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PAUL HAYES
paul.hayes@primecreative.com.au
When it comes to mining, there is a fundamental truth: no matter how deep we dig, or how efficiently we move earth, there is little point to the whole thing if we can’t sort the proverbial diamonds from the rubble.
That’s why mineral processing is so essential to the industry.
The art of separating valuable minerals from the ore into a concentrated, marketable product is one mining companies are always striving to improve.
With the rising costs associated with production, coupled with the fact orebodies are getting deeper in the ground and more difficult to extract, those companies are working to shore up their operations, putting cost-efficiency at centre stage.
Fortunately, there have been a number of advances in the mineral processing space perfectly suited to capitalising on this trend. The exciting evolution of technologies will provide companies with better operational efficiency as well as a maximisation of productivity.
The April edition of Australian Mining is showcasing some of the mineral processing technologies, products, innovations and services that are helping future-proof mining companies against the challenges of tomorrow.
From powerful flotation technology to sustainable conveyor guards to filtration solutions to on-site gas-generation systems, mineral processing continues to develop and evolve.
Elsewhere, we have the first in a two-part series examining Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends report.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER JOHN MURPHY
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
CHRISTINE CLANCY EDITOR
PAUL HAYES
Email: paul.hayes@primecreative.com.au
JOURNALISTS ALEXANDRA EASTWOOD
Email: alexandra.eastwood@primecreative.com.au
TOM PARKER
Email: tom.parker@primecreative.com.au
LEWIS CROSS
Email: lewis.cross@primecreative.com.au
TIM BOND
Email: tim.bond@primecreative.com.au
ASHLEY PERRY
Email: ashley.perry@primecreative.com.au
This annual report from the international professional services network highlights the trends that show the essential value the mining and metals sector can deliver, and we sit down with two experts to dig into some of the most important areas and how they pertain to the modern resources industry.
Sticking with industry analysis, we also provide a comprehensive breakdown on the half-yearly reports from mining companies across Australia. While these reports reveal something of a mixed bag for local miners, the future remains bright for our indispensable sector.
In this issue we also check in with some of the industry’s big decision-makers, with Australian Mining having been on hand for a recent presentation from Pilbara Minerals CEO Dale Henderson, who provided some fascinating insights from the perspective of a truly up-andcoming Australian miner.
In addition, we chatted to Roy Hill chief executive officer group operations Gerhard Veldsman about his company’s decision to become a sponsor of the 2023 Australian Mining Prospect Awards, further underlining their status as the country’s premiere awards suite for the resources sector.
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Paul Hayes Managing EditorCLIENT SUCCESS MANAGER
JANINE CLEMENTS
Tel: (02) 9439 7227
Email: janine.clements@primecreative.com.au
SALES MANAGER JONATHAN DUCKETT Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0498 091 027
Email: jonathan.duckett@primecreative.com.au
SALES ADMINISTRATOR EMMA JAMES Tel: (02) 9439 7227 Mob: 0414 217 190
Email: emma.james@primecreative.com.au
DESIGN PRODUCTION MANAGER
MICHELLE
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18 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Tracking the trends 2023: Part one
In the first of a two-part series, Australian Mining speaks with experts from Deloitte to examine the changing way mining companies are doing business in 2023.
22 INDUSTRY EVENTS
Roy Hill and Atlas Iron go Prospecting
Two of Australia’s major mining companies will sponsor awards at the 2023 Prospect Awards.
24 MINERAL PROCESSING
Shaking up flotation
Faster and more powerful flotation technology has arrived in the Australian mining industry courtesy of FLSmidth and the University of Newcastle.
28 MINERAL PROCESSING
Understanding and embracing ESG Australian Mining spoke with DYNA Engineering’s general manager about how the company is responding to changing ESG practices in the industry.
34 REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
Boom times in the Hunter
Billions of mining dollars flow into the NSW economy, but no region has prospered quite like the Hunter.
48 INDUSTRY EVENTS
Transforming our future Austmine’s mining innovation conference and exhibition is set for Adelaide from May 9–11.
50 INDUSTRY INSIGHT
Mixed results for miners
The first half of the financial year saw some miners report positive results, while others saw a sharp drop in profits.
60 DECISION-MAKER
All things lithium with Pilbara Minerals Australian Mining was on hand for a Pilbara Minerals media briefing where boss Dale Henderson provided some keen industry insights.
longer in use. One local project is working to change that equation. REGULARS
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AUSTRALIAN MINING PRESENTS THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE BOARDROOM TO THE MINE AND EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN. VISIT WWW.AUSTRALIANMINING.COM. AU TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING.
same job.
The ‘same job, same pay’ reforms are leaving many, including BHP Minerals Australia president Geraldine Slattery, concerned.
further constrain a tight labour market. In December, the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed the sector has a significant proportion of vacant positions compared to previous years.
BHP made headlines when it announced its plan to divest the Daunia and Blackwater coal mines in Queensland, and now it seems Yancoal Australia is interested in getting its hands on them.
In an interview with the AFR, Yancoal chief executive officer David Moult indicated that while the company had other potential investment opportunities, it is definitely interested in a bid for the two coking coal mines.
“For the moment our preference would be to stay focused on the BHP assets and make sure we are successful there,” Moult said.
“That is the one we are going to be focused on now and that is where we are going to be putting in our effort because it does fit very well with us.”
The potential purchase would draw from Yancoal’s immense pool of resources – a comfortable $2.7 billion cash on hand as reported in its full year financial results just last week.
An unprecedented jump in the price of coal – thanks to a global energy crisis – contributed to a record year for Yancoal, with the company reporting a revenue of $10.55 billion, up from $5.14 billion in 2021.
owners described the law as an existential threat.
“People want to have choice in how they work and how they are rewarded,” Slattery said.
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BHP has its own approach to dealing with labour hire with its operation services (OS) division. The division plucked thousands of casual and temporary contractors out of labour hire firms and offered them full-time positions in the company.
OS has been under scrutiny by FairWork Commission since its inception, but BHP maintains it gives its more choice over work and rewards.
BHP, on the other hand, reported a 27 per cent drop in its profit from operations, driven by a reduction in iron ore and copper prices.
In addition to BHP’s falling profits, the Queensland Government’s controversial coal royalty tax has been cited as a catalyst for the decision to sell the two mines, both of which are jointly owned by BHP and Mitsubishi as part of the BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA).
The controversial three-tiered royalty system slaps producers with a 40 per cent tax on all coal prices above $300 per tonne at the highest bracket.
The middle tier enforces a 30 per cent tax above $225, while the lower end demands 20 per cent above $175.
BHP has made it clear that the company would not make any “significant new investments” in Queensland due to the coal royalty tax, saying that the state had become “uncompetitive”.
“Uncertainty caused by the unplanned increase in royalties did come into play as a contributing factor in our decision making (to divest the two mines),” BMA asset president Mauro Neves said.
A number of mines Queensland suspended production amid torrential rainfall in early March.
its wet season with approximately 370mm of rainfall over seven days, resulting in a loss of access to 29Metals’ Capricorn copper mine and New Century’s Century mine and Karumba Port Facility. Rain also closed Austral Resources Australia’s Lady Annie operations.
Electric vehicle (EV) giant Tesla has been teasing a possible agreement with a critical minerals company since mid-2022 – and it seems that it has finally come to fruition.
Under a new agreement, Australia’s Magnis Energy Technologies will supply Tesla with the critical minerals it needs to produce EVs. Tesla will purchase a minimum of 17,500 tonnes per annum (tpa) from February 2025, with a maximum 35,000tpa for a minimum three-year term.
including the Century tailings storage facility, processing plant and pipeline.” Companies worked with state authorities, including the Queensland Department of Environment and Science and the Carpentaria
team have been exemplary,” Austral said in an ASX announcement.
While not uncommon, the scale of the flooding was unprecedented, with major warnings issued for parts of Queensland.
District Disaster Management Group (DDMG) coordinator Elliott Dunn told the ABC.
Mine sites across the state heeded this warning, evacuating all non-essential personnel.
Magnis is currently in the process of selecting a final location for its commercial anode active materials (AAM) facility in the US so it can easily supply the minerals to the Americabased Tesla.
“We are really excited to bring our high-performing AAM to market that requires no chemical or thermal purification throughout the whole process, which differentiates this sustainable material in the market and provides great value to all parties,”
Magnis chairman Frank Poullas said.
The agreement is conditional on Magnis securing its US location by June 30 2023, producing AAM from a pilot plant by March 31 2024, and commencing production from the facility by February 1 2025.
This is not the first time Tesla has made a deal with a lithium miner.
In March 2022, Core Lithium secured a supply deal with Tesla but the agreement ultimately fell through in October of that year.
June 2022 saw Australia’s Liontown complete lithium purchase negotiations with Tesla.
Supply from Liontown is expected to begin in 2024, with the offtake agreement conditional on Liontown commencing commercial production at Kathleen Valley in WA by no later than December 1 2025.
Time will tell whether this third deal with Magnis will reach lithium delivery in 2025.
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The Pilbara Minerals and POSCO joint venture (JV) has secured $682 million funding for the construction of a lithium hydroxide monohydrate chemical plant in South Korea.
The loan agreement has been executed with two government-owned banks in South Korea.
The chemical plant, which is under construction in the Gwangyang region, is projected to convert approximately 315,000 tonnes of spodumene, sourced solely from Pilbara Minerals’ WA lithium operations, into lithium hydroxide.
The loan represents the remaining 60 per cent of the forecast costs required for the project’s development.
Pilbara Minerals’ managing director and chief executive officer Dale
Henderson said he was very happy with the debt funding.
“Construction of this world-class facility is already well underway, with the first train of 21,500 tonnes per annum (tpa) scheduled to start commissioning from late this year, followed by commissioning of the second 21,000tpa train in the March 2024 quarter.
“Our 18 per cent interest in the POSCO–Pilbara JV represents a key element of Pilbara Minerals’ downstream processing strategy, enabling the company to become an integrated lithium raw materials company.
“Building on our strong relationship with POSCO, we are delighted to be jointly establishing a strong
New Century Resources broke its silence following Sibanye-Stillwater’s off-market takeover bid, advising shareholders to accept the offer in early March.
In an ASX announcement, the New Century board unanimously recommended that its shareholders accept the offer of $1.10 per share.
The board said that it was unlikely a competing offer would be put forward, as Sibanye already owned a 73.41 per cent interest.
The 73.41 per cent is a significant increase from the 19.9 per cent held in February when Sibanye originally made its bid.
“As noted in the half-year accounts to 31 December 2022, a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on New Century’s ability to continue as a going concern,” the announcement stated.
foothold in South Korea’s emerging battery materials industry at the doorstep of established major battery manufacturers.”
There is an enormous demand for lithium globally, as it is one of the key components in batteries. Consequently, lithium supply goes hand-in-glove with the push for renewable energy.
Mineral Resources (MinRes) also recently reported massive profits in its half-yearly financial report driven by record lithium earnings.
The company reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) of $939 million, a 503 per cent jump from the same period last year.
MinRes also recently splashed close to $1 billion for an interest in lithium processing plants in China. The transaction, if approved, will see MinRes take a 50 per cent stake in Albemarle’s plants in Qinzhou and Meishan.
MinRes managing director Chris Ellison said the offshore investment would ensure the company could convert Wodgina spodumene into battery-grade chemicals in the short term.
“Doing more here in Australia is my preference over the long term,” Ellison said. “Any potential future hydroxide plant in Australia that could take our spodumene is some years off.
“We need capacity today.”
if it does not achieve compulsory acquisition.
“We will continue to advocate for change in the current strategic direction of New Century,” the company said in a statement.
“Sibanye has also recently become aware that a number of shareholders in New Century may be looking to dispose of their holdings on market.
current management, with the building of a tailings asset management service business no longer a focus.”
Sibanye called the New Century balance sheet “under strain” due to potential funding requirements for growth projects which could result in a raise in additional equity and a material dilution for existing
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Key industry and community groups have met with Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King to discuss the development of Australia’s critical minerals sector.
Two roundtables were recently held in Perth, with presentations made by key resources companies, First Nations leaders and research groups as part of the consultations on the Federal Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2022.
The roundtables discussed how governments can attract investment and support project developments.
“Critical minerals represent the next great leap in mining, and Australia has an opportunity to add even more value to our world-
benefits of the transition to net-zero and by moving into downstream processing,” King said.
“The world will need our resources industry and our critical minerals to decarbonise, just as our domestic energy system will need lithium, vanadium, high purity alumina and platinum-group-element products for our own energy transition.
“Just like the iron ore revolution of the 1960s and growth of the LNG (liquefied natural gas) industry in recent decades, Australia’s prosperity and our jobs of the future will rely on decisions we take now to support the development of our critical minerals industry.
“Disappointed” was the word Newmont chief executive officer Tom Palmer used when discussing the rejection of his company’s bid for Australian gold miner Newcrest.
The Newcrest board unanimously rejected Newmont’s $24.45 billion takeover bid earlier in February, saying the it did not represent sufficient value for the company.
In an interview on Bloomberg Television, Newcrest interim chief executive officer Sherry Duhe said the company was “worth a lot more” than the opening bid. However,
Duhe said that Newcrest was open to “seeing how things go” regarding conversations with Newmont.
Newcrest also said in February it would give the US gold giant access to confidential information with the view to possibly receiving a higher offer.
It seemed Newmont may have taken Newcrest up on its offer, with Palmer re-commencing talks with the Australian gold miner.
“We are disappointed that the Newcrest board rejected our proposal, and we are currently
there is no net-zero.”
Demand for critical minerals continues.
The International Energy Agency projects mineral demand for use in electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries could grow at least 30 times by 2040, with lithium demand potentially growing more than 40 times by 2040, and graphite, cobalt and nickel growing between 20 and 25 times.
The Critical Minerals Strategy is designed to support:
• g rowth in Australia’s minerals processing, domestic manufacturing and other industrial sectors
our regional and First Nations communities
• Australian critical minerals playing a central role helping the country and international partners achieve their emissions reduction targets
• Australia’s ongoing commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards. Among the roundtable attendees were representatives from the Minerals Council of Australia, Indigenous Women in Mining and Resources, and resources companies including Glencore, Rio Tinto, BHP, Iluka and Lynas.
engaging with the Newcrest team in relation to their offer to provide access to more information,” Palmer said.
“If we can reach an agreement, this combination of industry-leading talent and decades of collective experience would create significant value across the global business with an ideal mix of gold and copper.”
While Newmont already owns the Boddington mine in WA and the Tanami mine in the NT, an acquisition of Newcrest would see it gain control of the Cadia mine in
NSW, Australia’s second-biggest gold producer.
“Our proposed combination would strengthen our established position in Australia, creating efficiencies and value with a shared workforce and large-scale supply chain optimisation,” Palmer said. “It would build upon the district potential in British Columbia’s highly prospective golden triangle through a combination of operating mines and development projects that would deliver value through shared technology, local capabilities, and orebody experience.”
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Albemarle is hoping to grow its lithium presence in Australia by linking supply chains to Europe vehicle manufacturers.
The lithium giant currently has stakes in two major WA lithium mines, including the Wodgina mine with Mineral Resources (MinRes).
MinRes and Albemarle also have a joint MARBL lithium venture, which will go through a restructure in the near future.
Under the restructure, Albemarle will increase its interest in the first two conversion trains of its Kemerton processing plant, while MinRes will increase its interest in Wodgina from
Australia’s longest-running coalfired power plant will shut down on April 28.
Located in the NSW Hunter Valley, Liddell is also one of the world’s oldest coal-fired power stations. The site’s operating life of almost 52 years is a historic feat considering only one per cent of power stations operate for more than five decades.
station will have produced 430,952
40 per cent to 50 per cent, operating it on behalf of the joint venture.
“Our Australian lithium assets are core to Albemarle’s strategy to build a globally diversified portfolio of best-in-class assets and resources,” Albemarle chief executive officer Kent Masters said.
“Inherent to that strategy is managing our global portfolio to maximise growth optionality and maintain a leading position in a dynamic, growing market.
“Our restructured MARBL joint venture enables each partner to deliver long-term value to our customers.”
Albemarle wants to link its WA operations to electric vehicle (EV) production in Europe.
“We see Australia’s spodumene as being a very viable resource to support (our) European expansion strategy,” Albemarle president of energy storage Eric Norris said.
“What we haven’t quite worked through is the footprint, what we’d be shipping out of Australia, whether it be six per cent spodumene or some intermediate. The sizing of that, in terms of how big a plant we’re talking about, is still under investigation.
“But assuming we’re successful, we believe a strong supply chain
would be Australia into Europe. And that, again, just speaks to the significance on a global basis of how the industry can leverage WA and how we as a leader intend to leverage Australia as critical in our supply chain.”
Norris said the company expects the joint ventures with MinRes to support the strategy while also ensuring the highest returns for shareholders.
“We have a tremendous opportunity ahead of us with the transition to clean transportation and anticipated rapid growth of lithiumion batteries,” he said.
gigawatt hours of power by the time it is shut down.
The closure of Liddell was first announced in 2015, with AGL saying it “believes that the installed capacity and energy output from Liddell is best replaced with lower emissions
According to the ABC, this shouldn’t be ruled out.
While January 2023 saw the NSW Government enact a coal reservation scheme that would see coal companies reserve 10 per cent of their output exclusively for domestic
Energy operator AEMO chief executive Daniel Westerman said there was a need for urgent and ongoing investment in renewable energy to reliably meet the needs of Australian homes and businesses.
Once Liddell is decommissioned, it
mining operations.
The fleet of light vehicles is made up of Toyota Hilux utes, converted from diesel engines to all-electric by MEVCO and its partner SEA Electric.
The switch to electric represents MinRes’ push to decarbonise its mining operations to net-zero emissions by 2050.
A demonstration model arrived in Perth this week and MinRes is expected
“MinRes has a plan to transition to a low-carbon future and cutting our reliance on diesel is central to achieving this goal,” MinRes chief executive officer (CEO) mining services Mike Grey said.
“Our MEVCO electric utes are just one of the many ways we’re driving towards net-zero and an exciting step in our decarbonisation journey.
“Battery technologies are key to a clean energy future and MinRes is
Government advisors have expressed concerns over a bauxite mine in Perth, fearing the operation threatens the nearby Serpentine dam.
US mining company Alcoa has been operating in the jarrah forest region of Western Australia since the lease was first granted in 1961. The company’s WA mines are responsible for the production close to 36 million tonnes of bauxite each year.
Roughly 75 per cent of Alcoa’s bauxite, and 71 per cent of its alumina, comes from WA jarrah
forests specifically.
But now experts fear the mine, which at its border operates just 300m from the major Perth dam, is a risk.
Chief among those concerns is the fear that spillage from the operation could seep into the dam. Government advisors have warned of the risk posed by heavy rainfall, which could wash chemical pollutants into the water supply.
Perth’s Serpentine dam holds 78 billion litres of water and forms a key part of the metropolitan areas
SEA Electric recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MEVCO, which saw electric Hilux and Landcruiser models made commercially available to the mining industry.
MEVCO, a systems integrator focused exclusively on electric light commercial vehicles in the mining industry, made a commitment to order 8500 units over the next five years in a deal roughly valued at $1 billion.
“This is a pivotal partnership for the
drinking water supply network.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Alcoa said it was actively improving its water management and monitoring and had cut reportable drainage failures to 19 in 2022. Of these failures, only one affected a dam. Spill areas were cleaned, and no hydrocarbons were detected downstream from the mining operations.
This latest development follows the company’s WA water license being slashed by a third, with authorities citing unsustainable pressure on the
According to SEA Electric, the vehicles provide all-electric range, driving performance, and environmental credentials, with zero local emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrous oxide.
“Across all industries, companies now understand they have a role to play in ensuring they are a part of the solution to the environmental problems we face,” SEA Electric founder and CEO Tony Fairweather said.
local area as the cause.
“We are working with Alcoa to reduce the impacts of their abstraction, which is contributing to declining trends not only in the Pinjarra but also the Nambeelup subarea,” a Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) spokesperson said.
“These risks and impacts can be appropriately managed through reducing groundwater abstraction.
“The department will provide assistance to Alcoa for the investigation of water use efficiency.”
The resources sector is, to put it rather simply, fundamental to modern society.
The minerals and metals produced by the mining industry contribute to almost every sector in the global market. Civil infrastructure, technology and transportation are some of the more obvious examples.
And then there’s the little things, like the alumina and cadmium in solar panels, cobalt for just about anything with a rechargeable battery, and the titanium in a prosthetic hip.
Throw a stone in any direction and you’ll very likely hit something with a component that was pried out of the dirt at some point in its life.
Giving life to such a truly mindboggling mass of products means that the industry is, rather appropriately, enormous – with the footprint to match.
Saying that the mining industry has a major role to play in driving down global carbon emissions is a statement which, generally speaking, is neither controversial nor surprising. But with the weight of responsibility bearing down on the sector also comes with the potential for world-leading change on an unparalleled scale.
In its ‘Tracking the Trends’ report for 2023, professional services network Deloitte isn’t shy about labelling green energy the key to future growth. It highlights a list of trends showing the indispensable social, environmental, and economic value on which the mining and metals sector can deliver.
The first three of these trends deals almost exclusively with the industry’s relationship with the environment.
According to the report, half of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) is moderately or highly dependent on nature, without which the other half of GDP could not be sustained.
Natural capital is the world’s stock of natural resources, including air, soil, water and all living things. Natural capital has not only an economic worth, but a fundamental value to humankind.
Although many mining companies operate with environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets in place, the report asserts that nature-specific targets remain a rarity. Furthermore,
ESG targets are often preliminary considerations that are separate from core business functions, meaning natural capital is rarely accounted for.
“The traditional way of valuing a tenement is limited to looking at the orebody itself,” Deloitte climate and sustainability partner Michael Wood told Australian Mining
“But what we’re seeing from stakeholders and the investment community is a push for the sector to start properly valuing natural capital.”
According to Deloitte sustainability strategist Celia Hayes, valuing natural capital is something the industry has been doing indirectly for years without realising it – but it could be done better.
“Laying out an investment plan for life of mine, funding mine closures, and managing site rehabilitation are all instances of valuing or costing in natural capital,” she told Australian Mining
“But there’s much more the industry could be doing to maximise natural capital, such as ensuring they regenerate and positively impact the natural assets which they have stewardship over.”
Wood echoed this sentiment.
“If we look at the core valuation of mining assets today, it’s clear that the nature-related aspects – for example, sensitivities surrounding climate risk and biodiversity – aren’t properly valued or integrated into the financial calculations or production methodology,” he said.
Though not necessarily common, there are active examples of preserving natural capital in the industry, such as South32’s manganese operations
at Groote Eylandt on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
In order to mine the NT site, the company has to clear hectares of natural bush – that much is unavoidable with current technology. But where South32 differs is that it sends surveyors through the bush, flagging key species.
This essentially means the company has a clear understanding of ecosystem it’s working in and is able to divert its operations around habitats and other instances of natural capital where appropriate.
South32 also progressively rehabilitates the site, backfilling topsoil and seeding the ground in cooperation with traditional Indigenous owners.
In another example, steelmaker AcelorMittal maintains a carbonpositive balance at its operations in Brazil. At its largest mill, 2.6 million trees act as a green belt, helping to reduce fugitive emissions and noise pollution while buffering the operation’s thermal effects.
The company also manages the rejuvenation of 135,000 hectares of old pasture lands into forests.
“Valuing natural capital means a more holistic approach than just doing the minimum to meet regulation and avoid liability,” Hayes said.
The World Economic Forum estimates that more than half of the global GDP is exposed to a risk of loss of natural capital.
Changes to the climate, as well as the inherent finitude of resources, will affect most mining and metals companies over the next decade, making the preservation of natural capital crucial for longevity.
Miners of the future, according to Deloitte experts, will be expected to provide value of a different kind, including social and environmental. This means not just mitigating, but also creating positive impacts.
The other arm of valuing nature is what Deloitte calls harnessing Indigenous insights.
“Australia has so many unique species of flora and fauna that modern science doesn’t necessarily know how best to manage,” Hayes said. “This presents the perfect opportunity for miners to go and speak with Traditional Owners who have a much better understanding of the potential impacts of operations, such as how a particular species might react to disturbance, or what kind of vegetation mix a certain critter needs to survive,
Wood believes Indigenous insights should be a key data point in any sort of operational design decision.
“We’ve got 60,000 years of knowledge in Australia, but it isn’t being considered in the planning stages of mining
A traditional linear economy is one in which materials are sourced, converted into products and – when consumers have had their fill – tossed away.
According to the report, the intensification of climate change, environmental degradation, and widespread pollution are each a product of a linear economy.
This is an unsustainable economic model, but for the past few years it’s been undergoing something of a metamorphosis. There is an emerging emphasis on recycling, reuse, and renewables, forging an economy that is circular in nature.
But the experts say circularity isn’t just an investment trend, but rather an inevitable, systemic change – one in which mining is front and centre.
“Mining companies currently benefit massively from the linear economy
because they’re the ones turning out those finite materials,” Hayes said. “But, guess what, that gives them a lifespan.”
The three principles of circularity are designing out waste and pollution, regenerating natural systems, and keeping products and materials going for as long as possible.
By designing out value leaks or turning them into loops, companies can generate a competitive advantage through lower costs, fewer regulatory constraints, secondary income, better
ESG results, and securing social license to operate.
But the key to transitioning to a circular economy lies in determining how non-financial value is measured. Consumers care more than ever about where their products come from, and their environmental effects.
“At its heart, a circular economy is about capturing lost value that’s leaking out of the system,” Hayes said.
“Natural capital is a great example. It has much more social value now than it did 10 years ago; so by not properly valuing natural assets, a company is actually losing value.”
This principle also applies to the minerals themselves.
“Recycling aluminium generally has a much lower environmental and social footprint than extracting bauxite and alumina and making new aluminium,” Hayes said.
Regulation often follows social change, and as the world inevitably shifts towards circularity, miners are seeing ever-increasing liability.
Hayes points to the example of tailings dams.
“Tailings dams incur enormous costs and liability that follows a company for decades,” she said.
“By designing out waste and pollution, you could essentially either generate secondary income using those materials or remove the need for things like tailings dams all together.”
A circular economy isn’t just about sustainability; it’s about creating value through minimising leakage and maximising resourcefulness and social approval.
“Anglo American declared it would be shifting from a mining company to a materials solutions provider,” Hayes said. “That’s exactly the philosophy of
the circular economy. It’s about shifting away from pure rock mining to finding and utilising resources that have already been mined out of the ground.”
According to Hayes, mining companies have been engaging in circular economic practices for years.
“Regenerating natural ecosystems, reusing water, and generating money from waste are all examples,” she said. “But there’s more to it than just selling waste to somebody else.
“It’s about making the most of the natural resource and working within your ecosystem to do that.”
Driving down embodied carbon in metals: Supporting the decarbonisation of economies
“As part of the traditional linear economy, miners are often the first ones to interact with a commodity that’s going into the value chain,” Wood said.
The resource sector’s fundamental role as an extractor and processor of raw materials means its potential to lower carbon emissions across the broader economy outweighs its own footprint.
Though miners have a great deal of control over the decarbonisation of their operations, it’s much more difficult to enforce decarbonisation along the supply chain. But being positioned as integrally as they are, mining companies may have the power to see it through.
Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions are indirect emissions that are generated upstream and downstream across the value chain. These constitute up to 98 per cent of a company’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s this fact that makes them the perfect target for carbon-conscious companies. But decarbonising the value chain is no easy feat due simply to the enormity of the task. It involves
Wood said this is exactly what investors
aluminium it produces. In other words, downstream suppliers have access to ESG-related information such as carbon footprint, water use, and so on.
Rio Tinto has utilised ELYSIS and START to create value opportunities for itself along the supply chain. In February of this year, the company signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with BMW Group, supplying its responsible aluminium to a vehicle production plant in the US.
The arrangement is projected to lower BMW’s aluminium-related carbon emissions by up to 70 per cent.
Also in February, Rio signed an agreement with Japanese conglomerate Marubeni Corporation that will see its responsible ELYSIS aluminium hit supply chains throughout Japan.
“Consumers want to know more about the products they buy and be assured that they have been produced responsibly and sustainably,” Rio Tinto head of sales and marketing Tolga Egrilmezer said.
And in late 2022, Rio signed a strategic alliance with Volvo Group for the supply of responsibly sourced, low-carbon products, including ELYSIS aluminium.
Moving away from aluminium, Swedish miner LKAB formed a joint venture to create the HYBRIT initiative in 2016. The initiative aims to create fossil-free steel at an industrial scale by
iron in 2021, reducing 90 per cent of emissions in the steelmaking process.
Once implemented, the HYBRIT initiative will reduce Sweden’s national carbon emissions by 10 per cent, and Finland’s by seven per cent.
Influencing value-chain decarbonisation will allow miners to distinguish themselves in the short term while remaining competitive in the long term, but Wood believes the shift should not be underestimated.
“The costs associated with this kind of change are often underestimated by sector investors,” he said.
“That capital intensity needs to be appreciated, but there are significant upsides to getting this right.
“We’re seeing a lot of ambition to deliver, but we’re not seeing action just yet.”
The shift to a sustainable, carbonneutral future is an inevitable one, but more mining in the near term will be needed to facilitate that inevitable change.
Through preserving natural capital, adopting circular strategies at a business level, and influencing decarbonisation along the value chain, mining and metals companies can be the global leaders of this change.
How quick the sector will be to capitalise remains to be seen. AM
Roy Hill and Atlas Iron are two of the Pilbara’s iron ore miners and subsidiaries of Australia’s most successful private company Hancock Prospecting.
As part of the Hancock group, the companies mine iron ore across the Pilbara with a wealth of support from businesses around the country, along with Roy Hill’s minority partners Marubeni Corporation, POSCO and China Steel Corporation.
To further their efforts in making the group the ‘best mining company in Australia’, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron will sponsor two awards at the 2023 Australian Mining Prospecting Awards – the Lifetime Achievement award and the Discovery of the Year award, respectively.
“Now in their 20th year, the awards are an important platform to recognise and reward excellence and innovation across Australia’s mining industry,” Hancock Prospecting executive chairman Gina Rinehart AO told Australian Mining back in 2021.
“We are committed to helping our people contribute to Australia’s mining industry and think innovation and excellence should be acknowledged and rewarded.
“We are very pleased to be associated
with the Prospect Awards.”
A world-class mining operation, Roy Hill currently delivers over 60 million tonnes per annum of iron ore from its Pilbara mine to international markets.
As the only independent iron ore operation in the region with majority West Australian ownership, Roy Hill has enjoyed success in the mining industry ever since the first prospecting trip to the area in 1992.
Atlas Iron, due to its focus on smaller footprint mines, has an agile operating model and proudly collaborates with valued partners across its mining chain, located near Port Hedland, Western Australia.
The Prospect Awards provide these two companies with a premier opportunity to continue to support the Australian mining sector.
“Mining’s economic contribution to Australia is unrivalled, so it is important we not only acknowledge and provide well deserved recognition to our industry, but also celebrate our achievements,” Roy Hill chief executive officer group operations Gerhard Veldsman said.
“The Prospect Awards have become Australia’s premiere event to showcase and share the latest improvements and cutting-edge innovations across the mining industry, as well as celebrate and recognise the achievements of companies
FASTER AND MORE POWERFUL FLOTATION TECHNOLOGY HAS ARRIVED IN THE AUSTRALIAN MINING INDUSTRY COURTESY OF FLSMIDTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE.
Galvin, who developed the Reflux Classifier and the RFC with FLSmidth, is an esteemed figure in the mineral processing industry, having invented technologies that improve grade and recovery of valuable materials.
Known for its high capacity and compact design, the Reflux Classifier has become one of FLSmidth’s most advanced fine-particle, specific gravitybased separators.
And its best attributes complement the RFC.
“In the RFC, the lamella chamber separates mineral-loaded bubbles from unwanted gangue. This allows the unit to operate at feed fluxes well above what is typically of conventional flotation machines, improving kinetics while reducing entrainment.”
system, which enables stable flotation, enhanced gangue rejection and quicker kinetics, facilitating improved performance across all quality and productivity metrics.
As Law highlighted, inclined channels enhance the segregation between bubbles and downward flowing liquid, which means the RFC can operate at elevated internal gas fractions.
With an RFC operating at full-scale for a Tier 1 mining client in NSW, Law said ESG has been a key driver of the machine’s uptake.
“If they (operators) don’t innovate, they don’t achieve their ESG targets,” Law said. “Like FLSmidth, Tier 1 miners have sustainability goals. These companies have identified that the only way they are going to achieve these goals is by becoming an innovator-slash-earlyadopter of technology rather than being a late adopter.
“This is a step change in mentality from what has historically been a conservative approach.”
Having graduated through research and development, design and concept, and full-scale on-site trials, the RFC is ready to shake up flotation in the Australian mining industry.
And with more products being developed under the Reflux banner, it looks like the sector will have more advanced flotation technologies at its disposal in the years to come. AM
RFC, YOU END UP WITH A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT, BETTER GRADE, LESS ENERGY INPUT, LESS CAPITAL COSTS, LESS OPERATIONAL COST, AND HENCE IMPROVED ESG PERFORMANCE.”FLSMIDTH STRIVES FOR A VERY SMALL FOOTPRINT. THE REFLUX FLOTATION CELL CAN DELIVER UP TO 60 PER CENT REDUCTIONS IN ENERGY CONSUMPTION.
When asked to describe Derrick Corporation, new general manager Garth Hay was quick to answer: “welcoming,” “active,” and “robust” were some of the words that stood out.
Though he only recently joined the US-based company’s leadership, Hay is already taking the Australian office to new heights.
“The newly opened Australian office is an important milestone in our company’s strategy,” Hay told Australian Mining. “We completed development of the Australian entity recently and are excited to begin providing jobs locally.”
The third-generation family business, founded in 1951 to solve some of the industry’s most challenging mechanical separation needs, has been a present fixture in the global mining industry ever since.
“At the heart of our present-day offering resides the integrated vibratory motor,” Hay said. “It was invented by our founder and gave life to an entire line of innovated separation technology.”
The work continues, with the company’s engineers developing technologies to solve any problem.
“Derrick prides itself on being ‘best in class’ in fine separation technology,” Hay said. “Investing in research and development allows us to provide solutions and savings to our customers proactively.”
In keeping with the low-carbon trajectory of the mining industry, Derrick has introduced two new technologies: the SuperStack and the G-Vault Urethane Interstage Screen.
The SuperStack, a fine screen boasting an innovative front-to-back tensioning system, features eight decks operating in parallel and reduces the total capital and installation cost.
The G-Vault system is considered a new standard of operation and combines Derrick’s urethane, abrasion-resistant properties and non-binding technology. The result is a system with higher throughput, increased life, greater carbon retention, less maintenance, and less tank bypass. Each screen on the G-Vault can be easily removed, and the entire system is offered in greenfield and brownfield applications.
“The industry is transitioning to a low-carbon green industry. As demand for minerals in the EV (electric vehicle) battery space increases, Derrick provides the fine screen separation to increase
are investigating potential flowsheet changes for customers. This involves exploring whether a Derrick screen or screening media could replace installed equipment to improve efficiency.
“Increasing the component’s life minimises the need to manufacture a competitor’s components that require
more frequent maintenance. This reduces the overall carbon footprint and total cost of ownership,” Hay said.
With its expanded footprint in Australia, Derrick is in a prime position to assist mining operations with reducing their emissions and increasing their ambitions.
“The new office gives our team the ability to be more present in the market,” Hay said. “We look forward to attending conferences and trade shows, and holding events to grow the market’s knowledge of our offerings.
Joining Derrick Corporation has been a homecoming of sorts for Hay.
“Having only recently joined Derrick, I am really enjoying being a part of the storied Derrick family. I have never experienced a company with such a welcoming atmosphere,” he said.
“I had the opportunity to visit Derrick’s Buffalo headquarters in upstate New York and spent a week in our manufacturing facility learning about our offerings. I met with some of the more than 160 current employees who have worked with the company for more than 20 years. The team takes tremendous pride in their work, and speaking with them crystallised what a privilege it is to work for Derrick Corporation.” AM
DERRICK CORPORATION HAS BEEN A LEADER IN FINE SEPARATION FOR MORE THAN 70 YEARS. THE COMPANY IS NOW EXPANDING WITH NEW HEADQUARTERS IN AUSTRALIA.GARTH HAY, DERRICK CORPORATION AUSTRALIA’S NEW GENERAL MANAGER. DERRICK CORPORATION SOLVES SOME OF THE INDUSTRY’S MOST CHALLENGING MECHANICAL SEPARATION NEEDS.
A Customer Value Agreement (CVA) is more than just an agreement, it’s a promise that your equipment, components and your site, has the ongoing support of a team of Hastings Deering specialists.
It’s the promise of hassle-free maintenance, the promise of hassle-free ownership, and the promise of peace of mind.
Whether it’s an equipment, component or a site solution, Hastings Deering can tailor a CVA solution to suit your needs.
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hen it comes to environmental, social and governances (ESG) practices, the resources sector understands that it cannot afford to avoid the issue.
Customers, employees, communities, stakeholders, custodians and regulators are increasingly expecting companies in the industry to prove they are getting better at implementing and managing their ESG policies.
According to the ‘Responsible Mining Foundation (RMI) report 2022’, 94 per cent of mining companies scored less than 20 per cent on 15 ESG metrics, with many found to be ineffective at tracking and reporting their management.
DYNA Engineering general manager Thomas Greaves told Australian Mining one of the biggest challenges for businesses in the mining industry is the management of pollution, including greenhouse gas emissions.
“As everyone becomes more aware of mining’s impact on the planet, ESG has
Wturned the spotlight especially bright on this industry,” he said.
“Environmental policies to improve ESG include greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water usage, and climaterisk mitigation. And companies that effectively implement these policies often recognise benefits.
“As environmental factors are addressed, they may see a cost reduction in energy and water usage, operational improvements, and even develop better relationships with their customers, suppliers, employees and local community.”
When it comes to social policies, there are several that, if implemented effectively, can significantly strengthen a company’s connection with customers, employees and other stakeholders.
But implementing these policies is the tricky part. Although most companies have some level of controls in place, a weakness in any governance area can allow an incident to cause reputational damage, lawsuits, loss of social license to operate, and more.
Greaves said one of the most significant examples of DYNA’s ESG
considerations was the recognition and introduction of its high-density polyethylene (HDPE) conveyor guards.
“The guards are made from environmentally sustainable HDPE, which in itself is recycled and recyclable, instead of the traditional high-energyhungry and environmentally straining steel,” he said. “Our mining customers have supported these HDPE conveyor guards enthusiastically, in many cases supporting their own ESG initiatives.
“We have also invested heavily over the past couple of years in additional facilities and staff purely to enable us to add more sustainable HDPE products to our range.”
Greaves also pointed to DYNA’s work in certification against International Standards Organisation (ISO) in the three categories of quality, environmental, and occupational health and safety management systems.
“These certifications relate to the company’s activities in the design, manufacture, supply, inspection, and maintenance of conveyor systems and guarding, including related services,” he said.
“The respected ‘McKinsey Quarterly Report’ back in November 2019 showed ESG linked to cash flow in five important ways,” he said.
“It facilitates top-line growth, reduces costs, minimises regulatory and legal interventions, increases employee productivity and optimises investment and capital expenditures.
“Every business owner and company director is interested in improving cash flow.”
DYNA Engineering will continue to support and implement ESG practices in its own operations.
This is, in part, because METS providers could decide to which prospective customers they would consider supplying their goods and services. This choice could be based on how well a particular customer accepts and applies an adequate level of ESG considerations.
Greaves said it was actually the reverse of the conventional process, whereby the customer selects its suppliers based on the product, price, availability or aftersale service.
“The reality being if they didn’t favour ‘yours’ they could simply go another supplier,” he said. “This should not be mistaken as a veiled threat; it’s simply an acknowledgement of what could very easily happen due to the accelerating surge of ESG considerations requirements swelling and gaining momentum globally, especially for
businesses operating in the mining and mineral processing sectors.
“In a way, it’s similar to how some of the major superannuation funds are now making ethical considerations as well as financial ones when deciding where to invest members’ money. Or which brand of jogging shoes an athlete might
select based on which country they were made in and that government’s policy on underpaying workers already in poverty.
“Companies operating in the mining and mineral processing industries can no longer take a ‘wait and see’ approach with ESG. Not only will it soon become a minimum acceptable expectation of
every stakeholder, but understanding and adopting ESG practices can actually provide significant benefits for those companies.
“Fortunately, it’s not too late to get started transforming into a more sustainable and competitive business by truly embracing ESG practices.”
THEJO PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO THE VERACITY OF RUBBER LINERS VERSUS COMPOSITE LINERS FOR BALL MILL GRINDING APPLICATIONS.
Roperations that are received at processing plants pass through a controlled liberation process to extract minerals through concentration.
The most used equipment for the primary-size reduction of the rock are crushers, and AG and SAG mills; however, the liberation of valuable minerals from the gangue is generally achieved by comminution process through wet grinding in ball mills.
Grinding mill operators take comfort in maintaining a minimum of 80 per cent product size of solid overflowing from the mill, generally less than 1mm and expressed in micron matching to the specification set for down-the-line processes.
The operator would therefore prefer to have an efficient and economic mill lining system that excels in efficiency of grinding without compromising the service life of wear parts.
Considering the safety of workers associated with mill operations, plus its relining and downtimes for liner changeover, it’s important to consider replaceable lining systems that offer a minimum number of wear parts per mill.
The choice of mill lining plays an essential role in the efficient operation of the mill. The lining acts as the replaceable layer protecting the inner surface of the mill from wear and tear
material, while transferring energy required to enhance the grinding efficiency of the mill. It also defines the fall trajectory of grinding media and the feed during operation of the mill. Over the years, mill liners have evolved from metal to rubber and to composites. While the metal and composite liners are mainly considered for AG and SAG mills, rubber liners are preferred in most primary, secondary, and tertiary ball mills.
many primary, secondary and tertiary ball mills, outperforming composite liners and delivering value advantage in terms of higher wear life at lesser weight of wear parts.
Lesser weight helps to avoid the usage of liner handling equipment and allows easy handling of parts by installation crews while also reducing the load acting on the drives and increasing the life of rotating parts of the mill.
Rubber liners have fewer components, allowing for safe and easy installation at minimal downtime, while also reducing the noise pollution.
The per-tonne cost of grinding in mills with rubber liners is lower than mills with composite steel liners. In addition, rubber lining systems require shorter manufacturing lead times, as customisation to clientspecific needs can be done in less time in comparison to steel lining.
It’s important to design an appropriate mill lining system for the efficient operation of a ball mill, but there remains a pervasive belief that composite mill liners (of rubber with metal) perform better than rubber in comparable situations.
The estimation of wear life can sometimes be unpredictable when it comes to composite steel liners. This could be due things like incorrect selection of steel, manufacturing defects, inadequate heat treatment, cracking, or poor bonding strength between rubber and steel resulting in unplanned shutdowns, safety hazards and major production loss.
But the trend of wear in a rubber mill lining can be easily monitored and forecast, making for much easier
Mill liner design is vital to enhance the efficiency of the mill. The mill liner profile and design should have a control over the trajectory of grinding media.
A challenge in the design of the mill liners is arriving at the ideal lifter bar and plate profile that optimises grinding efficiency of the mill without compromising wear life of the mill liners.
Thejo utilises MILTRAJ and DEM simulation software in customising mill lining solutions.
The TEL800/TEL700 rubber formulation used in Thejo’s THOR liners is predominantly based on highquality natural rubber blends.
“The TEL800 series of rubber compounds gives an edge over other rubber formulae available in the market,” Thejo said. “Our range of formulation demonstrates superior physical properties in tensile strength, abrasion loss, tear strength, and elongation at break.”
A high-quality rubber mill lining system with good wear life is a boon for wet grinding applications. If designed properly, it also contributes primarily to determining the efficiency and availability of mills and the entire process plant. AM
OUR RANGE OF FORMULATION DEMONSTRATES SUPERIOR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN TENSILE STRENGTH, ABRASION LOSS, TEAR STRENGTH, AND ELONGATION AT BREAK.”IT’S IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER REPLACEABLE LINING SYSTEMS THAT OFFER A MINIMUM NUMBER OF WEAR PARTS PER MILL WITH OPTIMISED WEAR LIFE.
Are
Uptime
Throughput
Real-time monitoring
Energy savings
Predictive maintenance
Reduced waste
Reduced costs
AIR LIQUIDE HAS BEEN PROVIDING ITS N2 FLOXAL AMSA SOLUTION TO UNDERGROUND COAL OPERATIONS FOR DECADES, AND CONTINUES TO REFINE IT FOR THE MODERN MINE.
Aand goaf sealing. These two solutions were used in tandem until a 2002 study by the CSIRO found that nitrogen was just as effective as boiler gases, and the industry moved toward a solely nitrogenbased operation.
In keeping with the trend, Air Liquide developed its Floxal Onsite Nitrogen AMSA units, which have since been adopted by Australian and international longwall coal operations.
“Air Liquide’s N2 Floxal AMSA solution is synonymous with reliability, cost-effectiveness and environmental friendliness,” Air Liquide national and key accounts manager Sajimon Joseph said.
“The fact that Floxal units can produce nitrogen at nine bargs (a unit of gauge pressure) or more helps the goaf sealing with positive pressure in the balance chamber.”
This is a sentiment echoed by Air Liquide national key accounts manager for mining and extraction Rick Edwards.
“It was a first-of-its-kind solution when it was first implemented and we have been refining it ever since,” Edwards told
“The use of Floxal N2 plants for underground coal mines was only pioneered 15 years ago. The first units were built to supply 500m3 per hour and it became clear that while the solution showed significant promise, higher flow rates were needed.”
Using Air Liquide’s medal polymer hollow fibre gas separation technology, the fact the units produce nitrogen at a pressure of about nine bargs enables the inert gas in the area to be recirculated through the mine.
The medal polymer hollow fibre also allows the air to be circulated over large distances while the unit can stay close to the power source.
“These units are already giving groundbreaking results due to this unique ability to provide previously unavailable large quantities of nitrogen at much higher pressures than has been available from alternative methods and suppliers,” the company said in a statement announcing the range back in 2007.
“In a nutshell, Air Liquide’s innovative mobile systems provide some unique benefits to the mines in terms of safety, reliability and cost-effectiveness.”
The first AMSA unit was delivered to Anglo Coal’s Dartbrook mine in New South Wales in 2007, closely followed by the second unit being delivered to the Austar mine near Cessnock, NSW.
Xstrata Coal took ownership of the third unit that same year and installed it at the Oaky Creek mine in central Queensland.
“We support our customers in their development by offering innovative custom-made solutions, which helps them strengthen their efficiency and
safety,” executive vice-president and member of Air Liquide’s executive committee Jean-Pierre Duprieu said at the time.
“Mining has been identified as a growth market in Australia and these important successes in the mining industry with this unique solution illustrate the group’s capacity to grow into new markets and territories.”
Air Liquide has continued to develop its coal mine AMSA solution since 2005, delivering them to coal mines throughout the country.
In 2009, the company signed a contract with Peabody Energy for the delivery of an AMSA 3000 series Floxal at its North Wambo mine in NSW after a six-month trial at the Peabody Bowen Basin mine. A contract with Fitzroy Reources for its Carborough Downs mine in Queensland followed and, in 2010, Whitehaven Coal commissioned Air Liquide to deliver a generator to its Narrabri operation in NSW.
In addition, the Kestrel mine near Emerald in Queensland also made use of a Floxal generator.
Despite the success, Air Liquide has committed itself to continuously redefining the units as the mining sector changes, including customising the units if needed.
Each Floxal unit is built to a standard design, but the company works with the customer to tailor them if needed, working to the specifications of each onsite supply system.
Guaranteeing a convenient, worryfree on-site solution is something that Air Liquide is proud to provide – and its Floxal solutions help it do just that.
“The main benefit of a Floxal is the reliability,” Edwards said.
“This is not only because of the built in redundancy of the equipment, but the fact it is a complete supply solution, backed by trained technicians and experienced local experts.” AM
AIR LIQUIDE’S N2 FLOXAL AMSA SOLUTION IS SYNONYMOUS WITH RELIABILITY, COSTEFFECTIVENESS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS.”AIR LIQUIDE’S FLOXAL ONSITE NITROGEN AMSA UNITS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED BY AUSTRALIAN AND INTERNATIONAL COAL OPERATIONS.
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– Perfect match with Liebherr Mining large and ultra-class trucks
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Mining Excavator R 9600The NSW Hunter region has a centuries-old relationship with mining, with the first ever coal plucked out of the earth by settlers at the Hunter River mouth in Newcastle during the 1790s.
Coal soon became Australia’s first ever commodity export, with a shipment leaving Newcastle for India in 1801.
Some two centuries on, some things have changed. We’re no longer using convicts as miners, for one, and somewhere along the line, we also swapped the pickaxes for complex industrial machinery, which is a bit more efficient than breaking rocks by hand.
But other things have stayed the same. Like the fact the Hunter is still yielding
coal on a global scale, while it continues to attract prospectors from around the world in droves.
There’s a reason the Hunter boasts the largest regional economy in Australia, accommodating around 427,000 jobs, with a staggering gross regional product (GRP) of $43 billion a year.
Situated at the northern end of the Sydney Basin bioregion, this fertile and prospective land boasts port access and proximity to Sydney, making it a top choice for winemakers and miners alike.
This popularity was confirmed by a recent annual membership expenditure survey conducted by the NSW Minerals Council (NSWMC), which reported
record mining spending and jobs between 2021 and 2022.
The survey engaged 27 participating mining companies active in the region, including major players like BHP, Newcrest Mining, Whitehaven Coal, Yancoal Australia and Idemitsu, to name a few.
The survey was aimed at quantifying mining expenditure across the entire state of NSW, but it was the Hunter region that stood out as receiving the highest overall impact –by a significant margin.
Last year saw mining companies directly inject a total of $6.3 billion into the Hunter region’s economy, the largest share of direct expenditure by region in NSW. This figure was an increase
of $200 million from the previous year and counted for 30 per cent of the Hunter’s GRP. Furthermore, this marked the third consecutive year that the mining industry’s direct spending in the Hunter has exceeded $6 billion.
OF MINING DOLLARS FLOW INTO THE NSW ECONOMY AND THE EFFECTS HAVE BEEN FELT ACROSS THE STATE, BUT NO REGION HAS PROSPERED QUITE LIKE THE HUNTER.COAL REMAINS KING IN THE HUNTER, PRODUCING AROUND 160 MILLION TONNES A YEAR.
MINING CLEARLY CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC STRENGTH AND STABILITY TO THE HUNTER, SUPPORTING THOUSANDS OF HUNTER FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES.”
Of the $6.3 billion spent in the region, $1.6 billion went to wages, while $4.7 billion went to goods and services that were purchased from more than 3000 local businesses.
The Hunter was also home to more mining jobs than anywhere else in the state.
Participating companies reported directly supporting 13,589 full-time equivalent jobs across the Hunter. The second highest area was the state’s central west with 5601 jobs – less than half that of the Hunter.
The average salary for workers directly employed by participating companies
across the state was approximately $144,550 in 2021–22.
Being so active in the region, mining companies have supplied millions to local government bodies and community organisations.
According to the NSWMC report, participating miners contributed $4.8 million to 398 community organisations across the Hunter, again the highest in all of NSW. These organisations cover a wide range of areas, including health, education, environment, and the arts.
Mining companies supported local government bodies in the Hunter with roughly $32.5 million.
“These very strong results highlight the importance of mining for the Hunter’s economy, and for mining communities across the region,” NSWMC chief executive officer Stephen Galilee said. “Mining clearly continues to provide economic strength and stability to the Hunter, supporting thousands of families and businesses.”
Nothing has influenced the Hunter’s economy quite like coal. The region’s coal industry is one of the most important in the country, producing around 160 million tonnes annually.
Coal recently dethroned iron ore as Australia’s most valuable export, thanks in part to rising demand and soaring prices driven by a global energy crisis.
With coal prices reaching “historically high” levels, it’s forecast that Australia’s national coal exports will gross $132 billion in 2022–23.
Key to the Hunter’s participation in this booming global industry is the Port of Newcastle, where miners ship their minerals and metals to import partners all over the world, including in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, to name a few.
In order to keep up with immense traffic, the Port of Newcastle is similarly enormous. In fact, it’s the largest coal export port in the world.
In 2021, it shipped 166.1 million tonnes of cargo, including over 90,000 metric tonnes of aluminium to South Korea and Japan.
In January 2023 alone, it moved 10.4 million tonnes of exports, 10 million of which was exclusively coal. Other mineral concentrates made up roughly 18,200 tonnes of the figure.
There are many major mining operations on the go in the Hunter, most of which are coal projects.
For example, Glencore and Yancoal co-own the Hunter Valley operations, which in 2021 moved 10 million tonnes of coal and contributed $862 million to the regional economy.
The New Hope-owned Bengalla mine produces 12.8 million tonnes of coal a year, with operations planned through to 2039.
Then there’s the famous Mt Arthur – the largest coal mine in the state,
capable of producing 20 million tonnes a year. It’s worth noting, however, that BHP recently announced the 2030 closure of the site, citing the NSW Government’s coal retention scheme as a contributing factor.
The scheme, unveiled by NSW Treasurer Matt Kean at the start of 2023, introduces requirements that force the state’s coal companies to reserve 10 per cent of their output exclusively for domestic use.
The move is designed to ensure the state has enough coal to fire its power stations amid the energy crisis.
In addition, the Federal Government recently a domestic price cap on coal, effectively setting ceilings for the price of coal used for electricity generation to $125 a tonne.
It’s a decision that’s left many miners frustrated.
Yancoal Australia voiced its concern in an ASX statement, saying that the policy will have a direct impact on the company’s revenue, while also presenting a significant logistical challenge.
But others, like Whitehaven Coal, seemed to take the news in stride, with the company saying it was finalising plans to ensure it meets its new obligations, while also minimising value leakage for its shareholders.
But even with the reservation scheme and the shift towards renewable energy, it’s unlikely that king coal is going away anytime soon.
In a joint research report by Shell and Deloitte, it was revealed that global demand for steel is set to rise by 10–35 per cent by 2050 compared to 2019.
The steel sector is still highly reliant on coal to meet 75 per cent of its energy demands. Metallurgical coal is also a fundamental reducing agent in the steelmaking process, making its substitution complex.
With a year-on-year increase in spending and jobs from the mining industry, seemingly bottomless coal reserves, and a global water gateway, the Hunter region evidently remains an extremely enticing place for miners to do business. AM
COAL RECENTLY DETHRONED IRON ORE AS AUSTRALIA’S MOST VALUABLE EXPORT, THANKS IN PART TO RISING DEMAND AND SOARING PRICES DRIVEN BY A GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS.”
DYNA Engineering has developed a “chamfered mesh pattern”, designed to reduce washdown splash back and increase visibility through the guard panels.
This design feature is a major “point of difference” compared to standard HDPE mesh and will improve inspection and cleaning operations.
Washdown Mesh
• Up to 50% additional spray-through for washdown.
Increased Visibility
• Up to 25% additional viewing angle and see-through viability.
ROBUST ✓ LIGHTWEIGHT ✓ ECONOMICAL ✓AUSTRALIAN MINING SAT DOWN WITH BELARAROX MANAGING DIRECTOR ARVIND MISRA TO DISCUSS THE VALUE OF CLEAN ENERGY METALS.
Belararox is an advanced mineral explorer focused on high-value clean energy metals.
With a phase two drill campaign having just commenced at its NSW-based Belara and Native Bee prospects, targeting additional mineralisation that builds on already defined resources, managing director Arvind Misra sat down with Australian Mining to discuss the business.
Tell us about the journey that led you to Belararox?
I studied at the Indian Institute of Technology in India in a town called Varanasi. It’s a premier institute in India, but it was smaller back then – only around 2000 seats with about a million people applying for a spot. So I went through rigorous testing and got in.
In my last semester, Rio Tinto came to the campus. The company was there because they were attending a conference – it was a bit of a fluke.
They spoke to the head of the mining department at the university about a fiveyear graduate position in Australia. So I applied and I got it, and then I came to Australia as a graduate engineer in 1988.
Since then, I’ve worked with a number of small and large mining companies in Australia, Africa and Asia, including almost 11 years as managing director of India Resources. In that time, I’ve worked on all sorts of high-profile projects. I joined Belararox May 2021, and under my advice the business made its initial public offering and became an ASX-listed public company.
How has Belararox evolved over time?
We’re growing. We’ve got more projects on a larger scale.
I suppose you could say that the company has evolved from having one
arm in NSW – which is a 643km2 area that we’re still expanding and working on today – to a second major arm of operations in the San Juan province of Argentina.
San Juan is very mining-friendly – it’s actually ranked number one by the Fraser Institute of Australia in terms of mining friendliness in South
America. There are a lot of big players active there.
So to answer the question, we’ve evolved from having one smaller operation to a second project on a much bigger and exciting scale. But having said that, we’ve still got a lot of work to do in moving ahead.
What does the NSW expansion mean for Belararox?
We’ve expanded our exploration tenement to 643km2 around our Native Bee and Belara prospects, which sit along the Lachlan Fold belt.
As part of phase two drilling, we now have an inferred resource of five million tonnes.
At the Belara prospect, we have drilled about 700m so far, yielding very highgrade results – 7m at 2.22 per cent zinc and 2.54 per cent copper, so that’s very good.
What this shows us is that there’s exploration potential at Belara with mineralisation open to the north and down-dip.
So that’s Belara, but we also have Native Bee.
What’s important about Native Bee is that there are old mine shafts to the south where the area was mined pre-World War
for very high-grade copper and gold. But there isn’t a single hole drilled there – not one. This is the extension we’re talking about, we’re drilling there right now.
I’m excited about these sites because they’re highly prospective. They can be drilled for some time – a few more campaigns.
Can you tell us about Belararox’s focus on clean energy metals?
The world is working towards decarbonisation, and we are working towards a similar goal as a company.
In the future there’s going to be a lot of solar and wind energy. For that you need a lot of copper and zinc, and lithium for batteries in electric vehicles. That’s where we are going in the future.
That’s our vision, to help the world
become a better place by contributing to global decarbonisation.
What other projects does Belararox have in the pipeline?
As I said, the company acquired a project in San Juan that we’re very excited about. There are a lot of big players there, it’s a highly prospective area.
Lundin Mining spent $4 billion setting up their Josemaria copper mine there, and Barrick own another two mines in the nearby area.
We’ve already identified copper-gold porphyry and zinc targets at our site. We’re beginning testing now.
Back in NSW, we’ve identified a structural corridor extending 20km to the south of our two prospects at Belara. We will fly drones along the length, and I think that we will find an ore body there.
We actually have another project in WA called Bullabulling that’s looking very good from the lithium perspective.
The area where we initially bought ground is mostly known for gold, but a lot of miners in the area have recently gone from mining gold to lithium.
I sent my geologist in there and he found a pegmatite outcrop in my ground. There’s a corridor of pegmatite that runs right through the guts of the lease I have got there. We feel it is
going to be prospective for lithium. We are going to do some mapping, magnetic radiometrics and soil sampling to see if we can prove some lithium pegmatite along the way. So that’s another very exciting project for us.
Things are going well for us. We’re fully funded for phase two drilling at
the Belara and Native Bee extension, as well as for scoping of additional regional exploration potential. Belararox has a proven board and very good pipeline of projects in promising geological terrain.
You can expect many more announcements from me this year. AM
AT THE BELARA PROSPECT, WE HAVE DRILLED ABOUT 700M SO FAR, YIELDING VERY HIGH-GRADE RESULTS – 7M AT 2.22 PER CENT ZINC AND 2.54 PER CENT COPPER.”
There is really no getting around it: mine sites, especially those in Australia, can be very dusty places. And although that dust can pose a considerable annoyance to those on-site, it can also wreak havoc on mining equipment.
This is something the team members at RETRA Fluid Handling Systems – or RETRA Group –know all too well, and that’s why they developed a product to solve it – the Lubestation.
“Controlling the contamination of lubricants at a mine site is essential because it can directly impact the reliability and lifespan of mining equipment,” RETRA Group sales manager Jay McEwen told Australian Mining.
“Contaminants in lubricants can cause excessive wear, corrosion and component failure, leading to unplanned downtime, increased maintenance costs and potentially unsafe working conditions.”
It is estimated that between 70–80 per cent of all hydraulic failures can be traced back to contaminated oil.
Lubestation modules are versatile products that can help to reduce the hydraulic failures experienced on-site,
“The Lubestation houses all the required fluids for ongoing equipment maintenance in one relocatable package,” McEwen said.
“It has been designed with outdoor use in mind and is particularly suited for routine maintenance in harsh conditions, such as on an Australian mine site.”
Having a relocatable solution means the environment can always be controlled, which results in quality equipment that is free from contamination.
“Due to the enclosed weather-proof design, the Lubestation retains the quality of oil and other fluids at the exact specifications that the manufacturer intended,” McEwen said. “And it doesn’t stop at storage, either.
“All of our pumps and pipework are sourced from premium suppliers, and we include high-quality inline filters to give users peace of mind that nothing has snuck into their fluids.”
Tier 1 Australian miners and contractors have used lubestations since the mid-2000s, and RETRA Group has worked to evolve the products, as well as its own processes, throughout the years.
“We have a five-step process when
CONTAMINATION OF LUBRICANTS AND MACHINE OIL CAN SPAWN A HOST OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS ON A MINE SITE. LUCKILY, RETRA FLUID HANDLING SYSTEMS HAS A SOLUTION.
CONTAMINANTS IN LUBRICANTS CAN CAUSE EXCESSIVE WEAR, CORROSION AND COMPONENT FAILURE, LEADING TO UNPLANNED DOWNTIME, INCREASED MAINTENANCE COSTS AND POTENTIALLY UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS.”LUBESTATION MODULES ARE VERSATILE PRODUCTS THAT CAN HELP TO REDUCE HYDRAULIC FAILURES EXPERIENCED ON-SITE.
up-to-date technology to design, draft, render, test and analyse the end product.
Once the customer signs off on the design, it’s time to fabricate.
“Our skilled and experienced specialists, including boilermakers, painters and electricians, are fully equipped to execute a project with accuracy and efficiency,” McEwen said.
Finally, the customer is invited to inspect the finished product and receives a comprehensive engineering report.
“This report certifies that your project has been built to meet the highest minespec standards, so you can have peace of mind knowing that your investment is safe and secure,” McEwen said.
Once the Lubestation is up and running at a site, mining operations can expect to experience myriad benefits.
“With the Lubestation, a miner’s equipment is working more productive hours and saving resources like money and manpower,” McEwen said.
Truflo Pumps’ equipment is an investment in superior design and quality. Manufactured in Australia to exacting standards meeting your specific needs.
“It also eliminates manual handling risks with intelligently positioned dispensing handpieces, and forklift access to every product container in the Lubestation, commonly a 1000L IBC or 205L drum, which are next to impossible to move by hand”.”
The modular design of the Lubestation means it can be added to existing infrastructure and is easy to transport across the country – or the world.
Additionally, the option to lease a Lubestation will be added to RETRA Group’s portfolio by the end of FY23. “We’ve sold Lubestations around Australia and Papua New Guinea, and we’re currently exploring opportunities to venture into other major mining jurisdictions in Africa,” McEwen said. “We are committed to completing projects on schedule, within budget, and to the highest ISO:9001 quality standards.” AM
Acustomer value agreement (CVA) might sound like a simple idea, but they come with a tonne of peace of mind packed into them.
Put simply, a CVA is a customisable plan that is designed to help Cat equipment be more productive with lower and more predicable costs.
To enact a CVA, Hastings Deering will sit down with a customer to discover what they want out of their Cat equipment – whether that be equipment health events, predictive maintenance, reducing costs or being more productive.
Once Hastings Deering understands the customer’s needs, a tailored solution is developed, aligned with the specific issue.
Or, in the words of Hastings Deering regional manager – resource industries site performance Bruce McCosker, it is a lifecycle-driven solution aligned with a customer’s needs.
“A CVA is aligned with targeted value promises, hassle-free ownership and maintenance, security of expert dealer support, and equipment-
health management,” McCosker told Australian Mining
“Depending on the site and equipment, we can tailor a CVA offering to suit the unique needs of a customer and deliver on those value promises.”
CVAs can range from delivering maintenance kits to a total maintenance solution, but all solutions are worked with the customer to meet their needs.
“A CVA allows the customer to get the most out of their equipment,” Hastings Deering service marketing and customer solutions manager Scott Richardson said. “That can be from when the equipment is purchased new to enable maximum value right through the lifecycle of the equipment.”
To tailor a CVA to specific needs, Hastings Deering support representatives work with the customer to understand their problems.
They then determine what solutions they can tailor to remove these pain points.
For example, if a mining customer wants to reduce downtime associated with unplanned maintenance and improve uptime, a Site Solution CVA could be drawn up that includes an on-site hydraulic hose
and oil solution including inventory stocking, as well as inspections and reporting.
“We offer equipment, component and on-site solutions, depending on what the customer needs,” Richardson said.
“We can also offer extended warranty coverage to give assurance back to our customer that we are a partner for life.”
Equipment solutions involve connecting assets to Hastings Deering services through simplified maintenance, condition-monitoring or asset performance.
Component solutions are multitiered, with flexibility to suit the unique needs of every customer, and include optional flexible payment methods, component assurance and expert technical support.
Finally, tailored site solutions simplify maintenance through convenient and quality performance solutions.
“With any CVA, we make sure our customers get access to the expert maintenance advice by working with us.,” McCosker said.
A CVA doesn’t just include the different benefits agreed upon by the customer.
It also gives that customer access to a plethora of other benefits, including access to hassle-free maintenance solutions backed by dealer support, all adding up to peace of mind thanks to proactive monitoring of the machine.
“One of our other key offerings is HDAdvantage,” Richardson said.
“It takes the guesswork out of machine ownership equipment health and monitoring and is a standard inclusion with all new and rebuilt Cat machines.
By providing data-driven insights into the overall health of a machine and giving customers timely information, expert dealer advice and alerts, HDAdvantage is a CVA to provide even more peace of mind.
With the HDAdvantage CVA, a customer’s mind can be put at ease that their machines and mining operations are benefitting from the latest technology developments, including real-time notifications of critical machine faults through timely alerts.
But, most importantly, customers can be assured that their needs will be put at the forefront of the CVA, no matter how unique they are. AM
Air Liquide’s FLOXALTM N 2 AMSA solution has helped reduce fatalities in underground coal mines for more than a decade.
The FLOXAL™ N 2 AMSA is the only telemonitored solution that guarantees purity, pressure and flow rate to your coal mine.
An all encompassing, continuous gas supply solution, the FLOXAL™ N 2 AMSA is maintained and operated by Air Liquide, allowing you to focus on your business, unconcerned about your gas supply.
Air Liquide’s local experts have been fine-tuning its Australian N 2 membrane solution for more than 15 years and they have gained a deep understanding of coalmine operators’ needs, with the ability to offer the most reliable system on the market.
If safety is your priority, then FLOXALTM N2 AMSA is your No 1 solution for Coal Mine Inertisation
AIR COMPRESSORS ARE HERE TO STAY IN THE AUSTRALIAN RESOURCES INDUSTRY, AND OEMS SUCH AS ELGI EQUIPMENTS ARE GOING TO BE INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT EN ROUTE TO NET-ZERO.
“Every major Australian mining company would have our machines.”
ELGi Equipments needs no introduction to the Australian mining sector, having supported the industry with forward-thinking air compressor solutions for decades.
The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offers electric and dieselpowered air compressors for all pneumatic applications on a mine site, whether it be surface or underground.
“We’ve got a full range of electric options, from oil-lubricated to oil-free compressors and various accessories that go with it including filters, dryers, drains and oil water separation systems,” ELGi Equipments executive director – OSEA (Oceania and South East Asia) Ramesh Ponnuswami told Australian Mining ELGi’s extensive range of dieselpowered air compressors has been the company’s hallmark over the years, providing a much-needed solution for
compressed air requirements for drilling and exploration, while supporting temporary air requirements at mine sites across the nation.
Ponnuswami said while ELGi has long supported the Australian mining industry, the OEM has become increasingly active in the past 5–6 years, generating repeat business with Tier-1 miners.
their requirements, and we’ve been able to step up and cater to those needs.”
Ponnuswami said another reason for ELGi’s local success is the fact its air compressors are designed for the rugged and harsh conditions so often seen in the Australian mining industry.
“Most of our competitors tend to predominantly anchor their design to European and North American
of our offerings a standard product comprises a range of inclusions. Not every brand would offer many of the things that we give a standard – it would be optionalised.”
But in providing more inclusions, ELGi understands it must be able to customise these offerings to the specific requirements of a mining operation.
“There are very specific individual mining customer requirements when it comes to safety standards, and so on,” Ponnuswami said.
“We’ve increased our installed base and generated repeat business from a range of customers, which is a testament to us having the right products, the right performance and the right support, which is critical in the mining industry,” he said. “The mining sector is far flung and remote and uptime is a big part of
conditions, whereas our design is a lot more suited to tropicalised and hot weather conditions,” he said. “For example, our compressors are comfortable operating in 50°C and in cooler weather, too.
“We understand the mining industry has complex requirements, so for most
“We’ve always been open and willing to address any unique requirements. Some of them could be bespoke and one-off, but if it is their requirement, we’ve got a strong engineering and follow-through capability in the factory to support that.”
Ponnuswami said the ability to successfully tailor solutions and put the customer first is key to being able to participate in the mining market.
But if an air compressor doesn’t hold up operationally in the first place, there’s not much chance of success.
WE’VE GOT A FULL RANGE OF ELECTRIC OPTIONS, FROM OIL-LUBRICATED TO OIL-FREE COMPRESSORS AND VARIOUS ACCESSORIES THAT GO WITH IT INCLUDING FILTERS, DRYERS, DRAINS AND OIL WATER SEPARATION SYSTEMS.”ELGI BELIEVES THE LIFECYCLE COSTS OF ITS AIR COMPRESSORS ARE AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD.
“Typically, once we have a customer, we invariably have them come back for more and more and they stay with us,” Ponnuswami said. “Our machines are reliable, they increase uptime and provide superior performance – these are the three key hallmarks of our offerings.
“In the Australian mining industry, air compressors must reliably run at full load for hours on end and also perform. When we talk about performance, it might be energy efficiency for a given flow rate of compressed air.
“The bulk of a compressor’s running cost is on energy use, so being able to provide an energy-efficient option, we can lower expenditure but also contribute to improved environmental performance.”
Ponnuswami said it was also critical to consider the maintenance and lifecycle cost of an air compressor, something especially important amid today’s inflationary pressures.
“We would argue that the lifecycle costs of our air compressors are among the lowest in the world, and the warranty programs we offer are best in class,” he said. “For example, we have a lifetime
warranty on the air-end of a screw compressor; the equivalent of an air-end is the engine in an automobile, so it is a critical part.
“We can offer such warranties to our customers as we are very confident in the quality and reliability of our builds. At the end of the day, we want our customers to have peace of mind with their purchase.”
ELGi’s extensive Australian footprint is supported by distributors across the country who are not only able to supply the equipment but provide additional services such as installation support and ongoing maintenance.
Ponnuswami said ELGi has “a very tight working relationship” with its distributors, ensuring they are always up to speed with the latest products and company advancements.
Given their importance for mine ventilation, degasification, material handling, pneumatic tools and the like, air compressors are here to stay in the Australian mining industry.
And what better air compressor partner to have than the world-renowned ELGi Equipments. AM
FEATURES:
• Over 70% load step acceptance
• Ideal for portable and intensive use
• Robust twist lock & forklift inlets
• 110% spillage free frame
• Performs in extreme temperatures & at high altitudes
• Designed with large access doors for ease of service
• Minimal maintenance and 500 hour service intervals
With two generators in one platform, the QAC 1450
more, every feature you need comes as standard.
1450 TwinPower™ is the ideal generator for applications requiring variable power needs that can be set to suit the time of day or specific usage requirements. Featuring 2 x 725 kVA generators inside the 20 foot containerised unit the QAC 1450 TwinPower™ allows you to run on one engine while servicing the other, providing a built-in backup as standard.
TwinPower™ provides the flexibility you need to run at 100% power load or low power loads in the most efficient way. What’s
THE MINING SECTOR IS FAR FLUNG AND REMOTE AND UPTIME IS A BIG PART OF THEIR REQUIREMENTS, AND WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO STEP UP AND CATER TO THOSE NEEDS.”ELGI EQUIPMENTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR –OSEA RAMESH PONNUSWAMI.
hen an air compressor begins to leak, the downstream effects can lead to a surprisingly expensive shock.
Leaks trigger a drop in system pressure, preventing air tools from working and negatively affecting production. On top of that, leaks cause an air compressor to cycle more frequently, adding to maintenance costs and potential unplanned downtime.
Freddie Coertze, national IoT (Internet of Things) business manager at ifm Australia, said the modern plant
Wdifference between solutions available.”
The ifm moneo platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to provide real-time insights into an air compressor that usually requires data science experts.
“This is an AI-assisted, self-service predictive maintenance tool,” Coertze said. “It makes it very easy to harvest the data from a complex system, putting the power back into the hands of the business so they can achieve better productivity at their plant.”
Coertze described a particular case in which moneo was used to monitor and improve an air compressor through an industrial personal computer (IPC) that the company provides. This IPC
“In the case where we monitored an air compressor at a site, the moneo platform determined that the compressor was running at a loss and
“To protect, you need to predict, but the difference is that now we can harness the benefits of AI to make this a simpler process for any
The REFLUX™ Flotation Cell (RFC) dramatically shifts the performance curve by delivering faster flotation, higher recoveries, and better product quality—all in a compact footprint.
Operating at a magnitude far beyond the capabilities of open tank flotation cells, and with lower energy demand, the RFC efficiently recovers a wide size distribution of minerals while maintaining superior product grades.
Key benefits
■ Up to 10 x higher throughput
■ Enhanced grade and recovery
■ Up to 60% reduction in energy demand
■ Smaller footprint
Read more at flsmidth.eco/3Spl0QH
AUSTMINE’S MINING INNOVATION CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION IS SET FOR ADELAIDE FROM MAY 9–11.
operating officer Edgar Basto to give the Innovation for Minerals America, who will travel from Chile to join Copper to the World and discuss the exciting technology projects that BHP is undertaking in South America.
With ambitious 2030 decarbonisation targets declared across the mining industry, an exciting panel discussion at the Austmine conference will address the critical building blocks and key levers we have to achieve our targets in 2030 and beyond.
Australia’s chief scientist, Cathy Foley, will join the conversation along with other key industry leaders including ASX independent non-executive director Jacqui McGill, Minerals Council of Australia chief executive officer (CEO) Tania Constable, and Pembroke Resources chairman and CEO Barry Tudor.
Hindustan Zinc CEO and director Arun Misra will also join the panel, bringing an international perspective to this important topic and reflecting on what is happening in his home country of India.
How the industry harnesses megatrends in technology in order to capitalise on opportunities, while at the same time changing the image of the sector, will feature in discussions at the end of day one.
Enrico Palermo, head of the Australian Space Agency, and Christine Eriksen from Atlas Iron will be part of a panel looking at applications of technologies beyond mining and into new frontiers such as space.
Other speakers addressing mega-trends and the bleeding edge of technology will include representatives from Hexagon Mining, ABB, Newmont and Boliden, as well as an artificial intelligence (AI) expert from the University of Technology, Sydney.
A new feature of the conference is the interactive breakout sessions, or collaboration laboratories (co-labs), which will feature game-changing technology presentations and innovation case studies. These future-focused sessions are designed to advance collective thinking and aligned commitment to a sustainable future through co-designing a roadmap to transform the mining industry. Covering topics such as smallfootprint mining, carbon-free mining, intelligent mining, water, waste and community, the co-labs will provide a rich platform of exchange to explore the latest thinking from the speakers and those in the room.
Katie Hulmes, OZ Minerals general manager transformation, think and
act differently, will be a leading voice during these sessions, which will include speakers from Alfa Laval, Zenith Energy, Gold Fields, FMG, Kal Tire, SICK, Sage Group, Boliden and Antamina.
Open innovation will be another key theme throughout the conference. Attendees will learn about models from speakers who lead innovation and collaboration initiatives in Peru, Canada, India, France and Sweden. Accelerating
technology adoption will be discussed by a panel of innovation leaders from Ma’aden, Anglo American, Matrix Data and South32.
The conference exhibition floor will be packed with an exciting array of technology, new solutions and world-first innovations offered by the Australian mining, equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.
A major new feature of Austmine 2023 is an ‘innovation station’, which will be a
about key challenges confronting the industry.
Along with METS, miners and key stakeholders from around Australia, the conference is set to be joined by international visitors from Canada, Peru, Chile, the US, India, Saudi Arabia, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, to name a few.
Austmine 2023, combined with Copper to the World, is a key strategic play to demonstrate Australia’s leadership in mining innovation. Never have there been so many challenges to overcome, and it is only collectively that the industry can lead a positive and proud legacy for generations to come. AM
With the overall theme of ‘Transforming our future’, Austmine 2023 will encompass workshops, plenary sessions, collaboration laboratories, and interactive breakout discussion groups.
There will be plenty of networking opportunities throughout the event, as well as the much-anticipated Industry Leaders’ and Awards Dinner, celebrating and recognising the achievements of leading mining innovators.
The conference features four specific themes.
The conference will look to the future and seek to re-design how mining operates during interactive ‘collaboration laboratory’ breakout sessions. These sessions will explore the latest tech and challenge people to explore new ways of mining. Key insights will be shared and discussed at an open forum at the end of the conference.
This theme sees the conference examine a very pertinent question: is there a place for mining in the metaverse and can we move quickly enough to harness the bleeding edge of tech?
The mining industry often talks about being open, but in reality the sector’s culture is often rooted in the past. But there are glimmers of progress, and conference attendees can look forward to digging into the best ways to create a vibrant ecosystem to achieve a truly open environment.
People throughout mining have the opportunity to lead the future the resources industry needs – and the time for action is now.
THE CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION WILL FOCUS ON LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGIES, OPEN INNOVATION AND FORWARD-THINKING STRATEGIES AIMED AT TRANSFORMING HOW MINING OPERATES.”THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF HANDS-ON OPPORTUNITIES AT THE CONFERENCE.
The release of a string of halfyearly reports from major miners has brought with it mixed results.
Mineral Resources (MinRes), Perenti and Northern Star reported positive results, including a massive 503 per cent increase in the case of MinRes.
But it was major miners BHP and Rio Tinto who recorded the largest profit slumps, citing falls in iron ore pricing and rising inflation as key drivers of their respective slumps.
Rio Tinto
The major’s underlying profit fell to $18.1 billion in a 41 per cent drop, a somewhat surprising result following the company’s largest full-year profit in excess of $31 billion in 2021.
The latest results have also played a role in Rio’s decision to write down the value of its Boyne aluminium smelter in Queensland to zero. Higher-thanaverage energy costs were cited as a reason for the write down, along with the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in higher rates of worker absenteeism.
However, the biggest problem the smelter faced was the high cost of energy from the Gladstone power station, of which Rio owns 42 per cent.
But the news was not all bad.
“We are building a stronger Rio Tinto and delivering against our four objectives,” chief executive Jakob
Stausholm said. “Our operational performance has improved, as evidenced by a number of second-half records being set at our Pilbara iron ore mine and rail system.
“Despite challenging market conditions, we remain resilient because of the quality of our assets, our great people and the strength of our balance sheet.”
Perenti
Perenti reported revenue of $1.4 billion, a 21 per cent increase from the first half of 2022.
Despite lower profits, a strong supply-chain performance, an increase in female workers and the Jansen stage one project tracking to plan have contributed to a solid half-year performance for BHP.
“BHP has today announced a strong first half dividend of $US0.90 per share, on the back of solid operating performance,” BHP chief executive officer (CEO) Mike Henry said.
“BHP remains the lowest-cost major iron ore producer globally. We continued to make strong progress executing our strategy, including the development of growth options.”
Profit from operations was down 27 per cent to $US10.8 billion, driven by a reduction in iron ore and copper prices.
“Significant wet weather in our coal assets impacted production and unit costs, as did challenges in securing sufficient labour,” Henry said.
“Inventory movements during the half contributed to costs, including the planning draw-down at Olympic Dam after inventory built up during the smelter refurbishment last year. We expect these factors to abate in the second half and for unit costs to fall, in line with revised guidance.”
Elsewhere in its report, BHP highlighted strong progress in a more diverse workforce, with the number of female employees almost doubling since 2016. Females now represent 33.6 per cent of the BHP workforce.
The company said it was also working on new ways to increase production.
“In Western Australia, we are progressing studies to develop options to lift iron
position,” Henry said.
deliver strong operating performance for its clients.
“Our dedicated team … have done a fantastic job of developing and executing our 2025 strategy to the point where we have delivered consecutive periods of earnings and margin expansion,” he said.
“However, we are also acutely aware of the potential volatility that still exists. We are working to manage the controllable aspects of this environment by remaining disciplined in the execution of our strategic objectives.”
Norwell also addressed the recent deaths of two employees at the Dugald River mine in Queensland, when three miners were operating roughly 125m underground when they fell into a 15m void.
One man was rescued with non-lifethreatening injuries. Tragically, the two other employees were fatally injured.
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) were recorded as $281.2 million, an jump of 39 per cent.
These figures reflect three consecutive periods of growth for the company.
Perenti recorded its statutory NPAT –ie income less costs and taxes – at $58.9 million, up from $41.5 million in the first half of 2022.
Managing director and chief executive officer Mark Norwell said the strong results were underpinned by the company’s sustainable and disciplined financial framework, which allows it to
“First and foremost, my thoughts are with the families, friends and workmates of Trevor Davis and Dylan Langridge, our colleagues who tragically lost their lives as a result of the incident at the Dugald River underground mine,” he said.
All of Northern Star’s production centres generated positive cash earnings.
The strong earnings have allowed the company to pay out a fully-franked interim dividend of $0.11 per share, up from the $0.10 per share dividend in the
“We are positive about the demand outlook in the second half of the financial year (FY) 2023 and into FY24.”
first half of the 2021–22 financial year.
Northern Star also enjoyed the title of best-performing senior global gold stock on a total shareholder return basis over the past year, returning $1.1 billion to shareholders.
For Northern Star’s Kalgoorlie operation, gold sales were at 820,000–870,000 ounces (koz), while the Yandal operation achieved 480–520koz. Both sites are located in Western Australia.
“The strength and resilience of our world-class gold assets in Western Australia and Alaska were on show in the first half and delivered significant cash earnings despite the industry-wide cost pressures,” Northern Star managing director Stuart Tonkin said.
“At the same time, we have made further progress with executing our low-risk, profitable growth strategy to become a (two-million-ounce-perannum) gold producer by FY26. Key growth projects Pogo and Thunderbox are delivering significant cost improvements.
“Northern Star made great progress during the half to deliver superior returns to shareholders. Our focus remains steadfast on operational excellence and a disciplined and mature approach to investing shareholders’ funds.”
Whitehaven Whitehaven reported a half-year net profit of $1.8 billion in a recordbreaking performance.
The coal miner can also boast a 15 per cent year-on-year improvement in safety performance, and a run-of-mine (RoM) managed production of 8.8 million tonnes (Mt) compared with 8.4Mt in the first half of 2022.
Chief executive officer and managing director Paul Flynn said that the business performed well despite ongoing challenges.
“In the first half of FY23, global energy shortages continued to underpin strong pricing. Weatherrelated production constraints in New South Wales contributed to tight supply,” he said.
“Prices for high-quality, high-CV (calorific value) coal held at very high levels during the half year and our customers remain focused on energy security as a key priority. We achieved a record realised average price of $552 per tonne in the half year, a 173 per cent increase on the same period last year.
“With Whitehaven’s half year NPAT of $1.8 billion and strong operating cash flows, we are retaining cash on our balance sheet for future optionality. At the same time, we are returning
surplus capital to shareholders through fully franked dividends and share buy-backs.”
The company said energy security would remain a key priority against the global energy supply shortfall.
“Demand for high-quality seaborne thermal coal remains strong, and while we have seen some cyclical price softening moving into the second half of the year, we expect that high-CV coal prices will continue to be well supported throughout CY23 (calendar year 2023),” Flynn said.
“We are focused on maximising margins and meeting production and sales guidance for FY23. At the same time, we are progressing plans for our Vickery and Winchester South development projects, including completing our assessment of a staged approach of the Vickery development to bring on smaller volumes sooner to help meet the strong demand.”
Evolution Mining’s reputation as a low-cost, high-margin global gold producer was reaffirmed in its half-year financial results.
The company reported statutory net profit after income tax of $101 million and underlying net profit after
income tax of $103 million. Net mine cash flow was $86 million after $302 million of planned investment in major growth projects.
“With a significant investment in growth projects at our cornerstone assets, supported by a high-quality mineral resource and ore reserve base, our business is well positioned to deliver a strong second half,” Evolution chief executive officer Lawrie Conway said.
“We remain on track to deliver group FY23 production and cost guidance with performance weighted to the second half of the year, which was considered when declaring the interim dividend.
In terms of sustainability, Evolution’s FY22 report saw the company aligned with globally recognised environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting frameworks.
Continuing this trend, Evolution continues to be recognised for its sustainability performance and is one of only three gold mining companies to be including in S&P Global’s Dow Jones Sustainability Index Australia.
Full-year production and cost guidance was maintained, with Evolution saying it was positioned for a “strong second half of the financial year”.
OZ recorded a 38.4 per cent drop in net profit for the year. The company reported a net profit of $207.3 million in 2022, down from $540.7 million reported in 2021.
Falling commodity prices were a major contributor to the slump in profits, as was the case for as major miners BHP and Rio Tinto.
COVID-related absenteeism and supply-chain disruptions also affected operations for OZ Minerals, as did conveyor belt problems at the Carrapateena mine in South Australia.
OZ’s year was also dominated by BHP’s $9.6 billion takeover of the company, which was finalised in November 2022 following a monthslong process.
“While production and cost guidance were revised mid-year, following a slower first half due to the impacts of COVID-19 absenteeism, supply-chain disruption and inflationary pressure, we were able to draw on our cultural and organisational foundations to recalibrate our performance, delivering a strong final quarter and creating momentum into 2023,” OZ Minerals chairman
The company reported profit before tax of $58.3 million, a 13 per cent increase from the previous corresponding period.
Cashflow from operations clocked in at $65.3 million, with a net cash position of $41.7 million.
Gold production was up 10 per cent to over 60,300 ounces for the quarter. Capricorn also reported a 16 per cent increase in gold revenue, with roughly 56,000 ounces sold at $2587 per ounce.
Gold sales generated a tidy $77.4 million in revenue, with a further $13.9 million worth of gold on hand.
Capricorn’s Karlawinda gold project in WA produced almost 30,000 ounces of gold for the quarter, putting the company on track to achieve its financial guidance for 2023 of 115,000–125,000 ounces.
The company reported that mining volumes were down roughly 50 per cent overall from the first quarter, owing to a temporary suspension of operations. In October, a 59-year-old Perth man was killed in a workplace accident at the Karlawinda mine.
The quarterly report follows favourable drilling results received in late January from Capricorn’s Mt Gibson and Karlawinda operations. Assays received from 160 holes at the Mt Gibson gold project continued to return exceptional results.
“The continued excellent results from drilling at Mt Gibson since the significant increase to the resource in November 2022 provide further encouragement about the prospects of the project,” Capricorn executive chairman Mark Clark said.
At the Karlawinda gold project, drilling continued near mine prospect Carnoustie with assay results expected in the March 2023 quarter.
“We are also excited to be underway with regional exploration across the underexplored Karlawinda tenement package,” Clark said.
Rebecca McGrath and managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Cole said in a joint statement.
Unfortunately, OZ Minerals’ total injury frequency rate (TRIFR) increased to 6.99 in 2022, compared to 4.4 in 2021.
“This is attributed to a number of factors, including workforce turnover, challenging underground operating conditions and ramp-up in both greenfield and brownfield execution activities,” McGrath and Cole said.
Despite the results, McGrath and Cole see a bright future.
“It has been a privilege to be on the OZ Minerals journey with you over the years,” they said.
“The support of all our stakeholders has helped us create a modern mining company where culture is key to delivering operational performance and growth, while creating value for all our stakeholders.”
IGO’s underlying EBITDA was recorded at $834 million for the half-year, compared with $226 million reported in the previous corresponding period.
Another record high was net profits after tax, reaching $591 million compared with the reported $91 million in the first half of 2022.
The company said this reflected the growth in its share of net profits from the Tianqi Lithium Energy Australian (TLEA) joint venture.
Revenue for the half-year also increased by 43 per cent.
In October 2022, the company was rocked by the unexpected death of managing director Peter Bradford.
“The loss of our managing director Peter Bradford … came as a devastating shock to the IGO family,” acting chief executive officer Matt Dusci said.
“While we continue to mourn his loss, our people remain determined to deliver on Bradford’s aspiration to make a difference and make the planet better for future generations.
“Despite our loss, we are delighted to report a highly successful and profitable half-year result, with the strength of our lithium business helping drive record earnings, record net profit and declaration of a record interim dividend.
MinRes was especially happy with its results, reporting earnings before EBITDA of $939 million, a significant 503 per cent increase from the same period last year.
Underlying earnings after tax was for the company was $387 million, up from a deficit of $36 million in the same period last year.
MinRes also reported an operating cash flow of $281 million, up from a $120 million deficit.
According to the company, its strong performance was driven by record lithium earnings from the conversion of both Mt Marion and Wodgina spodumene concentrate into lithium battery chemicals, as well as regular iron ore operations.
The company has been understandably eager to expand its lithium operations.
MinRes recently splashed close to $1 billion for an interest in lithium processing plants in China. The transaction, if approved, will see MinRes take a 50 per cent stake in Albemarle’s plants in Qinzhou and Meishan.
MinRes managing director Chris Ellison told the Australian Financial Review in February that the offshore investment would ensure the company could convert Wodgina spodumene into battery-grade chemicals in the short term.
“Doing more here in Australia is my preference over the long term,” Ellison said. “Any potential future hydroxide plant in Australia that could take our spodumene is some years off.”
As part of the company’s dealings with Albemarle, MinRes is also in the process of restructuring its existing lithium operations closer to home.
Its 40 per cent stake in the profitable Wodgina lithium mine in WA will increase to 50 per cent. In return, MinRes will part with a 25 per cent share in the Kemerton lithium plant to Albemarle, leaving MinRes at 15 per cent.
“Strong lithium prices combined with a growing production profile at Greenbushes generated outstanding financial returns for shareholders, while the team continues to focus on expanding the mine and processing capacity to deliver on future production growth.
“At Kwinana, the declaration of commercial production from Train 1 was a key milestone for the half-year and we remain focused on progressing the rampup of Train 1 and financial investment decision on Train 2 over 2023.”
The Greenbushes operation, in which IGO holds a 24.99 per cent interest, recorded sales revenue for the half-year of $4.2 billion and produced 379,000 tonnes of spodumene.
The half-year for Core Lithium was underpinned by significant operational and corporate activity as the company transitioned from mine developer to lithium mine operator and producer.
Key milestones for the company included the commencement of mining of lithium ore at the Grants Pit, the commissioning of a crushing and screening plant, and the awarding of a five-year operations and maintenance contract for the DMS plant to Primero.
“Commissioning of the DMS plant represents the final step in the delivery of the Core’s first mining operation,” Core CEO Gareth Manderson said.
“The safe and successful construction of the Finniss mining facilities during a global pandemic and through two Northern Territory wet seasons is
testament to the resilience and hard work of the Core employees and contract partners, including a number of local Darwin suppliers.”
A series of engagements with local communities was also completed to support safe transport of the first shipment of direct shipping ore (DSO) from the Finniss mine to the Darwin Port.
increased by 28 per cent, while the ore reserve estimate increased by 43 per cent.
New spodumene intersections were reported more than 400m outside of the current mineral resource, which is expected to deliver substantial orebody extensions.
While the company did report a loss of $9.2 million, ample cash reserves
There were two executive appoints: Manderson as CEO and Mike Stone as chief operating officer.
“The company continues to receive strong inbound interest in lithium spodumene concentrate from Finniss and is well-positioned to capitalise on high demand for available battery-grade lithium concentrate to complement existing binding offtake arrangements
WEIR MINERALS’ SIGNATURE PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSIMM’S FIFTH INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENT SERIES HIGHLIGHTS THE COMPANY’S COMMITMENT TO WORKPLACE GENDER EQUALITY.
It would surprise few to learn the Australian mining industry is a largely male-led one. The extent of that situation, however, might itself be something of a surprise. The mining sector is the most disproportionately male industry in the country, toting a ratio of 80 per cent men to 20 per cent women, according to Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
This is exactly why industry leaders have clearly defined and accountable goals relating to workplace inclusion, diversity and gender equality.
Broadly speaking, the aim of workplace gender equality is to achieve equal opportunities and outcomes for men and women. A strong stance on diversity and gender equality is all the more important in traditionally male-led industries such as mining.
There’s clearly more work to be done, and that’s why companies such as Weir Minerals are on the frontlines of gender equality issues in the resources sector, using proactive strategies to create a more diverse, equitable industry.
One such strategy is Weir’s ‘affinity groups’ like the Global Weir Woman’s Network and Weir Pride Alliance.
On one hand, these companyorganised bodies allow members to share experiences in a safe space, leading to a healthier and safer working environment.
And on the other hand, the affinity groups are intended to attract, retain and develop Weir talent around the world through events and networking.
In other words, the initiative allows the company’s traditionally underrepresented groups to connect with each other and grow professionally.
Weir Minerals also boasts a thorough talent-management initiative, providing employees with a broad range of eLearning courses and career management opportunities. This equal access to coaching and training helps to eliminate those arbitrary barriers.
Considering its work in the industry, it is no surprise that Weir was recently a signature partner of the 2023 International Women’s Day event series. AusIMM’s fifth annual International Women’s Day event series is a celebration of women in mining. For Weir, it’s an opportunity to support the change it wants to see.
AusIMM sat down with three women from Weir Minerals ahead of
representation.
For Brooke Williams, a Weir Minerals quality technician, one of the main highlights from working at the company is the people.
“The support I have received has allowed me to push myself outside of my comfort zone, learn about what I can achieve in my career, be recognised for my potential and be rewarded with great opportunities,” Williams told AusIMM.
bring a different perspective to the job – something echoed by Weir Women’s Network chair Julie Truss.
Truss pioneered the Weir Women’s Network chapter in Australia, an initiative that started at a grassroots level at Weir ESCO in the US and has since expanded to global locations.
“I decided I needed to reach out to women from as many Weir locations across the country as possible and in differing roles to ensure
“We learnt from this that just inviting people was not enough, additional encouragement was required. The amazing women on the committee made sure to talk about the event to their colleagues at every opportunity – in meetings, one-on-ones, in lunchrooms, on Teams calls.
“Having representation from our committee at most locations and in different parts of the business meant that our reach was broad and the impact significant.”
Truss works closely with Weir regional managing director Kristen Walsh. Walsh was the encouraging voice behind the Weir Woman’s Network Australian chapter and encouraged Truss to champion the initiative and get it up and running in Australia.
“I play a part in influencing change by consistently communicating our vision to create a workplace environment where everyone feels they belong and everyone feels safe at work,” Walsh told AusIMM.
“This is done by setting aggressive targets and goals that call for the increase of female representation in our workplace.”
Williams, Truss and Walsh join the collective of employees at Weir Minerals who are driving for real change in the industry. AM
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VEGA’S LATEST SENSOR TECHNOLOGY, THE VEGABAR 38, WAS ROLLED OUT AT A MAJOR PILBARA IRON ORE MINE IN 2021. TWO YEARS LATER, IT’S STILL GOING STRONG.
hen Current Engineering Solutions needed a sensor that would meet the demands of its iron ore mine in the Pilbara, VEGA was its first choice.
VEGA supplied the site with its VEGABAR 38, a universal pressure transmitter with a ceramic measuring cell for measuring gases, vapours and liquids up to 130°C.
To begin realising the value of the VEGABAR 38, Current Engineering Solutions implemented four units across several gearboxes at the mine – two for tank level measurement, two for oil pressure and temperature.
In 2021, Current Engineering Solutions senior electrical engineer Paul Smith said one of the great benefits of the sensor was its simple design.
“Where your standard instruments will need condition monitoring to take place ever week or so, the VEGABARs have a light display to quickly tell you the equipment’s health,” he said.
“In this way, your asset’s actually telling you when it’s going to fail, as opposed to really having to look deeper into the diagnostics, which takes time.”
The quick and easy nature of the sensor allows an operator to check for the green light to ensure the equipment is running smoothly.
And run smoothly it did, with Current Engineering Solutions still relying on the VEGABAR 38 two years later.
W“Since the start, it has always been fit for purpose,” VEGA area manager for north-western Australia Andrew van de Sande told Australian Mining
Smith said the VEGABAR 38 is complementary to an operation’s usual monitoring practices, and certainly reduces the risk of an emergency call-out.
“Condition monitoring will have a place, but the VEGABAR is the same as having continuous condition monitoring, just for the cost of a sensor,” he said.
“I think it’s really something that distinguishes VEGA from the rest.”
For van de Sande, the fact the VEGABAR is built on accountability and German quality is also testament to VEGA’s success.
“It is the family values that VEGA embodies that help our products stand the test of time,” he said.
Another core value of VEGA’s is proactivity, with safety being at the heart of the business.
Rather than helping to learn where things have gone wrong on a mine site, van de Sande said VEGA strives to build a reputation that reduces incidents in the first place.
“It brings customers back into the realm of being a proactive maintenance department, rather than a reactive one,” he said.
“The enemy of safety is an unplanned break in work, so once we start implementing proactive instrumentation to let us know when issues are about the occur, we start seeing our total recordable injury frequency rate begin to drop.”
The VEGABAR 38 helps VEGA to realise this goal.
“The status indicator is fantastic,” van de Sande said.
“It gives you an instant signal without having to check a gauge or hook into a system.
“These operators don’t want to be looking at a gauge and trying to read something and writing it down. Operators can now walk in and see green, green, green, red.”
But even more important, from VEGA’s point of view, is the ability to provide a range of information through one easy-to-install device.
“What we were wanting to achieve was to ascertain pressure and temperature out of the same instrument,” van de Sande said. “Negating the need for multiple pieces of equipment.”
This was achieved through a threewire design, allowing more power to enable a wider range of transmissible data. The sensor also comes in a twowire version.
Smith said the multiple functions of the sensor allow for not only the removal of additional units, but the removal of all the potentially expensive accessories that come with them.
“With the IO link functionality, it’s not just saving on two devices for the pressure and temperature,” he said.
“You’re also saving on two runs of cable, two control points and all the programming configurations as well –you’re effectively getting two sensors for the price of one.”
Current Engineering Solutions was treated to a live demonstration of the VEGABAR 38 before installation, along with in-house testing, to ensure it would meet the needs of the site.
Since that time, the company has enjoyed the success that has come with the installation.
“Mining operations thrive when their systems and solutions are reliable,” van de Sande said. “That is what the VEGABAR 38 can offer customers, and that is what Current Engineering Solutions has enjoyed about it.” AM
Mining equipment can have it pretty tough. It often goes through hours of intense wear and tear as a result of rolling abrasion and impact, meaning a good wear plate is just as important as the machine itself.
Hardox wear plates by SSAB are among the toughest, hardest and most resistant on the market, and the newest addition to the team is no different. Hardox HiAce, which features the same strong mechanical properties and the hardness of the Hardox 450, fights abrasive wear and corrosion with ease.
The HiAce expands on the broader Hardox range, giving mining customers a variety of choices when looking for a wear plate that works.
BRE Services took delivery of Hardox HiAce at its site, and operations manager Brenton Verhoogt said there was no reluctance in introducing it.
“We never hesitated for a minute before introducing Hardox HiAce into a super quad mining trailer combination for iron ore transport,” he said. “Changing from Hardox 450
to Hardox HiAce hasn’t caused any challenges in the workshop. All that has changed is the higher resistance toward corrosive material.”
According to SSAB regional sales manager (WA) Graham McClelland, while Hardox grades use a very lean chemistry that will give excellent workshop properties when it comes to welding, cutting and bending, “this is not beneficial when it comes to corrosion resistance of a material”.
“If corrosion is present, there is a risk that the surface starts to corrode. Wear will come from removing oxide layers and hardness will not be utilised to the full extent,” he told Australian Mining
“Hardox HiAce offers a much higher corrosion resistance due to the alloy content.
“In a wear application when corrosion is present, Hardox HiAce will not start to corrode and full hardness of the material can be utilised.”
A true wear fighter, Hardox HiAce thrives in acidic and corrosive environments, meeting the challenges the mining industry throws at it on a daily basis.
“In mining there are a lot of areas with corrosive wear,” McClelland said. “Process water is recirculated, and sulphates and chlorides will accumulate, causing a harsh environment.”
Equipment operating in acidic and low-pH environments such as copper and zinc mining can experience a lot of corrosive wear, leading to more maintenance, higher repair costs and a shorter service life.
But with its special steel composition, Hardox HiAce is designed to counter these kinds of attacks.
“Corrosion rate is increased with temperature and humidity, so in a country such as Australia there is a high risk for corrosion problems,” McClelland said. “But the alloy concept, together with the high hardness of Hardox HiAce, is a perfect match for these environments.”
The flexibility of Hardox HiAce means it can be used in a range of applications – not just mining equipment. In hot and humid climates, such as the mining regions of Queensland, Hardox HiAce can be used in waste containers, helping them stand up to wear and corrosion.
And across the country to the west, it is being put to work on mining trailers that transport ore, giving them up to 50 per cent longer service life.
A combination of low pH levels, chemicals, temperature and minimal maintenance can be the perfect storm for causing a specific damage called pitting corrosion. Pitting happens when the corrosion on the metal surface is localised to a small, rounded pit.
A single pit can stop a machine in its tracks as it damages the metal’s deep structures, even though it does not cause much loss of surface material.
Although hard to detect and predict, pitting can be alleviated by the use of Hardox HiAce.
“In some applications, it can be hard to understand if and how much corrosion is influencing the problem,” McClelland said. “Testing Hardox HiAce is a very low risk, due to the hardness being the same as Hardox 450.
“The worst-case scenario is that Hardox HiAce will perform exactly the same as Hardox 450. When there is no corrosion and the only problem is wear, the Hardox HiAce is a very flexible and low-risk material for mining.” AM
Aconversation with Pilbara Minerals managing director and chief executive officer Dale Henderson can take on many forms, as was the case when Australian Mining sat in on a Pilbara Minerals media briefing in mid-February.
In the intimate setting of a Melbourne Town Hall boardroom, Henderson was joined by the likes of The New York Times, Bloomberg, Reuters and the Australian Financial Review to unpack the Pilbara Minerals success story and where the company is heading next.
The discussion covered everything from the status of Pilbara Minerals’ midstream lithium project with Calix to the future of its Battery Material Exchange (BMX) platform to the US’ Inflation Reduction Act to mergers and acquisitions (M&A), among other topics.
Here’s a few insights.
Lithium phosphate
Lithium hydroxide is all the rage in Australia, with several mining companies enhancing their offerings by
As IGO and Tianqi Lithium Corporation produced Australia’s first lithium hydroxide at its Kwinana plant in May 2022, Mineral Resources (MinRes) and US-based Albemarle Corporation followed shortly after with first lithium hydroxide from the Kemerton lithium hydroxide plant in mid-2022.
Covalent Lithium – a joint venture between Wesfarmers and Chile’s Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) – is on track to produce lithium hydroxide from its Mt Holland operation in the first half of 2025.
But lithium hydroxide is not the only downstream avenue for the Australian industry and Henderson believes another processing approach could be more viable.
“There’s challenges with every product that you produce,” he said.
“In the case of lithium hydroxide, it’s a difficult product to manufacture to achieve battery grade at a low cost point.
“It’s very capital-intense to build a lithium hydroxide factory because all of the first steps. The chemistry steps are the same and you’ve got to keep adding chemistry steps into these things called
“So you could do it, yes, but what we have said is there must be another product between lithium hydroxide and what we sell at the gate, something better. This is why we’ve gravitated to a midstream product.”
Pilbara Minerals’ midstream project would see lithium phosphate salts produced via an innovative refining process utilising Calix’s patented calcination technology.
A final investment decision is expected to be made on a demonstration plant in the June quarter of 2023.
One of Pilbara Minerals’ masterstrokes in recent years has been the development of its BMX auction platform, where the company has the flexibility to sell spodumene concentrate on a spot market rather than through existing offtake agreements.
The BMX has pulled extraordinary numbers, with transactions nudging $US8000 per tonne across multiple auctions throughout 2022. Sales would typically involve 5000-tonne cargoes of spodumene concentrate.
But what is the future of the BMX
“We’ve kept our options open deliberately, so that we can pivot depending on what the right solution might be for our shareholders,” he said.
“The highest order initiative is to be an integrated converter on the likes of what we’re doing with POSCO.
“Why do we think that’s the highest order? Well, it means that we’ve
relationship. With that in mind, when we think about where our product goes in the short term, what we don’t want to do is cut off that option (the BMX). We want to preserve options like that.
“Therefore, we start to think about the short-range avenues, and the shortrange avenues are quite a few. We could do another little mini offtake if it was for the right customer, we could do more
February saw Pilbara Minerals announce it had entered into a sales agreement for a 15,000-tonne cargo of spodumene concentrate for delivery in the March quarter. This was the first time the company utilised lithium hydroxide tolling as a commercial model.
Pilbara Minerals will receive the value of lithium hydroxide price for the product sold, less an agreed amount required for conversion and other costs. In other words, the actual price received for this cargo will be calculated using future lithium hydroxide pricing at the time of conversion to lithium hydroxide.
Pilbara Minerals had originally intended to sell the spodumene concentrate via a BMX auction; however, it changed plans after receiving a strong offer from the chemical converter.
The US Government’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has garnered plenty of attention in the mining industry in recent months, given it places a key focus on stable critical minerals jurisdictions such as Australia.
Under the Act, the US’ electric vehicle battery program will grant preferred status to Free Trade Agreement (FTA) partners.
As part of this system, a new electric vehicle will only be eligible for tax credits when at least 40 per cent of the battery’s critical minerals came from the US, an FTA partner such as Australia, Chile or Canada, or recycling in North
percent by 2027.
How does Henderson see this play out from his end?
“The full effects of it (the IRA) are still being determined, but we hear lots of positive news and support for what it means,” Henderson said.
“In the first instance, I think it’s fantastic that the Biden Administration has got completely behind the renewable energy shift, and this is a demonstrable step being the IRA. As to the full effect and how does that shift the supply chain? It’s still playing out.
“When we engage with car companies, battery companies, our customers, we ask them about what they think, and they are all very positive. It does seem to be working, more investments going into the US … so I think it’s really positive.”
As for Pilbara Minerals’ potential inorganic growth, Henderson said the company has “more homework to work through” to understand what that might look like.
“Genuinely, when we think about our priorities it’s base operation, first expansion and chemicals, then lastly, inorganic growth and … we’ve got more homework to work through (regarding inorganic growth),” he said.
“What is our inorganic strategy?
Do we stay in lithium-only? Or is it broader as a batch of materials? Which commodities and which domiciles?”
Pilbara Minerals recently appointed a chief development officer to support its corporate development, growth and exploration functions.
John Stanning has more than 20 years’ experience as an investment banker at Macquarie Capital and Rothschild in Perth, where he recorded an impressive track record of lithium sector transactions. He also assisted battery materials companies with corporate strategy, growth and funding.
Stanning’s appointment has been seen as an important development for Pilbara Minerals’ future growth strategy to diversify its portfolio beyond Pilgangoora and to extract greater value along the materials supply chain. AM
Mining has been a part of the Australian landscape for centuries. But it is a finite practice, and once a site has been depleted of its resources, it must be rehabilitated.
But before stringent regulations for an out-of-use site were in place, it was not uncommon for these sites to be left the way they were mined, with large holes scarring the natural landscape.
This is an especially prevalent situation in Western Australia, where large swathes of desert prove
to be a calling-card for those looking for resources.
When Vivienne Robertson travelled through Leonora, a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of WA, in 2013, she saw first-hand the amount of mining holes that had been left in the land.
“While in Leonora, I asked the question (of Indigenous communities), ‘what is your deepest pain?’”, Robertson told Australian Mining
“And one of the aunties said that it was all of the gaping mining holes left all over our country. The whole room just went silent and into this real gravitas
of sobriety. You could just feel everyone nodding and agreeing.”
In that moment, Robertson knew she wanted to help alleviate some of that pain.
“Suddenly I just saw this vision of covering one of the holes with an artwork that tells the story of country,” she said.
And, in that moment, Reclaim the Void was born.
One of the people in the room when Robertson came up with her idea was Kado Muir, Ngalia Custodian and co-founder of the Ngalia Heritage Research Council (Aboriginal Corporation) (NHRC).
Muir has worked with his Elders through the NHRC in Aboriginal heritage, language preservation and traditional ecological knowledge, and has since transitioned into an Aboriginal cultural and community leader.
It was Muir who came up with the material that would create the artwork for the project – using hand-woven rag rugs sewn together.
“Kado and I were co-leading a retreat on country when an attendee quite innocently pulled out a rag rug from her bag and Kado nudged me and he said, ‘that’s it, that’s what we’ll use’,” Robertson said.
“We decided to use rugs as the dots and to make the artwork a huge dot painting made out of rugs. And that’s when it really took off.”
For Muir, Reclaim the Void is a way to draw attention to the impact of abandoned mining holes.
“It is a way to reclaim it in a way that speaks to the heart and the spirit,” he said. “The rugs take time to weave. Time is one of those things that we have so little of, yet we waste indiscriminately,
and here’s an opportunity to invest time in such a way that we build connections within ourselves and also with others.
“As each rug is being woven, we’re weaving together a community of people. And in some way that then goes back to not only healing of the land but also of people – both First Nations and settler society people – who can jointly participate in a process of healing land through art and sharing that as a common experience.”
In an effort to get as many people as possible involved, Reclaim the Void runs different initiatives throughout the year, including rug-making camps, rug hubs and pop-up exhibitions at institutions such as the WA Museum.
A rug hub is a space where people regularly come together to talk and weave rugs for country.
These spaces open up a wealth of conversation, which Robertson described as an integral part of the project.
“It’s a space where stories emerge, some of which have never been told before,” Robertson said. “It’s a safe space.
“It’s one of the beautiful things about when people get together and do something that’s rhythmic and relaxing, it gets you out of your mind and you become more connected.
“That atmosphere allows for conversations that are harder, and lets people express things that they may not express in other situations.”
The concept image for the project was born from Muir’s late mother’s paintings. A Ngalia elder, Dolly Walker was a renowned Aboriginal artist
whose dot paintings sell for upwards of $7000 apiece.
“(Kado and I) looked through his mother’s paintings and, with his permission, I had a square painting digitally turned into a circle and placed on a picture of a mine hole on the land,” Robertson said. “It was a way for our vision to come to life.”
With the concept image as an inspiration, participants are asked to weave their rugs using sheets of one colour so that, when all the rugs are placed together, it will create a dot artwork similar to Walker’s. The final artwork used will be guided by Kado in relation to the site chosen.
“Sheets are the most practical material to use, because you can make them into such big, long strips,” Robertson said. “But there are stories in that, too.
“One woman brought sheets that her mother had died in to weave a rug with, and that was such a precious gift because it was like she was giving her mother back to country.”
The other reason for using sheets is because they are so prevalent in landfill;
THE RUGS TAKE TIME TO WEAVE. TIME IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE HAVE SO LITTLE OF, YET WE WASTE INDISCRIMINATELY, AND HERE’S ANCULTURAL CUSTODIAN KADO MUIR IS ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES BEHIND RECLAIM THE VOID. IMAGE CREDIT: NIC DUNCAN IMAGE CREDIT: NIC DUNCAN RECLAIM THE VOID SEEKS TO INSTALL A MAJOR ARTWORK ON MINING-AFFECTED COUNTRY WITH RAG RUGS MADE INTO DOT ARTWORK.
Australians dump over 500,000 tonnes of fabric and clothing each year. people to give back to country and ensure they don’t end up dumped.
will be needed to create the artwork, but estimates it could be 3000 – 5000.
rugs made,” she said. “So it’s really amazing to see how many people we’ve touched with this project.
WHAT WE’RE OFFERING THEM IS A WAY TO GIVE BACK IN A MODEST WAY. AND IT WON’T COME TOGETHER THROUGH JUST ONE PERSON MAKING ONE RUG – WE’RE GIVING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH COUNTRY AND GIVE BACK.”
Fixed plant and pump solutions are a fantastic asset for mining operations. That is, until they have to be moved.
In creating a solution, the team from water management specialist Xylem considered variability and flexibility in the mining industry when designing the Godwin BD150T.
Coming bundled with a low cost and high degree of portability, the Godwin BD150T self-priming pump brings the best of the Godwin range in a package ideal for all operators.
With flow capabilities of up to 510 cubic metres per hour, as well as discharge heads (the pressure at the discharge of a pump measured as a height) of up to 43m, the BD150T is designed to be suitable for various mining applications.
“At the end of the day, the BD150T is a perfect option for high-performance pumping at an overall low overhead cost when compared to energy requirements of other pumps,” Jordan ThomsonLarkins, Xylem product and application manager of the Godwin range, told Australian Mining
“Whether for nuisance dewatering, managing tailings storage or for general maintenance activities, the BD150T is suitable for that function.
“And to get it from A to B to fulfil those functions, it can be wheeled around on an attachable trolley which is part of the purchase.
“The compact nature of the unit and the power it has makes it an invaluable tool.”
The BD150T comes as an open skid base with options for either a two-wheel site trailer or four-wheel site trolley, depending on the needs of the operation.
Featuring an immersed oil lubricated mechanical seal design, which allows dry running for prolonged periods while automatically priming and repriming from dry, the BD150T has a high level of general usability through the use of the Venturi Prime system.
“The Venturi Prime system works through compressed air travelling through the pump, creating a vacuum by evacuating air from the pump body and suction hose,” Thomson-Larkins said.
With considerable location flexibility afforded through its trolley functionality, the BD150T can suit a variety of applications, supplying water for wash plants, dam water transfer and excavation dewatering.
As demonstrated by high heads and flowrate reported, the BD150T features a number of improvements to the hydraulics of the pump to facilitate the strong results in a compact frame.
The increased hydraulic efficiency results in higher levels of performance and improved fuel economy when compared to hydraulic systems with a lower flow rate.
“With the six-inch pump range that we offer, it produces higher heads and more flow at greater efficiencies, in addition to providing a cheaper alternative for the customer because of the way that we’ve created the BD150T,” Thomson-Larkins said.
“It’s not just reflected in the purchase cost of the unit, but also in the cost it takes to run the pump.”
Versatile in a range of applications, the BD150T is also capable of managing wastewater and the solids that are often present in the water throughout mining operations, with a maximum solids handling of 75mm.
The BD150T is available from Xylem directly, as well as from a
number of distribution partners, further emphasising the commitment Xylem has made to the accessibility of the Godwin range.
The pump also represents a high level of innovation, though that is not always easy.
“It can be difficult to innovate with pumps, as pumps are pretty simple –they’re spinning steel in a pipe that move water,” Thomson-Larkins said.
“What we’ve done differently with this part of the Godwin line is that we’ve included a modular base with the system that lets operators easily switch engines if need be.
“The stock option comes fitted with a Perkins motor, but with this design that can be swapped out at any point as needed.”
Including front wear plates into the design of the BD150T, Xylem has reduced the number of rebuildable parts that make up the pump, which in turn results in a lower overall cost over the lifetime of the machine.
In conjunction with the changes in manufacturing to ensure the lower cost and smaller profile of the pump, the reduction in rebuildable parts also enables Xylem to provide shorter lead times when it comes to delivering the units.
“Through the design approach we’ve taken with the BD150T and our wider
work with our distribution partners, customers will be able to go to our registered suppliers and purchase stock direct from the shelves,” ThomsonLarkins said. “It shortens the time between order and fulfilment which can exist in the space of built-to-order products.
“Customers can get the wellknown, high-quality Godwin product without waiting on it to be made, shipped and delivered.”
While reducing the production lead time is a core concern of Xylem, there remains scope for changes to be made to best fit needs of end users.
Factory-installed with a manual control system, the BD150T can be locally fitted with a Kensho X36 panel to enable a range of digital and analogue inputs as required.
The pump also comes with optional extras in the form of an enclosed battery box and forklift pockets.
“The BD150T range is really designed to be an easily accessible, ‘out of the box’ solution,” Thomson-Larkins said.
“In saying that, we are more than willing to work with customers to adjust the unit where possible and give the additional functionality needed for the specifics of their operation.
“We don’t compromise on performance at Godwin. The BD150T is a prime example of that.” AM
AAA TRAILERS HAS OVER A DECADE OF EXPERIENCE IN SUPPLYING CUSTOMERS ACROSS MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES WITH ALL THEIR TAILORED SEMI-TRAILER REQUIREMENTS.
Each industry is different, and that includes the operators within those industries. Customers have their own needs when it comes to shifting freight, and when a specific trailer cannot be sourced the result is often unwanted downtime that leads to lost production, income and even reputation.
AAA Trailers prides itself on being customer-focused and meeting their needs with tailored solutions across any industry where cargo needs to be moved by road.
The company manufactures, distributes and services the most appropriate trailer type for the job, and has an extensive product line of trailers loaded with performance and safety features.
From initial consultation and concept design through to assembly and testing, AAA Trailers works alongside customers to get the safest and most cost-efficient outcome.
All trailers supplied by AAA come with a standard 12-month warranty, and it can also register trailers for its New South Wales customers.
The company’s products include drop decks, flat decks, low loaders, tags, curtainsiders, dollies, wideners, extendables and tankers.
Temporary permits can be made for new and unregistered trailers, which will include the time spent transporting the trailer to a different state, along with the time spent organising registration.
With a continuous stock of equipment, AAA Trailers provides the kind of rapid turnaround that is highly desirable in a result-driven climate.
Incorporating rigorous evaluation of each trailer into its work practice, AAA produces reliable equipment that adheres to the Australian design rules’ core focus on vehicle safety, as well as anti-theft and emissions technology.
For the transportation of excessively high cargo, a drop-deck trailer is essential to ensure compliance with height restrictions and to make it possible to pass under bridges, streetlights and road signs without danger of damaging either rig or cargo.
The AAA drop deck comes with pins featuring a 50mm coupling, spring suspension, drum brakes, three axles and LED lighting.
The drop deck with bi-fold ramps has a 45-tonne aggregate trailer mass (ATM) and 20-tonne gross trailer mass (GTM) capacity, a 50mm or 90mm two-position
AAA TRAILERS OFFERS CUSTOM-MADE SOLUTIONS WITH A FOCUS ON SAFETY AND RELIABILITY.
bolt K-Hitch with a FUWA K-Hitch airbag suspension, or the option of spring suspension, plus a 12-month warranty and a collection of optional extras.
The drop deck concrete panel trailer has a 50mm or 90mm king pin with airbag suspension and, like the drop deck with bi-fold ramps, it comes with a 12-month tyres and wheels warranty.
Flat decks, on the other hand, are a more basic trailer designed for transporting average loads across a variety of cargo, from containers to safely strapped loose supplies. This is among the most versatile trailers a business can own.
The 45-foot flat deck semi with pins and gates features drum brakes, spring suspension, LED lighting and a 12-month warranty on its tyres and wheels.
AAA’s low loader drop deck with bi-fold ramps features a 50mm king pin coupling, spring suspension, drum brakes, three axles and LED lighting, while the quad-axle low loader widener (2.5–3.5m) has all of the same features, but with four axles
When it comes to wideners, AAA Trailers offers a 45-foot drop deck unit (2.5–3.5m) with bi-fold ramps, with
quad-axle low loader widener (2.5–3.5m) with airbag suspension.
Again, both products feature a 12-month tyres and wheels warranty.
The AAA 45-foot extendable drop deck with bi-fold ramps is also available.
The trailers that AAA builds typically feature Evertek hydraulic ramps, which are suitable for various applications.
The company emphasises longevity and safety with the fitment of electronic braking systems (EBS) on each of its trailers. EBS is designed to add an extra level of safety due to its predictive nature, as it can detect if the vehicle will roll and, in some cases, slows down engine speed.
In addition, AAA has a strong focus on after-sale support. The company is proud to say it has rarely experienced major after-sale issues with a customer, due to the quality of its trailers and superior attention to detail.
AAA is especially proud of its relationship with many customers and its ability to offer professional, accurate, and timely advice and guidance on any trailer-related issue or upgrade requirement.
The company’s focus is always on providing safe and reliable trailers, with the capacity to service and manage trailer fleets in a cost-efficient manner, ensuring unplanned downtown is kept to a minimum. AM
AusIMM hosts a number of key conferences throughout the year, but none go so far into the world of minerals than the aptly named Mineral Resource Estimation Conference.
Held in Perth from May 24–25 and attracting resource geologists from across Australasia, the conference aims to showcase best practice, case studies and research on mineral resource estimation and the software applications it requires. This year’s session topics will include 3D geological and estimation domain modelling, geostatistical analysis, estimation, validation, and risk analysis and reporting.
And as always, AusIMM will welcome a host of keynote speakers, including director and consulting engineer Dr Isobel Clark, Amira Global managing director and chief executive officer Dr Jacqui Coombes, and SRK Consulting (UK) managing director Tim Lucks.
Another keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Aline Cote, industrial lead of zinc and lead at Glencore, whose keynote address will be centred on the importance of resource calculation in corporate decision-making.
Cote began her journey in the mining world when she was in university, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in science (geology) from the University of Quebec in 1998. From there, she completed post-graduate training at Laurentian University and received an MBA from the University of Quebec in 2008.
“I always knew that I was attracted by science at a very young age. What I discovered later in life was that I was more attracted to the ‘non-living’ aspects of science,” Cote told Australian Mining. “By deduction, that pushed me into geology and mining.”
Cote began her career as an exploration geologist with Noranda Inc. before becoming the first female chief geologist for Falconbridge, a Canadianbased miner.
“At the time, I actually didn’t realise that I was the first (female chief geologist), as the culture in Falconbridge was already very diverse,” Cote said. “It was only a couple of years later that I came to terms with this milestone and realised that it had paved the way for other females.
“It felt like I had helped advance something much bigger than myself.”
Cote became head of zinc mining technical services at Glencore in 2013, before being promoted to industrial lead for the zinc and lead department in 2020.
Cote said one of her biggest achievements was the development, implementation and support of “optimised mining selectivity models”, which has been the seed of the overall value-chain optimisation of the Glencore zinc and lead department.
“If I could go back in time and tell ‘university Aline’ that one day she would grow up to understand and influence the base metal business through the management of the biggest zinc producer in the world, I don’t think she would believe me,” Cote said.
A key feature of this year’s Mineral Resource Estimation Conference is the Parker Challenge.
Sponsored by Rio Tinto, the Parker Challenge aims to quantify the ‘between person variance’ or ‘pattern noise’ in resource estimation.
The challenge calls on all mineral resource estimators to create a classified model from the same base data sheet, with an aim to showcase the variability in contemporary mineral resource estimation.
And thanks to the major mining sponsor, the winner of the challenge will win $55,000.
Participants will be given a datasheet for Rio Tinto’s Hugo Dummett South, a polymetallic porphyry deposit. They will also receive basic background information, specifications for the final model, challenge instructions and entry requirements.
The estimates will be amalgamated and results compared, with the range of outcomes being presented during the conference to highlight how different estimations can be from the same data.
The Parker Challenge is named for the late Dr Harry Parker, a widely known and respected expert in the field of resource modelling and geostatistics. Parker passed away in 2019, but his legacy continues through events such as the Parker Challenge, which emphasises the preparation of resource models.
Attendees at the Mineral Resources Estimation Conference can expect a different experience to previous AusIMM conferences.
The technical committee has opted for an interactive style with more expertled panel discussions and more time for questions.
In addition, the conference provides a space for the younger generation of resource estimators to showcase their skills and challenge established wisdom, while acknowledging the difficulties of consistency, repeatability and standardisation in technical execution.
“I’m looking forward to connecting with the newer generations coming into our business and attracting great and diversified talent,” Cote said.
This is one event that is not to be missed. AM
AUSIMM’S INAUGURAL MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATION CONFERENCE WILL RUN FROM MAY 24–25, SHOWCASING THE BEST PRACTICE IN THE INDUSTRY.THE MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATION CONFERENCE ATTRACTS RESOURCE GEOLOGISTS FROM ACROSS AUSTRALASIA. ALINE COTE, INDUSTRIAL LEAD OF ZINC AND LEAD AT GLENCORE AND CONFERENCE KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2023 HAS SEEN AUSTRALIA’S RESOURCES INDUSTRY VERITABLY INUNDATED WITH NEWS ABOUT GOLD.
Australia has always been something of a golden country, ever since the precious metal was first found in New South Wales in 1851.
And although we are unlikely to see another frenzy the size and scale of the historic gold rush, Australia continues to produce stockpiles of gold, as evidenced by the way the commodity has dominated the news in the first quarter of the year.
The Fountain Head gold project overcame another hurdle after receiving environmental approval in midFebruary. Located in the Pine Creek region of the Northern Territory, 170km from Darwin, PNX Metals has been developing the project since 2020.
On February 17, NT Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Security Lauren Moss granted the environmental approval for the mine.
Approval means PNX can submit a mining management plan (MMP) to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade. Signing the MMP is the last step in the approvals process and is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2023.
“The grant of environmental approval for the Fountain Head gold project is the culmination of a significant body of work and a milestone event in PNX’s Pine Creek integrated development strategy,” PNX managing director James Fox said.
“The project team is now focused on completing and submitting mine management plans and progressing approvals for the Hayes Creek zinc-goldsilver project.
“Near-mine and regional exploration will re-start shortly with a focus on two newly identified highly prospective gold corridors containing multiple highpriority drill targets on our northern leases. We will continue to work with the NT regulators on this and our other projects to ensure the best outcomes for all stakeholders.”
One of Australia’s largest gold mines, the Super Pit in Western Australia made headway on a new expansion in early March. The expansion, known as the Fimiston South project, is being prepared by Northern Star Resources for KCGM.
The Kalgoorlie-Boulder council unanimously approved road closures in the vicinity of the Super Pit in the most recent update to the expansion, seeing the mine life extended to 2034. According to the ABC, KalgoorlieBoulder councillors voted 10–0 to approve the road closures.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder mayor John Bowler called the decision a “no-brainer”.
“If the counsellors had voted no it wouldn’t alter the mining, it would just mean that these formal roads would exist under a big pile of rock,” he said.
In addition to widening and deepening the open pit, the expansion will also relocate the Super Pit Lookout and construct a new noise bund.
“The whole idea of the bund is to cut down on noise and dust from the operations in the Super Pit; no bund and they’re more exposed to noise and dust,” Bowler said. “The bund is there to protect residents from (noise).”
A new tailings storage facility will be constructed at the site later this year, along with a bigger lookout. Waste rock will be redeposited back into the Fimiston open pit or hauled to existing waste rock dumps.
Northern Star and KCGM also expanded the Super Pit back in 2020, which gave the mine another 15 years of life.
The Geological Survey of Victoria (GSV) shared information about underexplored mineral resources across the state on March 3.
The GSV is Victoria’s geoscience agency and is responsible for understanding the state’s geological framework through regional geoscientific investigations.
According to the Victorian Government, mineral exploration is currently at record levels in the state, with expenditure totalling over $220 million in 2021–22. This was a 20 per cent rise on the previous financial year.
Now, for the first time, GSV identified an extended fault system that could indicate the presence of minerals in areas that have not yet seen successful exploration.
The mineralisation pathways in these areas may run close to the surface to as far down as 35–40km.
In a presentation to the Victorian Gold Mining and Exploration Forum, GSV senior geologist Ross Cayley said the Cambrian metavolcanic region at Heathcote was of particular significance.
“One of the important characteristics of the Cambrian igneous rocks that underlie the turbidites is that they are a credible source of lots of gold,” Cayley said.
“On the same scale as the turbidites, the research suggests that they’ve got a capacity between about five and about 50 times of turbidites in terms of volume to supply gold, mainly from interflow sediments.
“So the scale of these systems is similar to the one in Bendigo. There’s a lot of potential.”
Bendigo houses one of the biggest gold zones in Victoria, dating back to the gold rush in the mid-1800s.
“We think we’ve got a ‘new dawn’ for Victorian gold exploration. It’s really underpinned by data, technology, concepts and confidence,” Cayley said.
“We think Victoria has crossed a threshold of data and understanding to what looks like sustained success.” AM
The Wisdom 6A cordless LED cap lamp from Perfect Image is a water-resistant, USB rechargeable unit that has a nickel adjustable bracket and is powered by two Panasonic 3.5-volt lLi-ion batteries.
The lamp is ATEX ia Ma and IECEx Ex ia Ma certified and features both a high (240 lumens) and low (50 lumens) lighting mode.
Its rated capacity is 7000 maH, with a high beam distance of 220m and low beam distance of 85m.
The lamp’s run time is 13 hours in high mode and 60 hours in low mode, with a battery lifecycle of 1200 cycles, a charge time of 5.5 hours and a weight of only 169g.
The Wisdom 6A is distributed by Perfect Image, a company that stocks an extensive range of quality products across multiple industry sectors.
• pii.net.au
state-of-the-art
anomaly detection
This technology
unparalleled accuracy and reliability, ensuring that production lines runs smoothly
The laser CAD system utilises advanced laser technology to detect even the most minute anomalies in a conveyor system.
Whether it’s a misaligned roller, incorrect skirt adjustments, or any other mechanical issues, the system can detect and alert customers in real-time, allowing them to take immediate action to prevent downtime and production loss.
NAPA Auto Parts’ advanced technology ensures customers can identify and address issues before they become major problems, minimising downtime and maximising productivity. And with the user-friendly interface, customers can easily monitor the health of their conveyor system and act as needed.
ts.com.au
With an increasing demand for lighter, stronger steel that lasts, mining operators are continually looking for ways to push their earthmoving equipment harder, and
This is where bespoke steel manufacturers come into play with the production of innovative steel designed to withstand the toughest environments. For over 40 years, there is one company that has built a global reputation for its quality, high performance steel, and it’s proudly Australian.
Bisalloy is Australia’s only manufacturer of quenched and tempered steel plate used for wear-resistant, structural, armour and protection steel applications.
The BISALLOY WEAR steel range is renowned in mines, exploration and mineral processing operations, and quarries all over the world. Equipment manufacturers
Sandvik has added another low-profile loader to the Toro family, with the Toro LH208L loader designed to operate efficiently in conditions where working height is extremely limited.
The Toro LH208L loader is a strong and reliable workhorse for low-profile hard rock mining, specifically designed for the toughest and smallest of conditions, with an equipment height of only 1.6m and a payload capacity of 7.7 tonnes. With its robust reinforced structure, compact size, high payload capacity and components that are designed to perform in the mine environment, the loader is tailored to meet the productivity targets in applications where space is limited. Toro LH208L loader frames are reinforced to resist ground and roof impacts, and the welded steel box structures used in the frame and boom provide strong resistance to shock loads.
RPMGlobal has upgraded ShiftManager with an array of new functions designed to enhance communication and collaboration across mining operations.
The latest version of the planning and task management software comes with the ShiftManager Mobile feature, which has been upgraded to take full advantage of the functional and architectural changes within this new release.
The user interface has been overhauled, and users can quickly notify their colleagues if a task they are working on will influence other processes within an operation.
The upgraded ShiftManager assists maintenance teams to better organise their priorities and communication with equipment owners, with notifications sent to the latter once a maintenance request for their equipment has been initiated. Another improvement allows for fully configurable and site-specific auditing of all tasks and changes.
ShiftManager Mobile is key to the solution’s functionality and can be accessed by both Apple and Android users.
• rpmglobal.com
Continuous evaluation of process data is the best basis for sustainably successful business decisions. In order to obtain the important information from the shop floor, reliable connection of the sensors to the IT infrastructure is essential. Moneo, the powerful IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) platform, effectively bridges the gap between the two worlds, thus enabling an easy entry into digital evolution.
Moneo’s modular concept provides a selection of different, easy-to-handle applications that can be linked together. From sensor parameter setting to condition monitoring, Moneo offers all the features of a future-proof IIoT software.
For over 50 years, ifm has been supporting customers as a leading supplier of automation solutions.
• ifm.com/au/en
E-Plas’ QuickSilver truck lining system is said to be the ultimate industrial strength continuous liner. QuickSilver is super slick, meaning no additional release agents are required. This also means that there is no sticking or carry-backs, which eliminates the risk of a tip-over. The continuous lining ensures the truck stays tough, safe, and productive by reducing the turnaround time, allowing more loads per day. QuickSilver is a much lighter alternative to steel and aluminium, outwearing both. It features superior abrasion, impact, and corrosion resistance to protect the integrity and life of the truck.
A particularly helpful feature of QuickSilver is that it can be fitted in less than a day and, once fitted, requires no ongoing maintenance. QuickSilver truck lining system has been proven to perform in multiple industries, including bulk handling, mining and minerals, and grain handling/transport. Designed specifically for intense applications, QuickSilver is the perfect choice for harsh Australian climates.
• eplas.com.au/quicksilver-truck-lining
Heli-Flo pumps are highly effective and reliable positive displacement pumps that offer a constant dependable liquid transfer solution for high-lift underground mine dewatering, decline development pumping, mobile contractor pumping, permanent dewatering stations and mineral processing.
The Heli-Flo pump excels at providing flows at fixed and variable speeds, regardless of any changes in counter pressure. The pumps are heavy-duty and specially designed to endure hypersaline water in the harsh underground mining environment.
With ‘cutting-edge’ engineering, Heli-Flo pumps are manufactured with a high degree of emphasis on material and coating quality to deliver the best efficiencies at the lowest possible operating costs per litre pumped and are often configured in a staged pumping configuration.
Contact Truflo Pumping Systems’ sales team for more information and to find out why Truflo is among the market leaders in Australian-made mine dewatering pumping systems.
• truflopumps.com.au
With an increased awareness around workplace health and safety when using protective coatings, A&I Coatings, an Australianowned industrial coatings manufacturing company, is continually looking for ways to reduce the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals, such as isocyanates in paint. Exposure to isocyanates is known to cause respiratory illness and skin irritation, such as allergic contact dermatitis. Utilising leading technology has led to a breakthrough in polyurethane coatings, with A&I Coatings formulating the first true isocyanate-free polyurethane coating available in Australia called Vitrethane 650IF.
Vitrethane 650IF is a premium quality two-pack Iisocyanate-free polyurethane topcoat. Utilising full polyurethane technology and curing without the use of isocyanates makes Vitrethane 650IF a safer, better, and more durable coating than conventional isocyanate-free coatings.
Vitrethane 650IF is a high-gloss, versatile polyurethane topcoat with exceptional durability and weathering performance, improved impact resistance and abrasion resistance.
•
Chicago
Pneumatic has introduced the new 16-bar compressor for the laser cutting industry, which has brandnew cut through technology.
LaseTVM-3D-M (truck volume measurement) is a highly accurate 3D laser measurement system for automatic and dynamic measurement of truckload volumes during a passage. The laser scanners are mounted on a frame/gantry above the truck lane. Trucks are measured empty and full, and the difference between both measurements gives the exact loading volume. The retrofittable application enables instant measurement without conversion factors and eliminates weight and volume manipulation due to moisture. The system speeds up processes. LaseTVM-3D-M is available in combination with an RFID reader, an HD camera for documentation and an OCR camera for license plate recognition, so that all data is captured with just one application. The system has high versatility and is used for volume measurement of various materials such as stones, sand, ore, or wood products.
• lase-solutions.com
Laser cutting uses a focused high-power and high-density laser beam to irradiate work pieces, so that the material at the irradiated place will melt, vaporise, or blow away.
The main factors affecting metal laser cutting thickness and cutting efficiency are the power of the laser cutting machine, the type of auxiliary gas, the pressure, and the flow rate of auxiliary gas.
With high outlet pressure, Chicago Pneumatic ensures high cutting efficiency, and cutting speed and thickness, while stable free air delivery ensures the quality of the surface. And with less water and oil in the air, Chicago Pneumatic ensures the lifetime of the laser heads.
Key features include 16 bar outlet pressure, dew point controlled dry air, high efficiency coalescence filtration and activated carbon filter for clean oil.
•
WOMEN IN INDUSTRY NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN. Now is your chance to nominate an industry leader who you believe is advocating for positive change and deserves to be recognised.
WOMENININDUSTRY.COM.AU
THURS 8 JUNE 2023
The Women in Industry Awards recognise outstanding women leaders from across Australia’s industrials sector.
EVENT SUBMISSIONS CAN BE EMAILED TO EDITOR@AUSTRALIANMINING.COM.AU
Austmine 2023
Adelaide | May 9–11
Austmine brings industry leaders, influencers, innovators and change makers to Adelaide for its mining innovation conference.
Held over three days, the event will encompass workshops, plenary sessions, collaboration laboratories, ‘Meet the Miners’ and interactive breakout discussion groups. There will be plenty of networking, as well as the Industry Leaders’ and Awards Dinner, which celebrates and recognises the achievements of leading innovators in the resources sector.
With an expected 100-plus exhibitors, Austmine 2023 will showcase leading technologies, ground-breaking innovations and transformative solutions that are provided by the Australian mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.
In partnership with the SA Government, the Copper to the World Conference will be held in conjunction with Austmine 2023.
• austmineconference.com.au
Mineral Resource Estimation Conference 2023
Perth | May 24–25
The inaugural Mineral Resource Estimation Conference 2023 will attract resource geologists to demonstrate Australasian excellence on resource estimation. The conference aims to showcase best practice, case studies
and research on mineral resource estimation and the software applications required. Facilitating open exchange of information, it will include interactive sessions, panel discussions and keynote presentations alongside case studies and peer-reviewed papers.
Sessions topics will showcase the latest advancements and leading examples in QA/QC and sampling, 3D geological and estimation domain modelling, geostatistical analysis, estimation, validation and risk analysis and reporting.
• ausimm.com/conferences-andevents/mineral-resource-estimation
Brisbane | July 13–14
The 2023 Mine Waste and Tailings Conference welcomes delegates from across to globe to explore all aspects of lifecycle waste rock and tailings management, from site selection and design to post-closure care, and will address current and future challenges affecting mining systems re-engineering. Co-hosted by AusIMM and the University of Queensland, the conference will feature industry-leading keynote presentations, thought-provoking panel discussions, interactive Q&As, a suite of insightful technical presentations and exhibitors showcasing the latest innovations.
• ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ mine-waste-and-tailings
Brisbane | August 2–4
AusIMM and the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals’ Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation (CMLR) are welcoming attendees to the Life of Mine Conference 2023.
In 2021, the conference welcomed a record number of attendees from over 15 countries and is set to bring a wider, global audience in 2023. Join professionals, researchers, government, and academia from a diverse range of sectors as the program explores the full lifecycle of a mine, from exploration to rehabilitation.
Delivered in-person and online, this outstanding technical conference addresses current and future challenges affecting the mining value chain and will present leading examples of sustainability in mining.
•ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ life-of-mine
Brisbane | November 9
Taking place in Brisbane, the 2023 Australian Mining Prospect Awards are a great opportunity to recognise and acknowledge the people and companies in the mining sector for their outstanding work.
Having recently celebrated the 2022 Prospect Awards winners, nominations are now open for 2023, with awards honouring categories
such as Indigenous and Community Engagement, Mine Project Success of the Year, Outstanding Mine Performance, Sustainability Project of the Year, Discovery of the Year and more.
Some of the 2022 award winners included Kestrel Coal for Australian Mine of the Year, Roy Hill for Mine Project Success of the Year, and Flexco Australia for Excellence in IIoT Application. This year, the awards will return to Brisbane in appreciation of the vibrancy and importance of the state’s thriving mining industry.
• prospectawards.com.au
Critical Minerals Conference 2023
Perth | November 21–23
Critical minerals are essential components in many of today’s rapidly growing clean energy technologies – from wind turbines and electricity networks to electric vehicles.
The increasing appetite and rapid pace of the transition to cleaner energy sources continues to drive the growth in demand for these minerals, and in response the supporting industries are also growing at unprecedented rates.
To address this rapid growth, AusIMM will launch its inaugural Critical Minerals Conference in 2023. The event will include a multi-stream format and seek to engage with a larger audience from multiple disciplines, as well as a wide range of industries.
• ausimm.com/conferences-and-events/ critical-minerals
Less sediment, less downtime, less trouble.
Slurry sumps can be a constant hassle. Pumps wear hard and fast, and the sumps fill up with sediment. Cantilever pumps are often not up to the task. We know, because that’s when we are called in.
The advanced CFD design of Flygt slurry pumps ensures exceptional levels of abrasion resistance. In addition, we provide an array of measures that keeps sumps clean, even with the heaviest slurries.
