BHP pulls ahead in Olympic Dam expansion

BHP has confirmed that the South Australian government has commenced its application and assessment process for BHP’s planned smelter and refinery expansion at Olympic Dam. Per a notification in the South Australian Government Gazette, the next steps are being made for BHP’s plans in the SA region. Last week, the miner said in its FY24 full-year results that it had…

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ULE, MacLean announce Mongolian partnership

Mongolian full-service heavy equipment specialist UL Equipment (ULE) has made a dealer agreement with Canadian group MacLean to bolster in-country parts and field service capabilities for MacLean’s full-fleet solutions. The new dealer platform will improve MacLean parts support and field service capabilities at the Rio Tinto Oyu Tolgoi copper/gold mine in the Southern Gobi Desert. It also offers Oyu Tolgoi…

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Coal losing king status in Australia?

If a new report from Bloomberg is to be believed, coal has recently met a first-time marker Down Under: generating less than half of Australian power. The report, which cited figures from data aggregator Open-NAM, said recent high winds in southeastern Australia have pushed coal-fired power beneath the 50% threshold. This has not happened before o the country’s power mix,…

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Dyno Nobel opens new detonator plant

Dyno Nobel, a business of Incitec Pivot, recently held an official opening ceremony for the new fully automated electronic detonator plant at its Helidon manufacturing site in Queensland. The plant will deliver an increase in Dyno Nobel’s capability to manufacture its DigiShot Plus.4G  units, one of the world’s safest and most popular electronic detonator systems. “This project highlights our unwavering…

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Bukit Asam launches coal conversion pilot

Indonesia-based Bukit Asam, a member of the MIND ID Group, has launched a pilot project with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) to convert coal into artificial graphite and anode sheet, which will then be used as raw materials in lithium-ion batteries.  The energy company said this is the world’s first conversion of coal into artificial graphite and anode…

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Whitehaven offloads 30% stake in Blackwater mine

Photo: Whitehaven Coal Australian miner Whitehaven Coal has entered into separate deals with Japan’s Nippon Steel and JFE Steel for the sale of a joint venture interest of 20% and 10%, respectively, in its Blackwater coal mine in Queensland.  The transactions total US$1.08 billion, and are expected to close in the first quarter of 2025. “We look forward to working…

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Byerwen mine reports second August fatality

Mining contractor Macmahon reported a fatal collision on 22 August at QCoal’s Byerwen coal mine in Queensland. The accident follows the death of a worker involved in a crane incident three weeks prior. Macmahon said a loaded dump truck was ascending the ramp leading out of the pit at low speed when a light vehicle approached from behind and ran…

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MMS bags second Red 5 contract

Mineral Mining Services said it has been awarded a second contract with Red 5 (formerly Silver Lake Resources) at its Mount Monger operations in Western Australia. Over the 12-month contract, MMS will deliver load and haul services for the French Kiss open-pit project; deploying a 100-tonne fleet including a near-new Hitachi EX1200 excavator.  “This contract solidifies the partnership between MMS…

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Fabrum unveils liquid hydrogen plant at Fortescue site

New Zealand-based Fabrum has collaborated with Fortescue on the design, build and commissioning of Australia’s largest liquid hydrogen plant at a mine site. The plant is now operational at Fortescue’s Green Energy Hub at Christmas Creek in Western Australia. “Hydrogen and fuels made using renewable energy will have a role to play in decarbonising mining, whether it’s in buses, heavy…

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BMA going all electric in Australia

The assets of BHP Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA) will be the first Australian operations across the miners portfolio to run under renewable power arrangements for 100% of their electricity needs, BHP has confirmed. The move comes with the signing of a new power purchase agreement (PPA) for BMA’s Queensland operations. Specifically, the company arm has entered a new seven-year PPA commencing…

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