Freeport Indonesia seeks export continuation

PT Freeport Indonesia is in discussions with the government about being able to continue copper concentrate exports until its new Manyar smelter returns to full operations, reported Reuters. The miner was allowed to export copper concentrate until the end of December, as the smelter was expected to process its mine output domestically by then. However, a fire in October has…

Read More

Mongolian uranium project moves forward

Mongolia said it has reached a preliminary agreement with France’s Orano Mining Group to develop a long-awaited uranium mining project in the Dornogovi province, reported Reuters. The Zuuvch Ovoo project, with an initial investment of $500 million and a total investment of $1.6 billion, will start its preparatory phase from 2024 to 2027, with first production expected in 2028, the…

Read More

BHP, Rio Tinto and BlueScope to develop ESF pilot plant

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…

Read More

Liontown sends first Kathleen Valley cargo to long-term offtaker

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…

Read More

First coal leaves Peabody’s Centurion

Peabody Energy, which is working on redevelop its Centurion mine in the Bowen Basin region of Queensland, has shipped first product from the hard coking coal property. The inaugural shipment was delivered to the Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal and loaded for export to a customer in Asia the week of 9 December. Centurion is undergoing a ramp-up at the mine…

Read More

Evolution Mining granted approval for Cowal extension

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…

Read More

BHP, Rio Tinto allowed sexual harassment at mine sites: Lawsuits

Two class action lawsuits filed in the Federal Court of Australia, accuse BHP and Rio Tinto of knowingly placing female staff into environments where they faced systemic sexual harassment and gender discrimination, reported Bloomberg. Under the Anti-Discrimination Act an employer is liable if they “permit” a woman to work in an environment where they will likely be exposed to sexual…

Read More

Rio Tinto offloads stake in Winu

Rio Tinto will sell a 30% stake in its Winu copper-gold project in Western Australia to Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. for $399 million, reported Bloomberg. “This is a unique opportunity to derisk our investment,” said Katie Jackson, Rio’s chief executive of copper. “We look forward to working more broadly as strategic partners to find new ways to deliver value…

Read More

Ok Tedi rolls out largest wheel loader in PNG

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…

Read More