Tag Archives: Western Australia

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.

Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock among miners supporting new Western Australia community initiative

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The McGowan Government in Western Australia has launched what it says is a state-first Resources Community Investment Initiative, backed by major mining companies, which will facilitate investment in iconic state infrastructure projects and community and social initiatives across Western Australia.

Established with founding partners Rio Tinto, BHP, Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill, Atlas Iron, Woodside Energy, Chevron Australia and Mineral Resources Ltd, the initiative provides a state government-backed platform for direct contribution to iconic infrastructure and social projects in the Western Australia community that will make the state an even better place to live for generations, the government said.

The initial commitments total A$750 million ($496 million) from Rio Tinto (A$250 million), BHP (A$250 million), Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron (A$100 million), Woodside Energy (A$50 million), Chevron Australia A($50 million) and Mineral Resources (A$50 million).

Government will work with The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia and other companies to encourage additional investment from across Western Australia’s resources sector, it said.

An initial pipeline of projects has already been identified, including the Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the Perth Zoo Master Plan, the Remote Aboriginal Communities Fund, the Perth Concert Hall redevelopment and additional contributions to Telethon.

It will also extend to include transformational projects across the state, to enable companies to collectively contribute to achieving long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions they operate in, in areas such as education and training, health, Aboriginal wellbeing and energy decarbonisation projects.

Each company will decide the projects they wish to nominate funding to and individual project agreements will be established with agreed project milestones.

An advisory committee, comprising of an independent chair as well as government and industry representatives, will be convened to oversee the initiative and ensure the highest standards of governance.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “This initiative is a great example of government and industry working together to support critical projects that will enable our community to prosper for generations to come. We want to leave a lasting, positive legacy wherever we operate, and this initiative will build on our more than 50 years of work helping to create thriving and resilient communities across Western Australia.”

BHP Asset President WA Iron Ore, Brandon Craig, said: “BHP has a long and proud history in Western Australia, and we welcome the collaborative approach taken by the Western Australia Government and the mining industry to strengthen our significant contribution to this great state. We look forward to furthering our support for long-term social and economic outcomes in the regions where we operate, and for all West Australians.”

Hancock Prospecting Executive Chairman, Gina Rinehart, said: “Hancock Prospecting, Roy Hill and Atlas Iron have invested in programs and infrastructure in West Australia over many years and we are pleased to make a further A$100 million contribution through the RCII initiated by Premier McGowan.”

Mineral Resources Ltd Managing Director, Chris Ellison, said: “Western Australians have played a vital role in the success of MinRes and our industry. As a proud Western Australian company, MinRes is continuing to grow, creating jobs and building projects in this great state. It is only natural that we support an initiative that is building a better future for all Western Australians.”

MACA to refurbish Three Mile Hill processing plat at Focus’ Coolgardie gold project

Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

MACA Interquip has been awarded a A$39.7 million ($26.3 million) engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the refurbishment of the Three Mile Hill (TMH) processing plant at the Coolgardie gold project, in Western Australia.

Focus Minerals, the owner of the project, paused production in 2013 in response to lower gold prices to concentrate on the exploration of the wider Coolgardie area, yet, with operations now resuming, MACA Interquip is scheduled to reach commissioning of the refurbished plant by mid-2023.

MACA General Manager, Ben Thomas, said the MACA Interquip team have begun site works with the construction team ramping up throughout November. “The TMH plant will be refurbished to safely operate at its original nameplate of 120,000 tonnes per annum. We look forward to delivering value for our client, Focus Minerals.”

Focus issued a new life of mine plan for the Coolgardie gold project, in October, outlining a plan to produce 402,000 oz of gold over a seven-year mine life.

GR Engineering gets to work on 2.25 Mt/y process plant design for Sorby Hills JV project

Base metals, Comminution of minerals, Mineral processing, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , ,

GR Engineering Services has been appointed preferred tenderer by Boab Metals Limited in relation to the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the processing plant and non-process infrastructure for the Sorby Hills lead-silver project in Kununurra, Western Australia.

GR Engineering and Sorby Hills Management Pty Ltd (the manager of the Sorby Hills joint venture) will execute an agreement shortly to commence detailed design and selected ordering of long lead items, prior to the award of an EPC contract, it said. The EPC contract will be subject to the achievement of final investment decision.

Boab said the scope of work includes a process plant with a capacity of 2.25 Mt/y, representing a 50% increase over that considered in the Sorby Hills prefeasibility study. This 2020 study envisaged a 1.5 Mt/y throughput rate over an initial 10-year mine life, with the PFS combining ore drawn from three open pits with a processing plant employing conventional milling and flotation with a beneficiation plant between the coarse crush (dry end) and the grind and flotation circuit (wet end).

The PFS indicated steady state annual production of concentrate containing approximately 50,000 t/y of lead and 1.5 Moz/y of silver.

The tendered price for GR Engineering’s EPC agreement is commensurate with the proposed capacity expansion and will form the basis of capital cost estimates for the definitive feasibility study, Boab said.

GR Engineering’s Acting Managing Director, Tony Patrizi, said: “GR Engineering is pleased to have been selected by Boab as the preferred tenderer for the delivery of the project. GR Engineering has a strong track record of successful project delivery in the base metals space. Aligned with GR Engineering’s core values, it is exciting to work on this important regional project that has already implemented tangible green initiatives. We look forward to working with the Boab team.”

Boab owns 75% of the Sorby Hills joint venture project, with the remainder owned by Henan Yuguang Gold Lead Co. Ltd.

New CORE Innovation Hub opens in Newman, Western Australia

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The CORE Innovation Hub Newman has officially opened its doors at Parnawarri, in Western Australia, becoming the first business innovation centre in Newman to support the local mining equipment technology and services (METS) industry.

The specialist METS business hub, co-working and education space supports start-ups, small and medium businesses and industry working across the mining sector, according to BHP, with the new satellite hub allowing businesses to take advantage of CORE Innovation Hub’s  national mining and resources ecosystem, where they will be able to connect with potential partners, work with industry experts and expand their business network.

The Newman facility comes on top of the original CORE Innovation Hub in Perth and a second one in Adelaide. The plans for Newman were announced last year.

Newman Innovation Hub Lead, Natalie Jones, said: “This initiative is a huge investment into the future of Newman and the surrounding Pilbara region. The hub will help drive our local regional businesses forward in Newman, across the Pilbara and beyond.”

BHP is a major sponsor of this hub along with the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and METS Ignited Australia.

Wallis Drilling wins three-year contract extension at Glencore’s Murrin Murrin op

Base metals, Energy minerals, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Glencore has signed a three-year contract extension with Wallis Drilling to retain the drilling company’s services at Murrin Murrin in Western Australia’s Goldfields region, which will extend Wallis’ long-standing relationship at the Glencore-owned operation to over a quarter of a century, the service provider says.

Wallis Drilling is a local Western Australian business, founded in 1965 by Marty and Jamie Wallis, which has grown to over 300 employees, but remains a family run business today.

Wallis has provided services to Glencore’s Murrin Murrin operation for 24 years and the contract extension, running through to September 2025, will see Wallis Drilling continue to provide RC grade control and blasthole drilling at Murrin Murrin.

Murrin Murrin is a nickel-cobalt mining and processing operation between Leonora and Laverton in the north-eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia and currently provides work for over 1,000 employees and contractors.

Wallis Drilling Manager, Wayne Waters, oversees the Murrin Murrin contract, with his role previously being occupied by Grant Wallis who is now the Chief Operating Officer of the business.

Waters said: “Murrin Murrin, like Wallis, understands the importance of establishing and nurturing long-term relationships to create stability, which has been exemplified by the latest contract extension.

“This business certainty is beneficial to Wallis, but it also gives us the capacity to plan for the long-term on site at Murrin Murrin and deliver the best operational outcomes.”

Grant Wallis said: “Our work at Murrin Murrin has helped us grow from a small family business to one of Australia’s largest privately-owned minerals drilling companies, while still remaining true to our local WA roots.”

Nic Fenner, Head of Mining Technical Services at Murrin Murrin, said: “We are very proud to help grow local Western Australia businesses, like Wallis Drilling, and help be a part in their success stories.

“The strong relationship between Murrin Murrin Operations and Wallis has been underpinned by our shared values and culture. Murrin Murrin and Wallis both have many long serving employees with some even being the second generation in their family to work at Murrin Murrin.”

Rio Tinto and Wright Prospecting update Rhodes Ridge iron ore JV to accelerate development

Automation, Mineral exploration, Mineral project development, Power supply for mines, Steel and iron ore, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

Rio Tinto (50%) and Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (50%) have agreed to modernise the joint venture covering the Rhodes Ridge project in the East Pilbara of Western Australia, providing a pathway for the development of the deposits using Rio’s rail (pictured), port and power infrastructure.

The binding joint venture updates an existing agreement between the two parties dating back to 1972.

The participants have commenced an Order of Magnitude study, conducted by Rio, which will consider the development of an operation before the end of the decade with initial plant capacity of up to 40 Mt/y, subject to the receipt of relevant approvals.

Rhodes Ridge contains 5,800 Mt of high grade mineral resources at an average grade of 62.3% Fe. The project’s total resource, 6,700 Mt at an average grade of 61.6% Fe, represents approximately one-third of Rio Tinto’s existing resource base in the Pilbara. A resource drilling program is currently underway to support future project studies.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Chief Executive, Simon Trott, said: “Rhodes Ridge contains one of the biggest and best undeveloped iron ore deposits on the planet with proximate access to existing infrastructure. We are very excited we have been able to strengthen our relationship with Wright Prospecting and have a pathway to bring this high quality resource to market.

“With its significant resource base, the Rhodes Ridge project has the potential to underpin production of the Pilbara Blend in the decades ahead.”

He added: “We are committed to working closely with the Traditional Owners, the Nyiyaparli and Ngarlawangga People, to ensure sites of significant cultural, environmental and biodiversity value are protected as part of any future development at Rhodes Ridge. Consistent with our revised approach for new operations, a co-management approach to any future mining activity will be developed in partnership with Traditional Owners.”

A spokesperson for Wright Prospecting, said: “We are delighted to have reached this important milestone for the Rhodes Ridge project. We look forward to partnering with Rio Tinto to develop this asset with a world-leading focus on climate, biodiversity and heritage.”

The joint venture intends to use Rio Tinto’s existing rail, port and power infrastructure, including the planned installment of 1 GW of renewable power assets in the Pilbara.

Mineral Resources’ FIFO staff to gain Swift Access to entertainment, engagement services

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Swift Networks says it has secured a new three-year agreement with Mineral Resources Limited to service its nine mine sites with Swift Access.

The contract comes with a subscription value of A$3.4 million ($2.1 million), with revenues expected to commence in second half of the company’s 2023 financial year, it said.

This contract represents ongoing subscription revenue for Swift Access: Swift’s premium entertainment and engagement solution powered by its proprietary technology developed specifically to enable a reliable service within low bandwidth environments, Swift’s local 24 hour support and other additional channels, Swift said.

Installation and upgrade work, which is additional to the A$3.4 million subscription revenue, will be performed by Swift’s in-house infrastructure team across MinRes’ portfolio on a site-by-site basis.

Swift’s flagship product, Swift Access, will be installed in over 2,000 accommodation rooms and common areas. Swift Access will allow staff to cast their favourite streaming apps from their mobile device straight to their room’s TV, all while maintaining user privacy and offering smart device setup and management to improve efficiencies for facility staff, Swift says. As part of the agreement, Swift Access will provide Mineral Resources staff with Swift’s full content library including first release movies and sector-specific mental health and indigenous education resources.

Swift Access also allows facility managers to easily upload and distribute site information such as inductions, health and safety messages and more directly to TVs across the site.

The entire Swift Access experience is managed by Swift’s unique bandwidth management platform and includes support services over the three-year term.

Swift CEO, Brian Mangano, says: “For the past five years, Mineral Resources and Swift have enjoyed a strong partnership based on the mutual values of innovation and high-performance outcomes. MinRes was the first mining company to trial Swift Access at its Wonmunna camp (the mine site pictured above) in Western Australia earlier this year. This latest collaboration is a natural next step in Swift’s mission to assist MinRes in providing an outstanding workplace experience.

“We are excited to grow a Swift and MinRes partnership and look forward to working together to create new, innovative solutions to address the challenges of the FIFO lifestyle.”

Epiroc to deliver automation-ready Pit Viper 271 XC rigs to CITIC Pacific’s Sino Iron mine

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Epiroc says it has won a large mining equipment order from CITIC Pacific Mining in Australia to deliver a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 271 XC blasthole drill rigs.

The drill rigs will come with advanced automation features for use at the Sino Iron open-pit mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, with the Pit Viper drills used to drill for magnetite. They build on the delivery of three other Pit Vipers the company made to the operation back in 2019.

The equipment order was booked in the September quarter of 2022 and is valued at more than SEK300 million ($26 million).

“Epiroc delivered Pit Viper rigs to the Sino Iron site in 2019, and we are proud to continue this productive partnership as CITIC Pacific Mining is expanding the mine while optimising productivity and safety,” Epiroc’s President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, said.

Xianglin Cheng, General Manager – Mining at CITIC Pacific Mining, added: “In the last three years, Epiroc has provided satisfactory after-sale services to help the three Pit Viper 351 drill rigs perform to expectation and has also successfully established mutual trust with CITIC Pacific Mining. The confidence and trust are the major reasons for us to choose Epiroc.”

The Pit Viper drills are manufactured in Texas, USA. They will be installed with automation features including AutoDrill, which allows for up to 100% of the hole drilling cycle to be in automatic mode with high consistency and reliability of operations; and AutoLevel, which minimises the time it takes to level and delevel and hence provides more time drilling, according to Epiroc.

Blue Cap Mining taps LINE Hydrogen for carbon-neutral mining ambitions at Lord Byron gold project

Environmental, Mining equipment, Mining industry recognition, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Precious metals, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , ,

LINE Hydrogen, an Australian-owned, independent green hydrogen energy company, says it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Blue Cap Mining Pty Ltd to develop the energy requirements for Blue Cap’s Lord Byron gold mine in Western Australia.

The new mining project will be the first carbon-neutral mine in Western Australia and one of only two active mines in Australia to reach the milestone, LINE Hydrogen says.

The project, slated to begin development in early 2023, will see LINE Hydrogen design, develop and operate renewable technologies at the site to replace fossil fuel-based power generation. The renewable technology is highlighted by a green hydrogen production plant to provide green power to the mine operation during non-renewable energy generation periods.

The green hydrogen plant will also provide green hydrogen as a diesel fuel replacement for diesel activities on the site, including mining equipment, generators and vehicles, it said.

With the mining sector accounting for roughly 10% of Australia’s total energy use, consuming around 14.3 billion litres of diesel per year, the switch to green energy will create impactful change.

The company explained: “Rather than burning fossil fuels and releasing carbon dioxide, methane and other pollutants into the atmosphere (as is the case for the production of most commercial hydrogen) LINE Hydrogen will be producing green hydrogen. The hydrogen will be produced with 100% renewable energy, using a process called electrolysis, from which the only by-products are drinking water and medical-grade oxygen.”

Brendan James, Founder and Executive Chairman of LINE Hydrogen, said that the project is the culmination of years of work to create green hydrogen solutions that benefit all industries.

“Our partnership with Blue Cap encompasses the vision LINE Hydrogen set out to achieve some sevent-to-eight years ago,” he said. “The partnership will utilise our green hydrogen production, as well as technology designed by LINE to power on-site mining and processing equipment, and on-road heavy haulage. Not only is Blue Cap leading the industry in its ambition of zero-carbon renewable power, this move will, I believe, also lower overall costs of operation, increasing returns from the project.

“For LINE Hydrogen, the partnership provides guaranteed offtake for the latest project in LINE Hydrogen’s portfolio, and also a forward step in supplying green hydrogen into the greater Western Australia goldfields region.”

Project and engineering partners for the project have identified a number of design changes to the traditional processing designs to align energy requirements with renewable supply curves along with changes to mine plans and equipment selection, according to LINE Hydrogen.

The Lord Byron mine is expected to operate at a throughput of around 1.2 Mt/y, and, with the incorporation of renewable power and green hydrogen producing circa 49 GW/y of power, displace around 13.2 million litres of diesel per year that would typically be consumed in the course of normal operations, according to the companies.

Ashley Fraser, Managing Director of Blue Cap Mining Pty Ltd, said: “The responsibility for change within our industry is with us as participants and producers.

“As a relatively small industry participant, we are leveraging our corporate agility and can-do attitude to adapt faster and more efficiently. With LINE Hydrogen as a partner in this project, we will explore, develop and accelerate our renewable energy use aspirations, displacing the alternative of fossil fuels with the added benefit of potentially lowering our cost of production quite significantly.

“It is expected that the project will complete the prefeasibility phase by the end of 2022, with bankable feasibility status milestones set for 2023 and construction likely to begin within an 18-month period.”