-duty submersible slurry pump uses a larger shaft than previous designs and heavy-duty bearings to keep everything stable, running smoothly and avoid motor failure from shaft deflection.   Weir dewatering solutions global product manager Ian Ross says the legacy WARMAN SHW pump has been a mainstay in demanding applications in mining operations all over the world.  “ hydraulics are trusted throughout the industry, which is why we’ve preserved these design elements and focused on making improvements elsewhere,” he said.  Weir has also raised the strainer off the ground and added protective legs to shield it from tools, debris and…

Fortescue’s (ASX: FMG) Green Pioneer, has sailed to New York for the world’s largest annual climate event — Climate Week NYC.  The 75m dual fuel ammonia-powered vessel is docked on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, marking the latest stop on its 2025 global tour to accelerate the adoption of green ammonia as a marine fuel.  The Green Pioneer recently completed operations at the Port of Boston, where the Fortescue team worked closely with the US Coast Guard to secure approval for ammonia bunkering. This was successfully executed at the Boston anchorage and set an important precedent for US port readiness and preparation for ammonia-fuelled vessels.  Further ammonia trials and research were carried out offshore, demonstrating and validating the vessel’s systems and…

Komatsu Australia has reached a significant milestone with its 500th automated haulage system (AHS) truck now operating in WA.  Autonomous haulage has become a key part of modern mining, offering both safety and productivity benefits by removing operators from dangerous conditions, greatly lowering the risk of accidents and injuries, with their ability to run continuously drives significant gains in site productivity.  Komatsu mining automation general manager Garry Povah says the shift to AHS shows how quickly the industry has adapted to change.   “Having 500 AHS truck in operation across Australia is a proud achievement for Komatsu and a reflection of how strongly the industry has embraced autonomous haulage,” he said.   “This milestone not only demonstrates what autonomy has already achieved but…

For more than three decades, AusProof has stood at the forefront of high-voltage coupler system design, manufacturing and supply. With a deep commitment to safety, reliability, and innovation, we have played a pivotal role in shaping the electrical infrastructure of underground mining and heavy industry, both in Australia and internationally. AusProof is more than a manufacturer, it is a team of engineers, designers and problem-solvers committed to delivering safe, robust and future-focused electrical solutions for mining and heavy industry. AusProof is headquartered in Gladstone, Queensland, and is a family-owned OEM specialising in electrical cable couplers for mining, tunnelling, pumping and heavy industry, it has grown into a trusted global supplier, with its reach expanding through our KoNNx brand, the next…

Alcoa (ASX: AAI) has highlighted how the energy transition is driving global aluminum demand in a new white paper published with Eurasia Group.  The paper, Competitiveness and Green Transition in the Aluminum Industry: Finding Synergies or Facing Trade-Offs, examines the intersection of economic competitiveness and the global green energy transition and highlights rising aluminum demand across technologies, such as solar panels and wind turbines, and the transmission projects that support them.   The paper also highlights the industry’s work to reduce its carbon footprint, as a critical player in the global energy transition.   Key insights from the paper include:  Balancing competitiveness and decarbonisation: Global industry leaders including Alcoa, are pursuing bold climate ambitions while facing challenges such as high energy costs,…

Catalina Resources (ASX: CTN) has confirmed the presence of a structurally hosted high temperature mineralising system at its Laverton project in WA. Previously announced results, targeting gold, returned intercepts including 18m at 1.16g/t from 127m, which hosted 3m at 3.41g/t (LVRC02). Before the RC drilling, air core drilling intersected 28m at 1.09g/t from 57m (LVAC049). In holes targeted to gold mineralisation, LVRC01, LVRC02 and LVRC03, anomalous multi-elements including antimony, tungsten, arsenic, bismuth, molybdenum and scandium were also intersected, pointing to laterally continuous mineralisation possibly extending to depth. This geochemical fingerprint is characteristic of high-temperature, granite-related gold systems that have supported some of the Goldfields’ largest mines. The REE mineralisation occurs in a flat-lying saprolite rich clay horizon beneath a 15-20m…

Rio Tinto has launched its final Beyond Rare Tender, featuring 52 lots of extremely rare masterpieces of nature, from its Canadian and Australian diamond mines. With Rio Tinto’s Australian Argyle Diamond Mine ceasing operations in November 2020, and the Diavik Diamond Mine in Canada ceasing production in 2026, the final collection of the Art Series pays homage to the life of these iconic mines. The collection, weighing 45.44 carats, is headlined by six ‘Masterpieces’ – diamond sets carefully selected to showcase the pinnacle of production from these two famed mines – together with 39 single diamonds and an additional seven curated sets of diamonds. Rio Tinto Diamonds sales and marketing general manager Patrick Coppens comments on the collection. “It is…

Lightning Minerals (ASX: L1M) has commenced a 1,300m drilling program at its Mt Turner gold project in North Queensland. Phase one of the diamond drilling campaign will target multiple gold and silver deposits beneath existing pits along the Drummer Fault at Mt Turner. Geo Drill Australia has been contracted to complete drilling works at Mt Turner and bring significant experience and expertise to the program. Lightning Minerals managing director Alex Biggs says multiple targets exist across the Mt Turner tenements and this initial program focuses on high priority gold and silver targets. “It’s great to get started with our drilling at Mt Turner. With the current gold and silver markets and multiple targets this is the start of what the…

QCoal will close one of two underground units at the Cook Colliery in the Bowen Basin, citing increased production costs and royalties. A QCoal spokesman commented on the closure. “Unfortunately, Cook Colliery has been affected by high production costs, high taxes and royalties and low coal prices and its ongoing operation at its current levels is unsustainable,” the spokesperson said. Core Crew, the operator of Cook Colliery, announced that consultation would begin with the workforce today on the future which may result in redundancies and changes to existing positions and roles. Consultation with workers is expected to take about two weeks. Cook Colliery has contributed $25m in royalties to the Queensland Government since its March 2022 reopening despite never making…

Low Emission Technology Australia (LETA) has joined a major international effort to advance carbon capture technology for energy-intensive industries. In partnership with the US Department of Energy and industry leaders, LETA is investing in GTI Energy’s advanced ROTA-CAP technology, an innovation designed to make carbon capture systems smaller, cheaper and more easily scalable for industrial settings. Alongside LETA, the project team includes US Steel, Amrize (formerly Holcim US) and Enbridge. The ROTA-CAP carbon capture technology will be tested at pilot scale at US Steel’s Edgar Thomson facility in Braddock, Pennsylvania. The project aims to assess the technology’s readiness for commercial scale-up and enable wider deployment across the steel, cement and other hard-to-abate industries. LETA’s participation brings valuable industrial expertise and international perspective to the…