Tag: copper australia

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

The Carrapateena mine will enter production in 2019. Image: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE South Australian resources sector has had a strong year. But dwindling exploration points to a far greater issue for the State, as it looks to ramp up production and continue the search for the next Olympic Dam-style deposit. More exploration is needed in South Australia: that is the message Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) chief executive Warren Pearce had for delegates at the recent South Australia Resources and Energy Investment conference (SAREIC) in Adelaide. “Greenfields mineral exploration, the heartbeat of mining, is flat lining in South Australia,” Mr Pearce said. “Nationally mineral exploration has been rebounding since 2016, but the numbers out of…

Copper output flat in March quarter

Copper output flat in March quarter

BY CAMERON DRUMMOND GLOBAL March quarter copper production decreased 4.8 per cent quarter-on-quarter as only one-third of the top 15 producers reporting an increase in output, according to S&P Global. Production from the top 15 producers in the 2018 March quarter fell by 136,548 tonnes (t), or 4.8 per cent, compared the December 2017 quarter. However, output rose by 14.8 per cent, or 345,725t, on an annual basis in the March quarter. MMG, Grupo México and Vale sustained the bulk of those losses, with Vale recording the biggest fall – down 20.3 per cent – due to unscheduled mine maintenance and lower processed ore grades across some of its operations. MMG reported a loss in production of 31,799t, or 19.9…

Carrapateena: Countdown to Production

Carrapateena: Countdown to Production

All images: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE final stage of construction has now kicked off at OZ Minerals Carrapateena copper mine, with just over a year left on the clock before commissioning begins. We chat with OZ Minerals managing director and chief executive Andrew Cole about Phase 2 of the construction campaign, power plans for the mine, and exploration potential further afield. Q. Can you describe the work undertaken at Carrapateena to date? Phase 1 construction at Carrapateena is on schedule and in early April, we received approval from the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments for the Carrapateena project, which cleared the way for mobilisation of Phase 2 of construction from mid-April as scheduled. The work we’ve undertaken is…

Copper in focus: Cu at the top

Copper in focus: Cu at the top

BY ELIZABETH FABRI COPPER is in favour as demand picks up in China, while electric vehicle and the renewables boom looks to build sustainable price momentum into the future. Yet the base metal, as is the case for many commodities in 2017, has also been defined by its volatility. Will the good time continue? Copper has been a particularly interesting commodity to watch throughout the 2017 year. On the back of sudden price gains in late 2016, the base metal had a volatile start to the year, continuing its upswing in the first few months, (due to supply disruptions at three of the world’s largest mines), before plummeting to three-month lows in April. As analysts predicted, the slump was short-lived…