Glencore has announced that it will start a recruitment process for more than 200 jobs at its Collinsville Coal Mine as it returns to production. While Glencore has scaled back production at Collinsville this year, we have continued to assess a range of options for the mine in conjunction with monitoring coal market demand. We are now seeing increased demand from South-East Asia for the specific type of coal produced by Collinsville. Tony Galvin, head of Glencore’s open cut coal business in Queensland, acknowledged that the last three years had seen some difficult decisions made at Collinsville in order to…
The Palaszczuk Government has invoked special powers to progress the $21.7 billion Carmichael coal and rail project. The combined mine, rail and associated water infrastructure have all been declared critical infrastructure – the first time this has happened in seven years. As well, the project’s special “prescribed project” status has been renewed and expanded to include its water infrastructure. State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said his decision would mean less red tape for the proposed project and the jobs and business opportunities it offered. “This step bundles together major elements of the project for the first time – the…
North Queenslanders will welcome the news that the one of Queensland’s oldest coal mines at Collinsville is restarting production and hiring again. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Minister for State Development and Natural Resources and Mines Dr Anthony Lynham welcomed Glencore’s move to recommence operations and hire up to 200 people at its joint venture open cut mine near Bowen. “This is yet another piece of positive news for the north and ongoing evidence of green shoots appearing in the resources sector,” the Premier said. "It’s been encouraging to see these green shoots appearing over the past few months showing in…
A new development of iron ore deposits at Rio Tinto's Western Turner Syncline mine near Tom Price in the Pilbara, Western Australia has been approved. State Development Minister Western Australian Bill Marmion said capital expenditure on the project was expected to be $18 million, with 40 construction jobs to be created. "The Western Turner Syncline production capacity is currently 25 million tonnes to 30 million tonnes per year," Mr Marmion said. "The approval will ensure Rio Tinto can maintain this level of production by bringing new sources of ore online. "This is great news for resources and great news for…
Minotaur Exploration Ltd have announced they are commencing drilling for copper and other base metals on OZ Minerals tenements. The drilling programs are close to the existing operation at Prominent Hill and on Minotaur tenements near Cloncurry in Queensland. OZ Minerals CEO Andrew Cole commented said the joint venture partnership with Minotaur is about ensuring there is an appropriate focus on their core assets while continuing to look for new opportunities. Following a comprehensive review of OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill data set, Minotaur located a number of additional drilling targets using different modelling and geophysical techniques. “Having a highly-regarded junior…
A major investment in downstream processing has been celebrated with the opening of the Yara Pilbara Nitrates technical ammonium nitrate (TAN) plant in the North-West. Premier Colin Barnett said the plant employed more than 500 workers on site during construction and would require about 70 employees for ongoing operations. "Yara Pilbara has also invested more than $50 million in Karratha for residential housing for employees and their families, demonstrating its commitment to the community," he said. The Premier said the innovative $US800 million plant integrated with the neighbouring Yara Pilbara Fertilisers plant. "This new TAN plant will take ammonia from…
Construction at the US$80-million Epanko project in Tanzania is expected to commence next year. Following mining and processing, Epanko will produce a high-grade graphite concentrate. The proponent, the Australian company Kibaran Resources, is also looking at a further processing step, to produce graphite suitable for lithium-ion batteries. Because of their use in electric vehicles, such batteries present a strongly-growing market for graphite. Australia is the largest foreign investor in mining in Africa. Epanko is one of several dozen Australian projects that have progressed beyond an early exploration stage. There are many more at an early stage. According to one estimate,…
Pantera Minerals Limited (PFE), a key player in the exploration and development of lithium resources, is poised to capitalise on the growing demand for lithium in the United States. The surge in demand, driven by the increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage solutions, presents a significant opportunity for Pantera. A recent article by Fastmarkets highlighted the critical role of lithium in the green energy revolution. As the US transitions to a cleaner energy future, lithium-ion batteries are becoming essential for powering EVs, grid-scale energy storage systems, and other applications. Fastmarkets forecasts a substantial growth in US…
Critical mineral explorer, Litchfield Minerals Limited (ASX: LMS), has announced the discovery of several new chargeability targets at the historic Mount Irene Mine in Canada. The findings, revealed after a successful Gradient Array Induced Polarisation (GAIP) survey in March 2024, signify a significant breakthrough in the company's exploration efforts. The GAIP survey, known for its precision and depth, has identified multiple new chargeability targets extending towards the northwest (NW) of Mount Irene. These targets indicate the potential for substantial extensions to the known mineralised reefs, opening new avenues for exploration and development. Among the key highlights of the GAIP survey…
Alderan Resources Limited (ASX: AL8) is making significant progress in its exploration efforts, with updates on its copper exploration project in Utah, USA, and its lithium projects in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Utah Copper Exploration: Preparations for drilling at the New Years copper-gold prospect in Utah's Frisco project are proceeding rapidly. The company is finalising the precise locations and orientation of a planned three-hole diamond drilling program, aiming to commence drilling this quarter. Alderan already has permitted drill sites within the Frisco project area, with the permit expected to be amended for the new locations. Brazil Lithium Exploration: Alderan's stream sediment…
American Rare Earths (ASX: ARR | OTCQX: ARRNF and AMRRY) has released the findings of the Halleck Creek Scoping Study Technical Report by Stantec Consulting Services Inc., highlighting the project's potential as a low-cost, scalable, and world-class rare earth elements (REE) venture in Wyoming, USA. The study projects an attractive NPV8 of US$673.9 million and NPV10 of US$505.1 million (pre-tax), with an IRR of 22.5 per cent and a 2.9-year payback period based on a three million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) operating scenario. Initial capital expenditure is estimated at US$456.1 million, including a US$76 million contingency. The life of mine…
In a move to accelerate the Halleck Creek project, American Rare Earths (ARR) has successfully filed a Licence to Explore for Minerals by Dozing with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality in the US. This application is a critical step towards initiating test mining operations, as the company seeks approval for two test pits at the Cowboy State Mine site. The test mining is aimed at securing the necessary ore volumes for processing at a pilot facility, setting the stage for the future scaling of an operable mine and processing unit at Halleck Creek. American Rare Earths CEO Donald Swartz…
Arizona Lithium Limited has selected Rhythm Engineering Inc. to oversee the drilling and completion engineering and supervision services for its Prairie Lithium Project's upcoming drilling program in Canada. It follows a comprehensive proposal review from the company and marks a pivotal milestone in Arizona Lithium Limited’s project located in Saskatchewan, Canada; which is one of Arizona Lithium's key ventures alongside the Big Sandy Lithium Project. The exploration initiative will focus on drilling into the Dawson Bay and Souris River Formations, two deeper zones identified as prospective for enriched lithium brine. These formations, lying below the Duperow formation, have not been…
ASX-listed lithium exploration and development company — Galan Lithium Limited — has provided an updated on the progress of its Hombre Muerto West (HMW) Phase 1 lithium brine project in Argentina. The company is now on track to commence lithium chloride production in the first half of 2025. Galan Lithium Limited Managing Director Juan Pablo (JP) Vargas de la Vega stated: “We are taking advantage of the summer season whereby a buffer wall has been installed at the one third mark of Pond 1. “The initial partial evaporation process will commence in approximately 14 days with the full fill of…
