The Australian Mining Review December 2025 Edition

RIO Tinto has unveiled its annual showcase of the world’s rarest pink and red diamonds in an exclusive preview at the Argyle mine site in the east Kimberley region of WA. The 64-diamond collection, including three Fancy Red diamonds and weighing 56.28 carats in total, make up the 2019 Argyle Pink Diamonds Tender. Rio Tinto Copper and Diamonds chief executive Arnaud Soirat said the diamonds, each “a natural treasure”, were a testament to the enormous range and depth of offering from the Argyle ore body, nearly four decades from when production commenced. “Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine is the first and only ongoing source of rare pink diamonds in history,” he said. “With the life cycle of this extraordinary mine approaching…

Image: Thor. BY JESSICA CUMMINS THOR Mining’s proposed $69 million Molyhil tungsten mine in the Northern Territory could deliver net value of $100 million and more than $500 million in revenue over its seven year mine life, according to new findings from an enhanced Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS). The project, 220km northeast of Alice Springs, would include a simple open-cut mining operation and conventional mineral processing plant, and deliver an early payback within 18 months of first production. Thor executive chairman Mick Million said the upgraded Net Present Value in excess of $100 million demonstrated the substantial value the project holds for the company. “There is further significant upside at Molyhil from expanding into potential underground mining and open-pit mining…

THE first stage of the exploration program at Triton Minerals’ graphite project in Mozambique has begun, with equipment on the way and staff on the ground at the Balama North prospect in the Cabo Delgado province. The Balama North licence is expected to be highly prospective because of its proximity to known graphite mineralisation, such as that of Syrah Resources’ Balama East deposit, which lies about 3km southeast of the licence boundary. In March, Triton and joint venture partner Grafex Limited appointed Jigsaw Geoscience to assist with the initial mapping, soil sampling and trenching program, with an emphasis on the Balama North licence and high priority zones. The information collected during the first phase will allow the joint venture partners…

ALMOST 24 years after the suspension of mine operations at Paguna mine due to militant attacks, Bougainville Copper (BCL) has updated its resource estimate of the area. The open pit mine and adjacent processing facility were operational between 1972 and 1989, when mining was suspended because of consistent militant attacks on company personnel and operations. However, BCL – owned by Rio Tinto (53.83 per cent), the Government of Papua New Guinea (19.06 per cent) and 27.11 per cent publicly owned – remains committed to reopening the Bougainville Island mine, which hosts a large porphyry copper-gold deposit. In 2009, BCL prepared an order of magnitude study (OMS) with a resource estimate of around 1 billion tonnes grading 0.33 per cent copper…