Metso launches new grinding classification system

GOLD major Newcrest Mining plans to close its Brisbane office at the end of September and cut costs across its operations due to the deterioration of the gold price. Newcrest has reduced exploration activities and 20 per cent of corporate costs to deal with the price decline, in a move to focus on cash over growth. “Newcrest reconfirms its focus going forward will be on maximising free cash flow by reducing operating costs, corporate costs and capital expenditure,” a company statement said. Instead of spending a planned $1.5 billion during the 2014 financial year, Newcrest will spend about $1 billion and writedown assets to the value of between $5 billion and $6 billion. Spending would also be reduced in areas...

LITHIUM Australia has received a ‘Certificate of Grant’ from IP Australia for its LieNA lithium processing technology patent, providing legal protection in Australia for 20 years over the technology. LieNA significantly improves metallurgical recovery of lithium from fine and contaminated spodumene. Hard-rock lithium production has long faced a major sustainability issue of poor recoveries of spodumene from the mine onwards to the production of lithium chemicals. While the recovery rate of lithium from conventional spodumene beneficiation varies, it can be as low as 50pc owing to the concentrate offtake specification constraints applied by the current generation of lithium chemical producers, all of which commence the process by roasting the concentrate. LieNA does not require a roasting stage and can recover...

Green transmission line, $80m road upgrades powering the Pilbara The Pilbara region in WA will be home to a new high-capacity common use transmission line for green energy. When completed, the Maitland-Karratha-Burrup line will be the first major transmission line to deliver clean electricity to the Burrup Peninsula and will link renewable energy generation in the Maitland Strategic Industrial Area with Karratha and major industry players in the Pilbara. Traditional Owners, the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation, and Murujuga Aboriginal Corporation - who have formed an alliance for the project that is part of a working group with the WA Government - are continuing to...