Two of Australia’s major miners and its biggest steelmaker plan to develop the country’s largest ironmaking electric smelting furnace (ESF) pilot plant in the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Perth, in Western Australia. The companies formed the NeoSmelt collaboration in February 2024, combining BHP and Rio Tinto’s deep knowledge of Pilbara iron ore, with BlueScope’s unique operating experience in ESF…
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The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Worker’s Compensation Programs has issued a final rule revising the regulations under the Black Lung Benefits Act related to self-insurance by coal mine operators. Full story.
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Swedish miner Boliden has entered into a definitive agreement with Lunding Mining to acquire the Neves-Corvo mine in Portugal and the Zinkgruvan mine in Sweden for up to US$1.5 billion in total consideration. “The addition of two cash flow generative zinc and copper mines in Portugal and Sweden has a strong industrial logic as well as a strategic fit,” said…
Read MoreBarrick Gold has confirmed it is considering suspending its operations in Mali after ongoing failed talks with the country’s authorities that have left its gold shipments blocked. The miner said it had previously agreed on a framework to achieve a global resolution of the disputes with the Government of Mali over the Loulo-Gounkoto complex, its Mali property, but to date…
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Rio Tinto has approved an earmark of $2.5 billion to expand the capacity of its Rincon lithium project in Argentina to 60,000 tonnes per year. Rincon is the company’s first commercial-scale lithium operation; that capacity is comprised of the 3,000-tonne starter plant and 57,000-tonne expansion plant. Rincon’s mine life is expected to be 40 years, with construction of the expanded…
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Liontown has shipped its first cargo of spodumene concentrate, and also its largest load so far from Kathleen Valley in Western Australia, to LG Energy Solution under the pair’s long-term offtake agreement. The miner said the shipment left the Port of Geraldton on 10 December aboard the MV Bunun Queen. The shipment comprised of two separate Liontown cargoes, totalling about…
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Gold miner Evolution Mining has received approval from the New South Wales Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure on the Cowal gold operations’ open pit continuation. A development consent was granted for the continuation of open-pit mining with extension of the E42 pit and subsequent development of three new open pits, and continuation of ore processing at a rate of…
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Canadian-based Sierra Metals has reported that its Yauricocha underground mine in Peru has reached a full capacity throughput rate of 3,600 tonnes per day since the beginning of the fourth quarter. “Since receiving operating and environmental permits to develop and mine below the 1120 level at Yauricocha earlier in 2024, the team has done a terrific job developing this new…
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Newmont has agreed to sell its Cripple Creek & Victor operation in Colorado to SSR Mining for up to $275 million in cash consideration. The mine is expected to add 170,000 ounces in annual gold production to SSR’s platform. Full story.
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Ok Tedi Mining Limited has launched the first and largest front wheel loader in Papua New Guinea: a Cat 995 Large Wheel Loader. The new machine will allow the miner to increase production capacity and meet growing market demands. “The Cat 995 is up to 23% more productive than the Cat 994 Wheel Loader, while the company has been using…
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