Countries ramp up coal use amidst energy crisis

The Federal Court has ordered BHP (ASX: BHP) to pay about $84,000 to 85 workers for unlawfully requiring them to work over holidays without providing a reasonable right of refusal.

Westgold (ASX: WGX) has delivered a high confidence plan that lifts annual gold production at its WA projects from 326koz to 470koz by FY28. Underpinned by the company’s ore reserves of 56mt at 1.93g/t gold for 3.5moz of gold, the plan will see increased output from the company’s four existing processing hubs, currently operating at a 6mtpa capacity, fed from its operating mines and ore purchase agreement. Westgold managing director and chief executive Wayne Bramwell says the outlook provides a baseline for a larger, more profitable and sustainable gold producer that is fully funded and organic. “Westgold’s FY25 mineral resource estimate of 16.3moz and ore reserves of 3.5moz underwrites the ,” he said. “With our operations now being optimised on…

Great Boulder Resources (ASX: GBR) has commenced a scoping study for its Ironbark gold deposit near Meekatharra in WA. Within the company’s flagship Side Well gold project, Ironbark hosts a mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 100,000oz at 3.3g/t gold. Assuming a toll treatment model at a neighbouring gold processing plant, the scoping study will explore economics of open pit mining. Engineering consultancy Entech estimates completion of the study within six to eight weeks. Negotiations for the Ironbark mining lease application are ongoing. A detailed flora and fauna survey is also being prepared. Great Boulder managing director Andrew Patterson says this is a pivotal moment for Great Boulder. “The commencement of a scoping study at Ironbark represents the start of the…

Metso is introducing a groundbreaking Life Cycle Services (LCS) framework to reflect the shift toward outcome-based partnerships and performance-driven business models, while addressing customers’ different levels of support requirements.    Metso has offered LCS for more than 15 years and the new LCS model includes solutions for parts, equipment and process island scopes as well as three partnership levels focusing on stability, optimisation or growth.  Metso integrated service solutions senior vice president Miika Tirkkonen says customers aim to improve efficiency and profitability, although their needs vary greatly.   “Metso is committed to supporting different customer requirements and to helping them with long-term, continuous improvement,” he said.  “The new LCS framework spans from basic parts supply to full equipment lifecycle management, labour…