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IGO has “low confidence” in Kwinana refinery  IGO (ASX: IGO) has fully impaired its 49% stake in the Kwinana lithium hydroxide refinery in WA, citing ongoing operational issues.  Q4 FY25 lithium hydroxide production of 2126t represented 35% of nameplate capacity for the refinery.   The plant operated at reduced capacity due to equipment failure in Q3, limiting production to May, a further equipment failure in June and other downtime.  IGO managing director Ivan Vella says the refinery operated well below nameplate capacity in the quarter and did not achieve guided production tonnes for the year.  “Despite the strong commitment...

Australia's "freefall" in Fraser Institute rankings  The Fraser Institute has released its 2024 Annual Survey of Mining Companies, with all Australian jurisdictions suffering declines in investment attractiveness and policy perception compared to 2023.  The overall Investment Attractiveness Index is determined by combining the Best Practices Mineral Potential Index — which rates regions based on their geological attractiveness — and the Policy Perception Index, which measures the effects of government policy on attitudes toward exploration investment.  The survey was circulated electronically to approximately 2289 individuals between August 7, 2024, to December 15, 2024, receiving...

Bowen Coking Coal enters administration Bowen Coking Coal (ASX: BCB) has announced it is closing its Burton mine complex and entering voluntary administration following unsuccessful capital raise attempts. The decision was made following the rejection of the company’s most recent submission to the Queensland Revenue Office (QRO) for the short-term deferral of royalties and the inability to secure fresh capital or negotiate alternative commercial arrangements with creditors. Bowen’s move reflects the challenging environment the Queensland coal industry is facing with higher costs, lower global coal prices and increased royalty rates introduced in 2022. The company’s...

Kalamazoo secures golden future Kalamazoo Resources (ASX: KZR) has fast-tracked a scoping study at its 1.44moz Ashburton gold project in WA. Following the conclusion of an option agreement held by De Grey Mining, acquired by Northern Star Resources (ASX: NST), Kalamazoo now wholly owns the Ashburton project and has commenced a scoping study for the optimal developmental pathway at the Mt Olympus deposit. Kalamazoo is leveraging the substantial technical work completed at the site, by De Grey and Northern Star, to accelerate the completion of the study targeted for Q4 CY25. Recent re-optimisation studies conducted at the deposit utilising the...

Warradarge wind farm enters second stage Construction has commenced on the $400m expansion of Warradarge wind farm near Eneabba, continuing WA’s clean energy transition. The expansions will create more than 120 jobs and includes the construction of 30 additional wind turbines, taking the farm’s capacity to 283MW — a 103MW increase. Warradarge has been operating 51 turbines, with a tip height of 152m and blades 67m long, and producing reliable, renewable energy since 2020. The expanded wind farm will generate significant energy for the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), powering 164,000 households each year — making it the largest wind farm in WA. WA Energy and...

WA Government greenlights Karlawinda expansion Capricorn Metals (ASX: CMM) has received regulatory approval for the development of the Karlawinda expansion project in the Pilbara region of WA. The approval allows Capricorn to undertake all expanded mining activities at the Bibra, Southern Corridor and Berwick open pits, construction and development of a new tailing storage facility, construction works of the expanded processing plant and other infrastructure development. The expansion project was developed in late 2024, and construction is expected to be completed by Q4 FY26. The project will include the installation of a new parallel three-stage crushing and ball mill circuit to increase...

PLS powers through Q4 PLS’ (ASX: PLS) FY25 guidance was achieved or exceeded across all metrics alongside a 28% revenue increase in Q4. Q4 saw a production volume of 221.3kt, reflecting the increased output from the optimised Pilgan Plant following completion of the P1000 expansion in Q3. Spodumene concentrate production was 221.3kt in Q4, a 77% increase compared to the prior quarter, due to higher plant availability and the capability provided by the P1000 expansion. Lithium recovery of 71.6% in Q4  was higher than the prior quarter, with the...

MinRes meets the mark in Q4 Mineral Resources (ASX: MIN) met FY25 production guidance across its iron ore and lithium operations amidst significant leadership transition. FY25 production volumes were 280mt, up 11mt year on year, and at the lower end of the guidance range (280 – 300mt). During the quarter, the MinRes board appointed Malcolm Bundey as an independent non-executive director. Mr Bundey assumed the position of chair on July 1, with an immediate focus on continued board renewal, strengthening governance, Onslow Iron and balance sheet repair. This follows the announcement in late 2024 that Chris Ellison would step down...

NT unlocks resource rich region The Northern Territory Government is advancing major projects by opening permitting access to high-quality extractive resources at Gunn Point. Following revision of the Reserved Land status of the NT Portion 4476 (RL34137) parcel of land, the large area has been made available for new development permits. This will allow local civil and construction industries to access the materials they need to deliver critical infrastructure across the greater Darwin area, reducing costs, securing supply chains and pushing economic growth. Northern territory Mining and Energy Minister Gerard Maley says the decision eliminates red tape and superfluous processes to deliver a practical outcome....

Landmark International Graphite agreement International Graphite (ASX: IG6) is set to develop an expandable graphite facility (EGF) in Europe as an equal part joint venture with Arctic Graphite. The company has noted Germany as its preferred location for the EGF which has proposed production rates of 3,000t/y and a capital cost estimate of $8.8m. Graphite Investment Partners (GIP), a major shareholder of Arctic, has committed to arranging at least 50% of the EGF capital cost estimate in non-dilutive funding and has issued a non-binding letter of interest to arrange up to $10m in funding. Produced...

Record cashflow for Liontown Despite a 9% quarter-on-quarter decrease in lithium prices, Liontown (ASX: LTR) has delivered strong results for Q4 FY25, closing out its first year with positive cash flow of $23m. The company produced more than 300,000t of spodumene concentrate in its first 11 months of operation, showcasing the successful design and ramp up of the Kathleen Valley processing plant. This marks the company’s third consecutive quarter of positive operating cash flows, achieved in a low-price environment. Open pit mining remains on schedule for completion in December this year, with access to the final major ore zone...