‘Heat buckle’ derails Fortescue iron ore cars

On 30 December, Fortescue Metals Group had multiple rail cars derail about 150 kilometres south of Port Hedland in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The miner said a “heat buckle” in its railway line was behind the derailment, which cut the supply of iron ore to its Western Australia operations. “No one was injured in the incident and there is no…

Read More

Western Australia program backs METS innovation

Western Australia Mines and Petroleum Minister David Michael has launched an innovative funding program to help local Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies develop and commercialise new technologies. “The METS sector plays an important part in the mining innovation lifecycle. These companies can translate new knowledge created through research into the required solutions which can be readily adopted by…

Read More

Barrick starts Porgera recommissioning

Barrick Gold said it has begun recommissioning the Porgera gold mine in Papua New Guinea following the formal completion of a commencement agreement.  Porgera, an open pit and underground gold mine, has been in care and maintenance since April 2020. Barrick said it anticipates mining and processing to restart in the first quarter of 2024. The equity in the mine…

Read More

Metso adds new South Korean distributor

Metso has signed an agreement with Future Tech Service (FTS) to strengthen its Asia-Pacific distributor network. The partnership enables FTS to deliver Metso crushing equipment and services exclusively in South Korea. “In taking our Korean business to an exciting new direction, we are especially pleased to be teaming up with the FTS team. Customers can expect a high degree of…

Read More

China expands rare earth tech ban

China, the world’s top processor of rare earths, has added technology to make rare earth magnets to its “Catalogue of Technologies Prohibited and Restricted from Export,” which aims to protect national security and public interest, reported Reuters. “This should be a clarion call that dependence on China in any part of the value chain is not sustainable,” said Nathan Picarsic,…

Read More

India Coal Ministry issues vesting orders for six mines

The Coal Ministry of India has issued vesting orders for six coal mines and agreements for two mines, bringing the agency’s total so far to 80 under its commercial auction scheme. The ministry said the orders were issued on 14 December; out of the six coal mines whose vesting orders were issued, two coal mines are fully explored mines and…

Read More

Schlam opens new specialised maintenance division

Australian service provider Schlam has taken a bold step forward with the launch of its Fixed Plant Maintenance division, which will be spearheaded by new recruit Kaze Richardson. With a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced in the Pilbara and Goldfields regions, Richardson brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise. His vision for the new division is to provide…

Read More

Scania India partners with PPS Motors

Scania Truck

Scania Commercial Vehicles in India has inked an exclusive partnership with PPS Motors, giving the latter the role of its sole representative for the OEM’s mining tippers in India. Scania officials said the pairing will ensure it has Pan India coverage for its sales and service operations. “The company provides tailor-made solutions by detecting, analyzing, and continuously optimizing critical points…

Read More

Barrick restarts production at Porgera

Following an agreement on new ownership structure, Barrick Gold announced that its Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea will resume operations this month with first gold to be poured in Q1 2024. “It’s been a long journey but in the process we have secured the buy-in of all the stakeholders and we look forward to steering the mine back to…

Read More