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Australia unlikely to embrace deep-sea mining The US is advancing its deep-sea mining interests, but Federal Resource Minister Madeleine King urged Australia to remain focused on its above ground critical minerals resources. In May US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to open US and international waters to deep-sea mining, which targets polymetallic nodules — a rich source of cobalt, nickel and manganese. To address the critical minerals supply-demand gap mining companies, including Canadian based deep-sea miner The Metals Company, are embracing the alternative source. The Metals Company...

BHP greenlights $1.4b Port Hedland investment BHP (ASX: BHP) is advancing its port debottlenecking project 2 (PDP2) as part of major strategic investment in Port Hedland’s infrastructure to support surrounding operations.   The investment will enhance operational resilience and efficiency with the installation of a sixth car dumper (CD6) as well as additional conveyors and supporting infrastructure to support WA Iron Ore’s (WAIO) production target of 305mtpa.  Port Hedland is one of the largest iron ore loading ports in the world and the largest in Australia, making it critical to mining operations not just in WA but globally. The ports are linked to...

MinRes introduces reusable crib kits Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) has eliminated thousands of single-use meal containers from its operations by rolling out more than 5,000 reusable crib kits to its workforce.  In line with the WA Government’s Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Strategy 2030, the initiative aims to change habits around crib meals — packed meals prepared by FIFO workers before the start of their shift.  By introducing reusable crib kits, MinRes is addressing the problem of disposable containers, which generate significant amount of waste, at its source.    Based on employee feedback, MinRes developed an eight-piece reusable kit designed for both practicality and durability. To ensure effective uptake, supporting infrastructure was installed across sites to enable the hygienic washing...

Colours of our Country celebrates 20 years  The Colours of our Country exhibition, exhibited by Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) to showcases the work of Aboriginal artists from across the Pilbara, returns to Perth on September 15-26.  This year’s exhibition features 124 artworks by 43 artists, with each piece reflecting a deep connection to country, culture and community.   The Perth exhibition comes after Colours of our Country reached new audiences after it travelled to London for the first time in July and was showcased...

Mitsui acquires stakes in emerging BHP iron ore deposit Mitsui and Itochu will acquire an indirect 7% and 8% interest respectively in BHP’s (ASX: BHP) 100%-owned Ministers North iron ore deposit. Following the fulfillment of the condition’s precedent, the shareholding interest of Ministers North between Mitsui, BHP and Itochu will become 7%, 85% and 8% respectively, aligned with the interest of the existing WA iron ore business owned by the three companies. Ministers North is located in the Pilbara region of WA, where Mitsui has been engaged in iron ore projects since the 1960s. It is close to iron ore mines...

Queensland leads the charge with Australia’s first vanadium battery supply chain The Queensland Government is establishing Australia’s first vanadium battery supply chain, delivering a fresh start for North Queensland. The government is investing $10m in Vecco Group’s mine and commercial-scale electrolyte facility. Using vanadium sourced from Julia Creek, the Townsville facility will anchor a pit-to-port product manufacturing chain, supplying vanadium flow batteries for global energy storage markets. The end-to-end vanadium battery supply chain will help reinforce Queensland’s leadership in critical minerals and advanced manufacturing. Queensland Finance, Trade, Employment...

Anglo American merges with Teck Resources Anglo American and Teck Resources have entered an agreement to join forces in a proposed merger of equals to form a new company — Anglo-Teck. Anglo Teck is set to become one of the top five copper producers in the world, with combined production from its mines in Chile, Peru and Canada to be about 1.2mt, predicted to reach 1.35mt by 2027. By bringing together the strengths of both companies, Anglo Teck will leverage proven capabilities in technical and operational excellence, sustainability, product marketing and project execution to deliver value-accretive growth....

BHP pays $110m to settle Samarco class action BHP (ASX: BHP) has reached an agreement to settle the Australian Samarco shareholder class action filed to the Federal Court in 2018. The class action was launched on behalf of shareholders who acquired BHP shares prior to the 2015 Fundão tailings dam collapse. The dam collapse at the Samarco iron ore project in Brazil killed 19 people and lead to more than $30b worth of damages. The communities of Bento Rodrigues, Paracatu de Baixo and Gesteira were flooded when mine waste from the dam entered the Doce River. Other communities and...

First-of-its-kind automated lab technology at Onslow Iron An automated laboratory at Mineral Resources’ Ken’s Bore site is providing accurate, real-time data to help the Mining and Technical Services (MTS) team make mine planning decisions to efficiently develop the project’s deposits. The Automated Modular Solution (AMS) Prep Line technology was developed and installed by industry-leader Rocklabs, a New Zealand-based business part of the international robotics and automation company, Scott Technology. The technology uses a series of collaborative robots to easily take samples from the field, reduce their size and efficiently provide information to the project’s MTS team. The technology has introduced immediate benefits into the project, doubling sampling capacity to 500 per day and reducing several repetitive and manual processes. Additionally, by...

WA sees biggest reforms to State Development framework since 1952 The WA Government is introducing a new State Development Bill 2025 aimed at establishing a framework for improved interagency coordination and the ability to mandate assessment timeframes for projects and areas of strategic significance. The bill builds upon the WA Government's recent commitment to establish a WA Productivity Commission, as well as the planning and environmental approvals reforms delivered during the last term of government. The new laws are aimed at future-proofing WA’s regulatory system, ensuring high standards of protection are maintained while streamlining...

Mining mogul jailed for fraud A WA man has been sentenced to 7 years and 10 months imprisonment for fraudulently obtaining more than $1.13m in GST refunds. According to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Adam John Waterman, the sole director of mining companies Fortuna SL Mining and Advent Exploration WA, submitted 27 false Business Activity Statements (BAS). ATO assistant commissioner Jade Hawkins says the outcome sends a clear message to anyone thinking of defrauding the tax system. “This was not an honest mistake; it was a deliberate and calculated attempt to steal from the Australian...