BHP workers to strike at Australia’s largest iron ore port

Bravus awards $40m to local Queensland businesses Bravus Mining and Resources has awarded two contracts for the construction of a new heavy vehicle maintenance workshop at its Carmichael mine in central Queensland. Family-owned Cairns business CSF Steel Fabricators has been commissioned to fabricate and then freight more than 685t of structural steel to the mine. The steel will be used by Hawkins Group to construct the 5,700m2 Mine Industrial Area workshop and warehouse. Bravus Mining and resources chief operating officer Mick Crowe says Bravus is a proud regional Queensland business and supporting local jobs, contractors and...

Meeka Metals closer to first gold As processing plant works near completion, Meeka Metals (ASX: MEK) anticipates first gold production in the coming months from its flagship Murchison gold project. Following the successful installation of the power station at the site in May the plant has been energised in advance of full commissioning. Open pit mining operations continue at the St Anne’s North and Turnberry Central sites as ore stockpiles continue to grow. “With power to the plant and ore stocks on the ROM we are on track for commissioning and first gold in the coming weeks,” says Meeka...

From cancer treatment to minerals recovery Australian researchers have applied cancer therapeutic techniques to recovery of critical and rare earth minerals with a new peptide-targeting mineral recovery method. The researchers, based at the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Enabling Eco-Efficient Beneficiation of Minerals (COEMinerals), achieved more than 98% silver purity and more than 95% recovery using the innovative recovery method. Led by the University of Adelaide’s Chemical Engineering School researcher Professor Chun-Xia Zhao, the centre has applied learnings from multiple scientific disciplines to mimic how a cancer-targeting drug finds...

Australian graphite gets a boost CSIRO is supporting the growth of Australia’s battery industry with the launch of a new $400,000 research and development (R&D) grant program to help small-to-medium (SMEs) in mining and manufacturing. The grants will enhance the quality, efficiency and sustainability of graphite — a critical mineral essential to battery production — by funding SMEs working on related projects. Australia holds significant reserves of graphite, but its presence in global battery supply chains remains minimal. The program aims to develop innovative technologies and processes that will position Australian companies as global leaders in graphite...