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Cutting maintenance costs How real-time oil monitoring transforms equipment reliability By Oreflow Australia Unplanned downtime is one of the biggest headaches in mining and mineral processing. When a critical piece of equipment goes down, the costs immediately escalate with lost production, emergency parts and labour. For most sites, maintenance costs are already one of the largest expenses. The challenge is how to bring them down without cutting corners on reliability.  One of the smartest shifts happening right now is the move from scheduled oil sampling to real-time oil condition monitoring. Instead of waiting for a lab report or sticking to fixed intervals, operators can now see the exact health of their oil and machinery as it changes, 24/7. That’s where...

China bans all BHP iron ore  China’s state-run iron ore buyer has told major steelmakers and traders to temporarily halt purchases of all new BHP (ASX: BHP) cargoes, Bloomberg reports, citing people familiar with the matter.  China Mineral Resources Group (CMRG) reportedly asked domestic buyers to suspend purchases of any dollar-denominated seaborne cargoes from BHP.  CMRG was established in 2022 in an aim to centralise iron ore demand, tighten control over the global steel market and give Chinese steel producers more control over prices.  This ban signals an escalation from CMRG, as the group similarly halted the purchase...

Weir partners with Viking Analytics Weir has entered a strategic collaboration agreement with Viking Analytics to enhance its digital offering for mineral processing plants. This partnership will significantly enhance Weir’s NEXT intelligent solutions — the company’s comprehensive digital offering designed to transform mineral processing through real-time data, predictive analytics and process optimisation. By integrating Viking’s advanced machine learning technology, Weir will facilitate predictive maintenance solutions, ensuring uptime and production are maximised. Weir senior director Ole Knudsen says the company is committed to building a more sustainable future in mining through strategic partnerships with companies that...

Mark Bristow exits Barrick Barrick Mining’s Mark Hill has been appointed group chief operating officer and interim president and chief executive officer, following the departure of Mark Bristow. Mr Bristow is stepping down as president and chief executive after nearly seven years having joined Barrick in 2019 following the company’s merger with Randgold. Mr Bristow led the successful integration of the two companies, and during his tenure, made significant investments in Barrick’s world-class assets to better position the company to maintain profitable gold and copper growth. Barrick chairman of the board John Thornton...

Strong first month at Crown Prince New Murchison Gold (ASX: NMG) reports a strong operational start at the Crown Prince gold mine in WA. During its first month of operations, the company successfully mined and crushed 31,000dt of ore at an agreed grade of 3.23g/t (adjusted for recovery) trucked to Westgold Resources’ (ASX: WGX) Bluebird gold processing facility. New Murchison Gold chief...

Chemical release costs Queensland company $1m Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) has been fined $1m for causing serious environmental harm following a major chemical release at its alumina refinery in 2022. The release occurred when a pipe in a high-pressure system ruptured. On Monday, QAL was sentenced in Gladstone Magistrates Court and fined after pleading guilty to three offences against the Environmental Protection Act 1994. The offences include one offence of unlawfully causing serious environmental harm and two offences of contravening a condition of its environmental authority. According to the Queensland Department...

Newmont’s Tom Palmer retires Newmont (ASX: NEM) chief executive Tom Palmer will step down from his role as chief executive on December 31, 2025. Natascha Viljoen, president and chief operating officer, will succeed Mr Palmer as president and chief executive and will also join the board of directors on January 1, 2026. Mr Palmer will serve as a strategic advisor until his retirement on March 31, 2026, to support a seamless leadership transition. Mr Palmer comments on his resignation....

MinRes upgrades Onslow Iron haul road Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) has safely completed the upgrades to the Onslow Iron private haul road, allowing unconstrained haulage to resume at normal speeds. Roadworks included seal binder upgrades and cement stabilisation to enhance pavement strength and moisture resistance, as well as asphalting along the entire length of the sealed road. The width of the upgraded private haul road spans 11 sealed metres from edge to edge, two metres wider than typical public roads used for heavy haulage in the Pilbara region. Mineral Resources managing director Chris Ellison comments on the upgrades. “Onslow...

Alcoa permanently closes Kwinana refinery Alcoa (ASX: AAI) has confirmed a $1.36b (US$890m) plan to permanently close its Kwinana alumina refinery in WA, citing the age of the facility, scale and operating costs, market conditions and bauxite grade challenges. This follows the curtailment of production at the refinery in June 2024. The Kwinana refinery currently has about 220 employees. Alcoa says this number will be reduced during 2026 as the closure progresses. Certain employees will remain beyond 2026 to prepare the site for future redevelopment. Permanently closing Kwinana’s 2.2mmt of annual capacity will bring Alcoa’s global consolidated refining capacity to 11.7mmt. Alcoa has undertaken numerous studies and analyses since curtailment to determine the future of the refinery, including restart and closure....

Monadelphous awarded $220m in contracts Monadelphous Group has been awarded new construction contracts with BHP (ASX: BHP) and Fortescue (ASX: FMG) for Pilbara projects. The company has secured a major multidisciplinary construction contract with BHP associated with the Jimblebar train loadout replacement project, located near Newman. The vertically integrated scope includes earthworks and civils performed by Melchor, the company’s civil business, structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation work. It also includes offsite fabrication and procurement provided by Inteforge, the company’s fabrication business. Work under the contract is expected to be completed in late 2027. Monadelphous has also been awarded a contract for the construction of Fortescue’s North...

Thiess secures Iron Bridge extension Thiess has been awarded a two-year contract extension for mining and asset management works at the Iron Bridge magnetite mine in WA’s Pilbara region. The extension, which includes an option to extend a further two years, builds on its successful operations at the Iron Bridge mine since 2022. Under the new agreement, Thiess will expand delivery of mining and asset management services, continuing the long-standing relationship with Fortescue (ASX: FMG). The award supports the ongoing ramp-up of...