While a modest achievement amongst the giant global copper miners, a mid-tier company nevertheless impressed the market earlier this year when it resumed production of the base metal at its South Australian project. In February, Hillgrove Resources Ltd announced it had produced its first copper concentrate from ore sourced from…

Western Australia’s burgeoning critical minerals sector received a major shot in the arm earlier this year with the official launch of a fully integrated producer and supplier of premium, battery-grade lithium hydroxide for the global electric vehicle (EV) market. An advanced lithium exploration play in WA’s Eastern Goldfields looks set…

Consistent growth in Western Australia’s rail network and the opening of a manufacturing facility in Karratha will see the continued expansion of Australia’s rail construction and maintenance industry. The WA government has supported the establishment of an iron ore railcar manufacturing industry in the Pilbara town of Karratha, investing in…

A new methodology has been proposed to help study the efficiency of surface mining drill fleets. The method involves the evaluation of a vast array of complex factors, including management strategies, equipment characteristics, maintenance programs, mine design, site planning, operating conditions as well as workforce skills. The Overall Mining Equipment…

As blasting technology continues to advance, the use of explosives to break rock is expected to have an increasingly smaller environmental impact. In conventional blasting when explosive material is detonated, a huge amount of effective and non-effective energies that can produce gas and shock — accompanied by light, heat, sound…

The Northern Territory government is intent on establishing itself as one of the mining powerhouses of the Australian economy. To help the NT in its goal to grow its resources sector, the government has provided a significant amount of financial support to its geological and mineral exploration sectors. In June,…

It is becoming increasingly important that businesses have the right strategies in place to attract and retain talent, and a solid novated leasing policy is one of them. In general, salary packaging ensures that businesses can attract, recruit, engage and retain the best possible workers by providing a number of…

Labour shortages and a lack of technical talent are pressing challenges for the mining industry, which is attempting a digital transformation while expanding to meet the needs of the green transition. A narrowing pipeline of technical and science-based careers, together with global skills shortages and a tightening labour market, are…