Iron ore continues to be a significant part of Tasmania’s mineral landscape, with the state’s leading operation undergoing some expansion works to ensure it maintains its annual production of two million-plus tonnes of magnetite concentrate. Meanwhile, a short-lived project to the south is ready to recommence mining once economic conditions improve. Located 60 kilometres southwest of Burnie, Grange Resources Ltd’s (ASX:GRR) Savage River has been subjected to a definitive feasibility study (DFS) into underground extraction below the north pit and its integration with the company’s current open-cut operation. According to the miner this document has revealed some robust financial outcomes.…
Ardea Resources Limited has partnered with Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd (SMM) and Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) to form a 50:50 incorporated joint venture named Kalgoorlie Nickel Pty Ltd (KNPL) for the development of the Kalgoorlie Nickel Project (KNP) - Goongarrie Hub in Western Australia. Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, the Consortium, Ardea, and KNPL will jointly fund and conduct the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), with the Consortium funding 100 per cent of the DFS costs up to the agreed budget of approximately $98.5 million. Additionally, the Consortium will assist KNPL in optimising debt financing to earn an ultimate…
Northern Minerals Limited (NTU), a key player in heavy rare earth (HRE) exploration and development, has announced the reception of high-grade assay results from ongoing mineral resource definition drilling at the Wolverine deposit within the Browns Range Project in Western Australia. The latest assay results validate the presence of wide and high-grade mineralised intervals across the Wolverine deposit, which remains open at depth. Notable new intercepts include 15.6 metres at 9.99 per cent Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) from a depth of 428.20 metres, alongside other substantial intercepts that highlight consistent mineralisation throughout the targeted areas. The primary objective of…
Aurumin Limited (AUN) has expanded its flagship Sandstone Gold Operations with the acquisition of five new exploration tenements. This addition reinforces Aurumin’s presence in the prolific Youanmi Terrane, located 520 kilometres northeast of Perth, as part of the company's 100 per cent owned 946 koz Au Central Sandstone Project. The newly acquired tenements, spanning an additional 60 square kilometres, include historical workings and well-defined mineralisation trends, which are key to Aurumin's ongoing development strategy. These tenements are poised to enhance the company's exploration capabilities and drive significant value for stakeholders. Aurumin Managing Director Brad Valiukas stated: “After repositioning the company…
Aurumin Limited (ASX: AUN) has completed drilling at its 100 per cent owned Central Sandstone Project, located 520 kilometres northeast of Perth. The project is part of Aurumin's Sandstone Operations, which also include the Birrigrin and Johnson Range Projects, boasting a total resource of 946koz Au. The drilling campaign, conducted with Reverse Circulation (RC) methods, comprised 38 holes and 3888 metres drilled. The primary objectives of the drilling were to test seven new open pit targets and to investigate extensions at two existing open pit resources. The drilling targeted multiple depositional models and styles, including porphyry/intrusive hosted vein style, banded…
Intra Energy Corporation Limited (IEC), an environmentally responsible mining and energy group, has announced compelling lithium, tantalum, niobium, caesium, and tin assays from rock chip sampling at the Maggie Hays Hill (MHH) project. These results significantly enhance the project's lithium prospectivity and validate IEC's exploration strategy. The latest round of sampling, conducted over the most prospective section of outcropping pegmatites, revealed averaged lithium assays of 503 ppm, indicating the presence of lithium-rich pegmatites. Additionally, encouraging caesium and tantalum values, with average assays of 139 ppm and 107 ppm respectively, suggest the potential for multiple mineralisation targets. These findings, along with…
WA Regional Development Minister Don Punch recently revealed a cutting-edge robotic welding assistant at MAS Equipment's West Kalgoorlie workshop. The innovative 'Cobot,' supported by the Regional Economic Development (RED) Grant program, is set to revolutionise the business's capacity to service the mining industry in the Goldfields while enhancing safety, productivity, and job opportunities. The 'Cobot' is designed to perform a variety of welding tasks with precision and efficiency, ensuring high-quality manufacturing and production for clients. This new technology will not only increase MAS Equipment's competitiveness in the industry but also contribute to the upskilling of workers, making the mining sector…
B2Gold Corp. has commissioned the world’s largest off-grid solar-battery hybrid system for the mining industry, at the Fekola gold mine in Mali, West Africa. The solar-battery hybrid plant was integrated and commissioned successfully with the existing power plant operation, and the solar plant is on course to be 100 per cent complete by the end of June. The Fekola gold mine operates 24-hours a day. During the daytime, the new 30-megawatt solar plant allows three out of six heavy fuel oil generators to be shut down; the energy production of the residual three generators could also be significantly reduced. The…
The Cabeza de los Gatos waste rock pile, left from mining activities in the town of Tharsis (Huelva) in Spain, underwent a rehabilitation process consisting of remodelling the slope of the pile, applying liming materials and then a layer of soil. Trees and shrubs typical of the area were planted and a hydroseeding with a mixture of shrub and herbaceous seeds was applied. 12 years later, a study led by researchers from IRNAS-CSIC, in collaboration with Sabina Rossini Oliva, a researcher from the University of Seville and the Environment and Water Agency of Andalusia (AMAYA), has proven the effectiveness of…
Production of battery-grade lithium from waste rock has commenced at a lithium demonstration plant at Rio Tinto’s Boron mine in California, USA. An initial small-scale trial in 2019 successfully proved the process of roasting and leaching waste rock to recover high grades of lithium. Rio Tinto said the demonstration plant is the next step in scaling up a breakthrough lithium production process developed at Boron, to recover the critical mineral and extract additional value out of waste piles from over 90 years of mining at the operation. The demonstration plant has a design capacity of 10 tonnes per year of…
Apollo Minerals Limited has announced its maiden drilling campaign is now underway at the prospective Kroussou zinc-lead project in Gabon. The Kroussou Project comprises the Prospecting License G4-569 which covers 986.5 square kilometres in the Ngounié Province of Western Gabon located approximately 220 kilometres southeast of the capital city of Libreville. The current Phase 1 diamond drill program, which comprises approximately 30 holes for 1,000 metres of diamond drilling, is focused at the high-grade Dikaki Prospect and will also aim to test high-grade rock chips and soils at Bouambo East. This initial program is expected to be completed by May…
Lucapa Diamond Company Limited, Empresa Nacional de Diamantes E.P. (Endiama) and Rosas & Petalas have announced the recovery of the 23rd +100 carat diamond by Sociedade Mineira Do Lulo (SML) from the Lulo alluvial diamond mine located approximately 630 kilometres east of the Angolan capital of Luanda. The 144 carat Type IIa D-colour diamond recovered from Mining Block 08 (MB08), is the sixth +100 carat diamond recovered in 2021 so far and 23rd +100 carat stone recovered at Lulo since exploration and mining operations began. Lucapa’s Managing Director, Stephen Wetherall, said including the first +100 carat recovery from MB46 as…
Newcrest Mining Limited has announced its initial mineral resource estimate for the Red Chris mine in British Columbia, Canada. Red Chris is a gold-copper porphyry deposit located on the northern edge of the Skeena Mountains, approximately 1,700 kilometres north of Vancouver and 18 kilometres southeast of the town of Iskut in British Columbia. The construction of Red Chris was completed in November 2014, with first commercial production from the open pit occurring in July 2015. The mine site is located on 23,142 hectares and consists of 77 mineral tenures, five of which are mining leases. In August 2019, Newcrest acquired…
Anglo American has announced a collaboration agreement to complete a feasibility study to develop a 'hydrogen valley' anchored in the platinum group metals-rich Bushveld geological area in South Africa. Spearheaded by South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI), the collaboration agreement also includes energy and services company ENGIE, the South African National Development Institute (SANEDI) and clean energy solutions provider Bambili Energy. The proposed hydrogen valley will stretch approximately 835 kilometres from Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum group metals (PGMs) mine near Mokopane in Limpopo province in the north of South Africa, along the industrial and commercial corridor to Johannesburg…
