Tag: Mining in South Australia

All images: Hillgrove Resources. BY ELIZABETH FABRI AFTER a near death experience in 2016, Hillgrove Resources is on the rise with company finances looking healthier and a number of growth opportunities on the horizon. Two years ago, Hillgrove Resources was in financial distress as it struggled to overcome cash shortfalls during a significant downturn in the copper market and underperformance at its flagship Kanmantoo mine. During the $70 million cutback of Kanmantoo the company’s financial position left it with no choice but to restructure costs, which included a 10 per cent wage deferral, and renegotiated contract and creditor arrangements. Hillgrove Resources Kanmantoo general manager Lachlan Wallace, who headed up the mine during this time, said 2016 was a challenging year. “We…

Image: GFG Alliance. Photography: Sean Kelly. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE bad run has ended for the cities of the Upper Spencer Gulf, who can finally catch their collective breath as new regional investments signal hope. Twelve months ago the Upper Spencer Gulf cities of Whyalla, Port Augusta, and Port Pirie in South Australia were existing in a state of uncertainty. In Whyalla, the sale of Arrium’s assets remained up in the air; dire times for a community which had been impacted by almost 1000 job losses leading up to Arrium entering administration. If Arrium failed to secure a new buyer, many believed Whyalla and – to a lesser extent – the State of South Australia would fall into economic and…

Prominent Hill mine. Image: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI WITH a history dating back to the 1800s, the South Australian resources sector is a continued force in Australian mining, boasting a portfolio of world-class projects and new exploration prospects for the next generation of mining. South Australia is a proud mining region, with many noteworthy accolades to its name. To begin, the State is home to the world’s largest known uranium deposit and Australia’s largest underground mine, Olympic Dam. It also hosts 68 per cent of the country’s copper resources, 80 per cent of its uranium resources, 28 per cent of the economic gold resources, and more than 14 billion tonnes of iron ore. In 2016, the region even ranked as…