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…
Lithium Power International Limited’s 50% owned Chilean joint venture company Minera Salar Blanco (MSB), responsible for developing the Maricunga Lithium Brine Project, has been awarded a key regulatory export licence by the Chilean Nuclear Energy Commission (CCHEN) to produce, market and export lithium products from Chile that are extracted from the Maricunga salar. MSB was granted a significant extraction quota on 9 March 2018 to export lithium from Chile. The quota has a term of 30 years and covers brine extracted from Maricunga, containing 88,885 metric tonnes of metallic lithium in brine or 472,868 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).…
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,…
5G technology from Ericsson could soon be used to improve communication and remote control operations in the Swedish mines. A project designed to improve productivity and safety in traditionally dangerous environments is being run by Ericsson, ABB, Boliden, SICS Swedish ICT and Volvo Construction Equipment. In the pilot phase of the project, a 5G development system consisting of new and existing technologies will be used to remotely control a Volvo truck used for transporting ore within the mine. The actual location for the pilot is still to be chosen from a shortlist of mines operated by Boliden. The successful implementation…
A contract by Preem AB, the largest fuel company in Sweden, has awarded a contract for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction management (EPCm) of their Lysekil refinery’s new Vacuum Distillation Unit (VDU). The new facility will manufacture Vacuum Gas Oil hence removing the need for its import. Amec Foster Wheeler announces the award of the EPCm contract follows the successful completion of a feasibility study for the VDU by Amec Foster Wheeler in 2014 to confirm the technical viability of the project, and its subsequent Front End Engineering Design in 2015. “I am delighted that we are able to continue…
Amec Foster Wheeler has announced that its Clough AMEC joint venture has been awarded a three year contract by ConocoPhillips to provide asset support, operations and maintenance services to the Bayu-Undan offshore field development, located in the Timor Sea. The Bayu-Undan offshore facilities consist of a floating storage and offloading facility and three fixed platforms, a remote wellhead platform and a compression, utilities and quarters platform (CUQ) and a drilling, production and processing platform. The latter two are located adjacent to each other and linked by an access bridge, forming the Central Production and Processing Complex. “We are delighted to build on our…
