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BUMA wins multi-million-dollar contract extension BUMA Australia has been awarded a two-year contract extension at the Goonyella Riverside coal mine in central Queensland, a joint venture between BHP (ASX: BHP) and Mitsubishi Alliance. The contract will see BUMA, a wholly owned subsidiary of PT Bukit Makmur Mandiri Utama, continue to deliver mining services at the project through to September 2027. BUMA will continue to deploy three prime fleets throughout the contract period to the Goonyella project. Since 2022, BUMA Australia has provided labour, supervision, technical expertise and mobile plant services for pre-strip operations and coal mining at...

Golden road ahead for Gruyere Gold Road Resources (ASX: GOR) has lifted production to 72,980oz at the Gruyere joint venture in WA for the June 2025 quarter. This follows Gold Fields’ $3.7b takeover bid aimed at consolidating Gruyere. Gold Road anticipates Gruyere’s full year production will be at the lower end of guidance of 325,000-255,000oz. June quarter sales totalled 37,741oz at an average price of $5131/oz with about 2027oz gold doré and bullion on hand for Gold Road.

PLS partnering for better health in the Pilbara With over 800 people affected by epilepsy in the Pilbara region of WA, PLS has invested to help extend Epilepsy Action Australia’s ‘Equip’ program to where it is needed most. In 2024, PLS awarded a community grant to Epilepsy Action Australia (EAA) to help improve access to epilepsy education, resources and support services in the Pilbara region. With support from the company’s community grants program, Epilepsy Action Australia rolled out the Equip program...

Empowering the Hunter region’s next generation Downer has announced a new scholarship for local students studying at the University of Newcastle in NSW aimed at enabling regional communities to thrive. The Downer Empowering Women in STEM scholarship has been established to support female undergraduate students studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics. The scholarship aims to: Develop and attract the advanced skills that will be needed in the future technology-led energy and utilities sectors Support regional female students financially while encouraging them to...

WA Premier takes green iron to Japan WA Premier Roger Cook is travelling to Japan to support continued collaboration on the clean energy transition between the nation and WA. Japan is a significant investor in WA with longstanding partnerships in the state’s resources sector. In a series of high-level meetings with government and industry stakeholders, Mr Cook will reinforce WA’s relationship with Japan. An important discussion topic for the trip will be WA’s continued resources exports that will contribute to Japan’s energy transition. Opportunities for mutually beneficial co-operation across areas such as green iron, ammonia, carbon...

Orica secures Hydrogen Headstart funding Orica (ASX: ORI) has been conditionally awarded $432m in funding to support the operation of the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub (HVHH) in NSW. The funding has been conditionally awarded under Round One of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s (ARENA) competitive Hydrogen Headstart program. The program supports large-scale renewable hydrogen projects to accelerate the development of Australia’s hydrogen industry, while helping Australia connect to new global hydrogen supply chains. The funding aims to provide partial revenue support in the form...

Funding secures next generation resource workers The Queensland Government is investing $2m to expand its Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) education arm. The funding will establish a jobs pipeline for resource workers in regional hubs across central and north Queensland by increasing awareness and interest in energy and minerals career pathways. The expansion will take place over three years, with the first regional hub based in Mackay at the Resources Centre of Excellence. Rockhampton will follow in 2026 and Townsville in 2027. Queensland Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Minister Ros Bates says...

Broken Hill extends major project status Cobalt Blue Holdings (ASX: COB) has been awarded a three-year extension on the major project status for its Broken Hill cobalt project in NSW. Major project status enables additional Federal Government regulatory support for projects of national significance through their contribution to strategic priorities, economic growth, employment and regional Australia. The recognition of the project’s national significance supports the company in advancing investment discussions, particularly pertaining to international investor support, as well as domestic investment. Cobalt Blue chief executive Andrew Tong says major project status acknowledges the strategic significance of the project...

Study unearths how copper deposits formed An international study has revealed how continental collisions may have supercharged Earth’s richest deposits of copper, a metal critical for clean energy technologies and global infrastructure. RSC principal geoscientist and the University of Western Australia School of Earth and Oceans’ Dr Yongjun Lu was co-author of the study published in Science Advances. Researchers analysed magmatic rocks from the Gangdese belt in southern Tibet — one of the world’s richest porphyry copper provinces. Porphyry copper deposits are the largest copper source globally and form when hot hydrothermal fluids travel through fractured rocks and precipitate copper minerals. “The...

Austral revives Rocklands copper mine Austral Resources Australia (ASX: AR1) has entered a binding agreement to acquire Copper Resources Australia’s Rocklands copper mine near Cloncurry, Queensland for $18m. The Rocklands copper mine — which has been on care & maintenance since late 2024 — is a fully permitted, near-term production asset. The Rocklands facility contains significant processing infrastructure adjacent to an existing resource base located only 50km east of Austral’s existing eastern tenement areas. The acquisition also complements the existing Mt Kelly SX-EW operations by expanding production capacity into copper-gold sulphide mineralisation. Austral chairman David Newling comments on the acquisition. “The acquisition of...

Geoscience igniting modern gold rush Experts from the Geological Survey of WA (GSWA) have led a geoscientific breakthrough that could spark the next wave of major gold discoveries across the state. By analysing thousands of geological samples, GSWA has identified the chemical signature most closely linked to the formation of gold-rich mineral systems — particularly those formed by ancient intrusions of molten rock deep beneath the Earth’s surface. The discovery is a major advancement in mineral exploration on a global scale as many of the world’s largest and most productive gold deposits are found within intrusion-related systems. These...