Tag Archives: NRW Holdings

Primero to deliver non-process infrastructure for Rio Tinto’s Western Range site

Mine operation news, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

NRW Holdings says its wholly owned subsidiary, Primero Group Limited, has been awarded a contract by Rio Tinto for work at the Western Range mine site, within the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.

Under the contract, Primero will be responsible for the design, supply, construction and commissioning of the non-process infrastructure facilities on site. This includes the refuelling facility, mobile equipment maintenance facility, primary crusher maintenance facility, washdown facilities, wastewater treatment plant and water infrastructure.

The contract is scheduled to run for approximately 12 months commencing in April 2023 and has an approximate value of A$54 million ($35 million).

NRW’s Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “This is an exciting opportunity as we continue to reinforce our long-term relationship with Rio Tinto through the delivery of world-class, non-process infrastructure, design and construction performed in-house by Primero
Group.”

Bellevue Gold appoints NRW Holdings Limited as open-pit mining contractor

Mineral project development, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , ,

Bellevue Gold says it has awarded the open-pit mining and tailings facility construction contract for its namesake mine in Western Australia to a subsidiary of NRW Holdings Limited.

The contract has a total value of circa-A$24 million ($16 million), which Bellevue says is in line with the pre-production capital expenditure forecast.

Mining at the Vanguard open pit is set to commence in late March-early April 2023 and will offer Bellevue the opportunity to generate early cashflow via a toll treating arrangement, it says. Once mined, waste material from Vanguard will form the basis of the tailings facility.

Vanguard is scheduled to provide approximately 10,000 oz of gold, which will be available for processing in mid-2023, well in advance of the completion of the Bellevue processing facility. The company is exploring toll treatment options with mining companies in the region and discussions remain ongoing.

As part of the company’s plan to accelerate underground development and bring on additional ore sources, commencement of the Tribune boxcut will also be brought forward to open up the Tribune mining front.

The addition of the Tribune ore source will increase the number of active working fronts to five in the first year of production, further de-risking the production outlook by providing another independent mining area. Strategically, this will also provide options for drilling the southern extensions of the orebody from underground and allow for a top-down mining method, which will provide the most efficient method of accessing the orebody, according to Bellevue Gold.

The Tribune boxcut is scheduled to commence immediately after completion of the Vanguard open pit. This will create a considerable saving on de-mobilisation and mobilisation costs of the open pit mining fleet.

Construction of the 1 Mt/y nameplate processing facility, being built by GR Engineering, continues to advance on schedule and budget, meanwhile. Bulk and detailed earthworks for the processing plant site have all been fully completed, structural concrete on all critical infrastructure foundations has also been completed with only very minor concrete works remaining. The erection of structural steel for the crushing circuit is well advanced, while both secondary and tertiary crushers are on site and ready for installation. Work is continuing on critical path carbon-in-leach tanks, with five now at full height and well ahead of schedule.

The first two delivery lots of the three for the ball mill and components have landed in Perth ready for transport to site with a third due to land this quarter, well ahead of critical path requirements.

Underground development remains on track with full ramp up of the third jumbo achieved during January 2023. All three jumbos maintained full shift production, achieving >300m per jumbo per month on mostly capital development. Ore development is underway at the Armand work area, while capital development continues to advance towards the Bellevue South/Viago, Deacon Main and Marceline production areas.

Grade control drilling activities are ongoing with two underground diamond rigs operating at the Armand, Marceline and Bellevue South areas. Recent drilling has continued to reinforce the geological model and further de-risk the resources ahead of mining. A third underground rig has commenced targeting resource/reserve growth mainly at the Deacon Lode.

NRW’s Primero to work on Pilgangoora P680 Expansion Project

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , ,

NRW Holdings subsidiary, Primero Group, has been awarded a contract by Pilgangoora Operations Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pilbara Minerals Limited, for work at the lithium processing plant that is part of the wider Pilgangoora operation, in Western Australia.

The works to be performed under the contract include upgrading the existing Pilgan lithium processing plant through the construction of a new primary rejection facility and preliminary work in connection with a new crushing and ore sorting facility.

Under the contract, Primero will be responsible for detailed earth and concrete works associated with both the primary rejection and crushing and sorting facilities, together with structural, mechanical, piping, electrical and instrumentation installation associated with the primary rejection facility. Primero will also assist with shutdown, brownfield’s integration and commissioning support to tie the facility into the existing Pilgan plant.

The contract is scheduled to run for approximately eight months, commencing in January 2023, and has an approximate value of A$62 million ($44 million).

NRW Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “This contract builds on a long-term association between POPL and Primero that began with Primero’s involvement in the design and construction of the original Pilgan plant. We look forward to the successful completion of these works.”

The construction activities due to take place on the plant are part of the wider P680 Expansion Project Pilbara Minerals is working on. This could see the company step-up its production run-rate at the operation to a total of circa-680,000 t/y of spodumene concentrate across the combined Pilgangoora operation.

NRW subsidiary wins drill and blast contract at Talison’s Greenbushes lithium mine

Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining services, , , , , ,

NRW Holdings’ wholly-owned subsidiary, Action Drill & Blast Pty Ltd, has been issued a notice of award by Talison Lithium Australia for drill and blast services at the Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia.

This award follows the longstanding relationship Action has with Talison Lithium since Action commenced drill and blast activities on site in 2011.

The seven-year (plus two-year option) contract is valued at circa-A$300 million ($213 million) over the initial period and is scheduled to commence in July 2023.

The scope of works under the contract include ore, waste, pre-split and RC grade control drilling together with loading, stemming and initiation of bulk explosives. Plant requirements for the project will be sourced from within the Action business together with new equipment capital expenditure of circa-A$30 million over the life of the contract, it said.

The contract will require a peak workforce of some 160 personnel, including the 56 currently employed on site.

Action said the majority of the workforce will be sourced from the local community, building on current relationships and training programs.

Together with its predecessor company, Talison Lithium has been producing lithium concentrates at Greenbushes since 1983, which are ultimately used in lithium-ion batteries. The Greenbushes project, directly south and adjacent to the town of Greenbushes in Western Australia, is a major supplier of lithium mineral concentrates.

Atlantic Lithium brings in Primero for FEED flowsheet services at Ewoyaa

Energy minerals, Mineral project development, Mining services, , , , , ,

Atlantic Lithium has awarded the processing plant front-end engineering design (FEED) contract for its Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana to Primero Group.

Under the terms of the agreement, Primero will provide services to optimise the project’s flowsheet, identify long lead items, look to maximise the project’s long-term profitability, reduce execution risk and ultimately support the advancement of the project towards becoming a financially and operationally robust lithium-producing mine, Atlantic Lithium said.

The value of the contract is $980,000; the consideration of which is to be paid in accordance with the three-stage earn- in agreement the company has with Piedmont Lithium Inc to fund the project towards production. This could see Piedmont invest up to $103 million in the project to eventually deliver a 1.5-2 Mt/y run of mine operation for a 27.5% stake in Atlantic Lithium’s Ghana portfolio.

Primero, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NRW Holdings Limited, specialises in the design, construction and operation of global resource projects. The group has extensive experience in delivering large-scale construction contracts, including in the lithium industry and in West Africa, demonstrating significant expertise, versatility and competence, Atlantic Lithium says.

Primero, the company says, has provided services for a number of lithium projects with comparable flowsheets to Ewoyaa’s, including Bald Hill (Tawana Resources), Pilgangoora (Pilbara Minerals), Finniss Lithium (Core Lithium), Mt Holland (Covalent Lithium) and Xuxa (Sigma Lithium).

Following the recent completion of the 47,000 m resource and exploration drilling program at the Ewoyaa project, Atlantic Lithium is currently working towards producing an updated mineral resource estimate (MRE), intended to be announced in the March quarter of 2023. The updated MRE will then be used to support a definitive feasibility study, expected to be completed by mid-2023.

NRW’s Action Drill & Blast set for long-term contract at Greenbushes lithium mine

Energy minerals, Explosives and blasting, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , ,

NRW Holdings Limited’s wholly owned subsidiary, Action Drill & Blast Pty Ltd, has been issued a Notice of Award by Talison Lithium Australia Pty Ltd for drill and blast services at the Greenbushes lithium mine in Western Australia.

This award follows the longstanding relationship Action has had with Talison Lithium since Action commenced drill and blast activities on site in 2011, NRW said.

The seven-year (plus two-year option) contract is valued at circa A$300 million ($203 million) over the initial seven-year period and is scheduled to commence in July 2023.

The scope of works under the contract include ore, easte, pre-split and RC grade control drilling together with loading, stemming and initiation of bulk explosives.

Plant requirements for the project will be sourced from within the Action business together with new equipment capital expenditure of circa-A$30 million over the life of the contract.

The contract will require a peak workforce of some 160 personnel, including the 56 currently employed on site. The majority of the workforce will be sourced from the local community, building on current relationships and training programs, NRW said.

NRW Holdings’ Primero to operate and maintain Finniss lithium processing plant

Energy minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Sustainable mining, , , , , , ,

NRW Holdings Limited’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Primero Group, has executed a long term contract for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of Core Lithium’s processing plant and related infrastructure at its Finniss lithium project in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Under the terms of the contract, Primero will operate and maintain the processing and infrastructure facilities at Finniss for an initial term of five years, with option to extend.

The estimated value of the contract is A$60 million ($38 million), and follows on from the current contract in execution for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of Finniss, awarded to Primero in September 2021.

The O&M contract signed between Core Lithium and Primero highlights the unparalleled industry expertise and proven track record in lithium processing and operational excellence outcomes, NRW said.

“Primero continues to grow its portfolio of contract operation and maintenance services across the base and battery metals sectors with a strong track record of delivery and giving customers assurance of safe outcomes, accelerated plant ramp-up, ongoing operational excellence practices, and continuous improvement to achieve cost effective and optimised production outcomes,” it added.

Primero says it has the majority of key personnel on hand for deployment into the contract commencing from October 2022 and expects to complete all remaining recruitment and operational readiness activities by December 2022, ready for first production.

NRW CEO, Jules Pemberton, said: “The diversification of the Primero business into longer term operational contracts is continuing to grow with this award showcasing the depth and operational knowledge of the group, especially within the battery minerals sector. The capability to develop and operate assets of this nature is well aligned with the group’s strategy over the coming years and will continue to evolve with build own operate and equity style investments in projects. We look forward to a long-term relationship with Core Lithium.”

In mid-2021, Core released a definitive feasibility study for the Finniss project, marking a major milestone in its goal to become Australia’s next major lithium producer by the end of 2022.

The study highlighted an average production of 173,000 t/y of high-quality lithium concentrate at a C1 operating cost of $364/t and a start-up capital cost of A$89 million ($56 million) thanks to the incorporation of a 1 Mt/y DMS processing plant in the project’s design.

Thiess in leading position to take over fellow contract miner MACA

Base metals, Energy minerals, Mining equipment, Mining mergers and acquisitions, Mining services, Precious metals, Steel and iron ore, , , ,

Thiess looks like winning the acquisition tussle for fellow contract miner MACA after an increased all-cash offer was recommended by the MACA Board and NRW Holdings said it would no longer be pursuing a potential deal.

Thiess recently increased its offer price from A$1.025 ($0.71) of cash per MACA share to A$1.0751 of cash per MACA share, with the increased offer price representing a premium of 49.2% to the MACA one-month volume weighted average price as at July 25, 2022.

This followed a merger approach from NRW Holdings in August, which implied a consideration of A$1.085/share, valuing the equity of MACA at A$375 million. MACA said it did not consider this merger proposal as superior to the existing Thiess offer, continuing to recommend shareholders accepted the offer from Thiess.

Following this latest increased offer from Thiess, NRW confirmed it no longer intended to pursue the acquisition of MACA.

Including the acceptances received from MACA founders and MACA directors, Thiess’ total relevant interest in MACA is currently 15.9%.

Thiess, in its initial Bidder Statement, said it intends to operate MACA in materially the same manner supported by MACA’s workforce, brand and assets, and to continue its highly regarded community partnerships.

The proposed acquisition of MACA by Thiess is consistent with its diversification strategy, with a particular emphasis on increasing its presence within metals and minerals hard-rock mining operations in Western Australia, it says.

To this point, the company’s Western Australian hard-rock mining exposure has consisted mostly of work with BHP’s Western Australia nickel assets, in addition to a recent contract award at the Covalent Lithium Joint Venture project.

MACA has exposure to the state’s iron ore sector thanks to contracts with Fortescue and BHP; the burgeoning gold segment through contracts with Regis Resources, Ramelius Resources, Capricorn Metals and Red 5; and nickel and lithium exposure from the Ravensthorpe mine and Pilgangoora project, respectively.

Thiess also said in its Bidder Statement that it sees “a significant opportunity to combine the operational capability of both companies to continue enhancing service quality, particularly in relation to technical solutions such as deploying autonomous machinery or reducing the carbon emissions of mining services on project sites”.

Back in March, MACA announced a partnership with SafeAI to form an MoU to retrofit a mixed fleet of 100 mining trucks across multiple locations with autonomous mining technologies.

With the satisfaction of the ACCC condition on August 26, 2022, the Thiess offer is only subject to FIRB approval, no Prescribed Occurrences, no issue of convertible securities, derivatives or other rights and 90% minimum acceptances, Thiess says.

Thiess’ revised offer is scheduled to close on September 12 unless otherwise extended.

NRW Holdings banks Olive Downs, Mt Webber work

Coal technology, Comminution of minerals, Mine operation news, Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , , , ,

NRW Holdings has added more work to its roster with confirmation of projects from the Olive Downs coking coal project in Queensland and the Mt Webber iron ore mine in Western Australia.

Golding Contractors, a subsidiary of NRW, has secured the rail civil construction contract for the Pembroke-owned Olive Downs project.

The civil works to be undertaken include a new 19-km rail loop for the new steelmaking coal project, including all earthworks, drainage culverts and construction of two new rail bridges. The scope also includes importing capping material up to underside of ballast.

The contract is valued at circa-A$52 million ($35 million) and is expected to have a duration of 14 months. In addition, Golding has also been awarded circa-A$15 million of bulk earthworks, drainage and roadworks relating to the new coal handling processing plant at Olive Downs.

Olive Downs is being developed to produce up to a forecast 15 Mt/y of saleable coal over its 79-year mine life.

NRW has also received an executed contract extension from Atlas Iron Pty Ltd for the mining and crushing services works at Mt Webber.

Some 220 km south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara Western Australia, Mt Webber has two mining areas in Fender and Dalton, which produces a high-grade lump and fines product that is used in the Atlas Iron supply chain.

The works to be continued include load & haul, drill & blast and run-of-mine re-handling and crushing and screening. The drill & blast and crushing components are to be undertaken by NRW’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Action Drill & Blast Pty Ltd and Primero Pty Ltd. Primero has designed, constructed and will operate a new PGX-1000 crushing plant to allow crushing and screening of up to 1,000 t/h.

The anticipated value of the contract extension is circa-A$60 million over a duration commencing July 2022 and expected to be completed by the end of 2024 with a project workforce averaging around 80 personnel.

EQ Resources enlists help of Golding for Mt Carbine tungsten development

Mineral project development, Mining services, Steel and iron ore, , , , , , , , ,

EQ Resources Limited says it has executed an Early Engagement Contract with Golding Contractors Pty Ltd for the restart of the open-pit mining operations at the Mt Carbine Tungsten Mine, in Queensland, Australia.

EQR said it selected Golding, a subsidiary of NRW Holdings, as its preferred partner after working through a high-quality engagement and approval process.

“Early engagement was a preferred course for EQR as recent capital investment into the Mt Carbine processing plant is commissioning well and the company is receiving positive feedback from offtake partners for supply of our critical mineral product,” EQR’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin MacNeill, said.

“EQR wants to deliver the highest quality outcome for the life of the Mt Carbine Mine for all stakeholders. Golding has strong credentials including specialist mine site rehabilitation works and environmental earthworks.

“Mt Carbine is ramping up treatment of its substantial low-grade surface resource as part of its joint venture with Cronimet with the next step in the development plan being the restart of its 100%-owned operations starting with the Andy White open pit, subject to the planned permit amendment. It’s a natural progression.”

Over the coming months, key areas of engagement and focus to finalise the mining contract and ensure smooth transition to mining operations will include:

  • Pit design: EQR is set to revise pit design in line with the recent drilling with Golding to maximise the strategic resource benefit and value for all stakeholders;
  • Equipment selection: In conjunction with the pit design under the contract, EQR and Golding will target strategic equipment selection to further optimise mining costs;
  • Contractor engagement: Golding will help manage the open-pit development through their in-house resources and network of preferred contractors to ensure compliance with Queensland mining legislation;
  • Stakeholder engagement: EQR and Golding will jointly engage local and strategic stakeholders regarding camp establishment, workshop establishment, personnel engagement, strategic regional suppliers and manufacturers; and
  • Timing: the open pit operations are forecast to begin during the first quarter of 2023.

EQ Resources, as a result of the acquisition of Mt Carbine Quarries in June 2019, now has 100% ownership of the two mining leases and surrounding exploration projects at the project. In a joint venture with Cronimet, the tungsten processing plant has been refurbished, commissioned and expanded to 300,000 t/y capacity.

The company is in the process of completing the required environmental amendments to allow the operation to process 300,000 t/y and eventually 1 Mt/y. Once the bulk test work is completed, a feasibility study will be completed for the design of the 1 Mt/y operation.