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Native Mineral Resources (NMR) (ASX: NMR) has signed an agreement with Collins St Convertible Note to acquire a suite of advanced, near-production gold projects in northern Queensland as part of a deed of company arrangement approved by creditors. The $18.9m deal includes the Far Fanning and Black Jack deposits. Positioned in the mineral-rich Ravenswood-Charters Towers region, the acquisition provides extensive exploration potential, a clear path to gold production and significant upside through resource growth opportunities. NMR managing director Blake Cannavo comments on the agreement. “This acquisition is a transformative milestone for NMR,” he said. “By securing two near-mine, advanced gold projects with robust resource potential, we are positioning ourselves to move rapidly towards production. “This deal propels us from a…

Rock chip samples from Equinox Resources (ASX: EQN) Alturas antimony project in British Columbia, Canada, have returned ultra-high-grade assays, notably 69.98% antimony. The company has increased its total land holding interests to 6.31km2 on the Alturas project. Historically, 105t of antimony ore, averaging 57.20% antimony has been sold from the Alps-Alturas antimony mine on this property. Since the execution of the option agreement for the Alturas project, the price for antimony has reached $54,000 (US$36,000) per metric ton as of October 25, 2024, from about $36,000 (US$24,000) per metric ton at the time of acquisition. This significant price increase has been driven by supply constraints arising from new export controls on antimony announced by China in September 2024. Equinox Resources…

Tivan Limited (ASX: TVN) has commenced its first phase of drilling at the Speewah fluorite project in WA, with contractor DDH1 Drilling beginning diamond drilling earlier this week. This follows on from the pre-feasibility study completed in July this year that assessed the viability of a mining and processing operation of fluorite ore to produce acid grade fluorspar. A detailed phased drill plan including exploration, resource extension, metallurgical testwork, geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling then ensued, with Tivan commencing ground-disturbing works to facilitate the drill plan three weeks ago. Tivan executive chairman Grant Wilson says the company is “delighted to have commenced the drill campaign at the project well ahead of the arrival of the wet season”. “With the ongoing support…

Western Australia has experienced its seventh consecutive year of jobs growth, thanks to the State’s strong resources sector. In FY24, the sector employed 134,871 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions, supported by mineral and petroleum sales of $238b. The State also led the nation in exploration investment with $2.58b spent in FY24 or 62% of the national spend. Key exploration targets included critical minerals such as lithium, rare earths (which achieved record spending levels), nickel/cobalt and copper. WA Premier Roger Cook says the State’s economic management of the resources sector is second to none. “We are a global investment destination of choice as we remain a reliable business partner, we maintain a robust regulatory framework and we have a long history of…

Metso is expanding its flotation portfolio with modular Concorde Cell™ Plant Units, a new solution consisting of prefabricated and pre-installed containerised units, which streamlines the setup process and minimises on-site installation work. Metso flotation and thickening product manager Tatu Miettinen comments on the advancement. “Concorde Cell™ Plant Units feature a complete sampling and automation portfolio, along with a modular basic design that conveniently accommodates add-ins,” he said. “This flexibility allows for tailored solutions that meet the diverse needs of our end customers and EPCMs alike.” Metso launched the groundbreaking Concorde Cell™ flotation technology for efficient fine and ultra-fine particle recovery for complex ore bodies in 2021. The company says this innovative and sustainable technology has set a new benchmark in high-intensity pneumatic…

The Northern Territory Government has given the green light for the Fountain Head gold project in Pine Creek to resume operations. The open-cut gold mine, operated by Patronus Resources Ltd (ASX: PTN), formerly PNX Metals Ltd, was developed in 2008 and has been in care and maintenance since. Patronus Resources has met its regulatory requirements under the new Environment Protection Act 2019 and is now authorised to proceed operations following the Territory Government’s approval of its Deemed Mining Licence (DML). Northern Territory Mining and Energy Minister Gerar Maley says the approval is good news for the Pine Creek region, local businesses and the local community. “Our mining and resources sector contributes over $6b to our economy, creates thousands of jobs…

Anglo American has agreed to the sale of its 33.3% minority interest in Jellinbah Group (Jellinbah) to Zashvin for cash proceeds of $1.6b as part of the company’s larger plan to restructure its business by shedding unwanted assets. The Jellinbah Group is a joint venture that owns a 70% interest in the Jellinbah East and Lake Vermont steelmaking coal mines in Queensland. Zashvin is an existing 33.3% shareholder in Jellinbah alongside Anglo American and Marubeni. This deal follows the rejection of BHP’s (ASX: BHP) third unsolicited, non-binding and highly conditional takeover proposal by the Anglo American board in May this year. Anglo American chief executive Duncan Wanblad comments on the deal. “We are delighted to have agreed terms with our…

The Northern Territory Government, in collaboration with the CSIRO, have released a study on the geological storage potential for carbon dioxide, hydrogen and compressed air across several of the Territory’s onshore basins. The report, entitled CO2, H2 and compressed air energy storage site screening study – selected onshore basins in the Northern Territory, provides an examination of the Amadeus, Bonaparte (onshore), Georgina, McArthur (including the Beetaloo Sub-basin) and Ngalia basins. It includes an assessment of their geological storage potential across hydrocarbon reservoirs, saline aquifers and salt diapirs. Commissioned by the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) under its Resourcing the Territory program, the study collates the available stratigraphic and petrophysical data for these basins into a series of regional prospectivity maps.…

Innovation is revving up in the mining industry, with several big caps rolling out revolutionary battery technology overseas, including Rio Tinto, Fortescue and Newmont. Rio Tinto will partner with China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) to demonstrate battery swap electric haul truck technology at the Oyu Tolgoi copper mine in Mongolia. Battery swapping technology allows a battery-electric vehicle to quickly exchange a discharged battery pack for a fully charged one, instead of recharging the vehicle at a static charging station. The technology is already applied on haul trucks in mining operations across China, and this collaboration will enable Rio Tinto to demonstrate a complete battery-electric truck and charging ecosystem at one of its operations. The two-year project will demonstrate eight…

The push to find new copper resources, as the world transitions to electrification and renewable energy sources, has been given a boost thanks to an international study that has cracked the code on the metal’s origins. Copper is on Australia’s Strategic Minerals List and the study, which includes researchers from University of Western Australia (UWA), could reshape how the metal is mined and unveil new pathways to future copper deposits. Published in Nature Geoscience, the study proposes a new model for the formation of large copper deposits. Led by Dr Tom Lamont from the University of Bristol, the research is part of the ‘High Grade Hypogene Copper’ initiative, a consortium that includes UWA and BHP. BHP expects global copper demand…

BHP (ASX: BHP) has released its 2024 Community Development Report, showcasing ways the company is generating social value for its people, partners, communities, local economies and the environment. In FY24 BHP’s total community development expenditure in WA was over $894m, the highest on record for the company. BHP says it has been focused on creating new opportunities for its supply chain over recent years, including Traditional Owner and Indigenous businesses. “Our WA Iron Ore (WAIO) asset spent nearly $465m with 113 Indigenous vendors in FY24, surpassing our WAIO Indigenous and Traditional Owner direct spend target,” BHP said in a statement. BHP spent $237m directly with 68 Traditional Owner vendors and $590m with 330 local suppliers. “Our Local Buying Program represented…