The Australian Mining Review December 2025 Edition

Latitude66 set to drill high-potential gold targets at Edjudina

Latitude66 set to drill high-potential gold targets at Edjudina

Latitude 66 (ASX: LAT) has announced the planned commencement of a drilling program at its Edjudina Project, located in the Laverton region of WA. The planned drilling program will commence in March this year and consists of up to 9,000m of aircore and potentially follow up reverse circulation drilling to test multiple significant gold-in-soil surface anomalies. This follows from previous exploration works completed across the project area, which have shown substantial potential given their scale and proximity to known mineral occurrences and infrastructure. Latitude66 has also signed a drill for equity agreement with Raglan Drilling, allowing the company to complete up to 9,000m of drilling, with 25% of the cost payable through the issue of new shares under its available…

(Image source: Bravus Mining and Resources) Workers undertaking scheduled electrical systems maintenance on the bypass circuit of the Carmichael mine’s CHPP.

Rock your work-life balance as more jobs become available at Carmichael mine

Bravus Mining and Resources and major contracting partner DRA Global are seeking to add skilled operators, technical trades and maintenance crew to the team that keeps the Carmichael mine’s Coal Handling and Preparation Plant (CHPP) running smoothly. DRA Global senior vice president – APAC East Michael Carretta says the business was recruiting about 20 new site-based roles to support the operation and maintenance of the multi-million-dollar facility that processes the raw coal, sort it into grades and stockpile it for loading onto trains. “At DRA, we’re proud of our contribution to the Carmichael mine, which began over five years ago with design, construction and commissioning of the CHPP and Train Load Out. Today, our team provides high-value operations and maintenance…

(Image source: Bravus Mining and Resources) (L-R) WRC Mayor Ry Collins and BRC general manage Brendan Lane at the official opening of the Collinsville pump track.

Collinsville kids ride high at Bowen Rail Company-funded ‘pump’ bike track

There were plenty of thrills and a couple of spills as Bowen Rail Company and Collinsville residents celebrated the official opening of the Queensland town’s eagerly anticipated $300,000 ‘pump’ bike track. Located in Darcy Munro Park, the Collinsville pump track is designed for skateboarders, bike and scooter riders to make their way over a series of rollers, jumps and berms by generating momentum through up and down body movements, instead of pedalling or pushing. Bowen Rail Company fully-funded the $300,000 cost for the first stage of the circuit as part of a 2019 Infrastructure Access Agreement signed with Whitsunday Regional Council for the construction of the Carmichael Rail Network. The Carmichael Rail Network entered operation in 2022 and connects the…

(Image source: Bravus Mining and Resources) A Bowen Rail Company trail hauling coal from the Carmichael mine along the Carmichael Rail Network.

No Detours ahead as fauna- friendly crossings share the line on the Carmichael Rail Network

Coal from Bravus Mining and Resources’ Carmichael mine near Clermont in central Queensland is making its way to port on a rail line where cutting edge freight technologies are rivalled by the sophistication of fauna-friendly crossings. Bravus Mining and Resources chief operating officer Mick Crowe says the 200km Carmichael Rail Network includes hundreds of design features to support local biodiversity on a line also setting new standards for freight transport. “The design means not only does our coal get to port using safe and efficient rail operations, but it also allows local fauna to thrive,” he said. “Coal is hauled by Bowen Rail Company trains on the Carmichael Rail Network through an area of central Queensland that is home to…

Sandvik’s new test mine.

Sandvik develops new test mine

To support the shift towards electrification and the advancement of autonomous and optimisation technologies in surface drilling, Sandvik has acquired a new testing facility in Finland to develop and prove future surface drilling technologies. The test mine lies 40km northwest of Tampere and Sandvik’s underground test mine. The site is Sandvik’s first dedicated exclusively to surface drilling on a large scale. Sandvik surface drilling president Petri Virrankoski commented on the facility. “The development of comprehensive solutions that not only harness the latest technologies but also deliver productivity and reliability in our customers’ real-life application and conditions requires a real-life test environment,” he said. “The surface test mine will facilitate the exchange of our deep know-how in equipment manufacturing, rock tools,…

Explorer expands holding in promising belt

Explorer expands holding in promising belt

JUNIOR explorer Ram Resources has picked up another five tenements in WA’s Fraser Range nickel-copper belt, adding an extra 163 square kilometres to its holdings in the area. The newly acquired Fraser Range North tenements lie 150km north of Ram’s Fraser Range project and Sirius Resources’ Nova nickel-copper deposit. Under the deal signed with an unnamed private prospector, Ram will pay $40,000 now and a further $40,000 within six months, with a final payment of $50,000 per tenement due in two years if the company wants to claim a 100 per cent stake in the licenses. The vendor will retain a 1.5 per cent net smelter royalty. In a statement, the company said it would undertake an aggressive exploration program…

(Image source: BHP) Since April 2024, 80mt of material has been moved autonomously at Spence.

BHP celebrates autonomous operations at Spence

BHP’s (ASX: BHP) has celebrated three months of 100% autonomous operations at its Spence mine in Chile. In April 2024, Spence achieved full autonomy after converting its fleet of 33 CAEX 980E-5 AT trucks and five drill rigs, and since then, 80mt of material has been moved with zero safety incidents. A delegate from the Pampa Norte operation, where Spence is located, received executives from Komatsu to celebrate the milestone. In the field, the delegates visited the Spence truck shop and see the results of this first stage of operation. The visit was led by Pampa Norte president Cristian Sandoval and accompanied by executives of Spence and Technology of BHP Minerals Americas. Komatsu was represented by Komatsu Cummins Group vice…

Nickel: China syndrome

CommoditiesNews

Nickel: China syndrome

WHILE 68pc of global nickel is still used for the production of stainless steel, and only 3pc for battery metals, an announcement by the Chinese government may have changed the fortune of the metal, along with the future of the automotive industry forever. In 2018, China sent ripples throughout the car manufacturing and mining worlds when it announced its New Energy Vehicle (NEV) deal. The deal set a quota for the number of zero-emissions vehicles that carmakers must sell, with companies each receiving a certain number of credits, depending on certain characteristics of the vehicles. From 2019, major Chinese manufacturers would be punished unless they met quotas for zero and low-emission cars, or bought credits from companies that did not…