A drilling program carried out by First Quantum Minerals at Boss Energy’s Honeymoon uranium project in South Australia has intersected copper and gold mineralisation.
The mineralisation was uncovered below the Yarramba Palaeovalley along the Honeymoon tenements.
Three holes at the Atlas target, 4km east of Honeymoon, were drilled as part of the campaign, totalling 1029.5m.
Recent assays from Atlas include:
23CURDD002: 16m at 0.27 per cent copper (Cu) and 0.1 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) from 288m
23CURDD006: 47m at 0.19 per cent Cu from 404m, with several narrower zones of 5–6m containing up to 0.5 per cent Cu and 0.12g/t Au.
“The intercepts are proof of process; evidence for movement and precipitation of copper (~gold/~zinc) within the Bimba Formation in the target area,” Boss Energy said.
Two holes equalling 701.6m were also drilled at the Pandora target, located 8km south of Honeymoon.
“One hole intersected an interval of stratiform low grade zinc-bearing stratigraphy, inferred to be the upper portion of the Bimba Formation,” Boss Energy said.
“This zone potentially lies outboard of a lower copper (~gold) zone, at the currently untested base of the Bimba Formation.”
One deep hole totalling 742.3m was also drilled at the Yarramba dome target, located 15km north of Honeymoon. However, no appreciable mineralisation was intersected.
The recent drilling carried out by First Quantum Minerals follows a maiden diamond drilling program carried out by the company along the Yarramba Palaeovalley in October 2023.
Boss Energy first entered into an exploration earn-in agreement with First Quantum Minerals in February 2022. The agreement covers the base metals rights of five tenements at the Honeymoon project.
“With a proven track record in discovering and developing deposits, Boss considers First Quantum Minerals an ideal partner in the exploration and potential development of any base or precious metal discoveries at Honeymoon,” Boss Energy said of the agreement.
After the drilling program’s completion, First Quantum Minerals may choose to earn a 51 per cent interest in its agreement with Boss Energy by spending $6 million on exploration within five years, as well as maintaining minimum annual expenditure on the project of $500,000.
If First Quantum follows this path, it will enter into a joint venture (JV) agreement with Boss Energy.
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Autodesk and Deloitte have launched the latest edition of their joint report, the State of Digital Adoption in the Construction Industry 2024, highlighting the vital role of artificial intelligence in the years to come. This second iteration of the annual survey compiles insights gathered from 933 construction firms across six markets: Australia, Singapore, Japan, India, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
The report reveals that 30 per cent of Australian companies surveyed are currently trialling or using artificial intelligence (AI). By adopting AI, they aim to enhance operational efficiencies and help solve critical issues facing the construction industry, such as escalating labour shortages, soaring material costs and disruptions in global supply chains.
Additionally, 61 per cent of Australian construction companies surveyed express confidence in AI’s potential to drive down costs. This optimism is particularly noteworthy amid a concerning trend of more construction companies entering external administration than any other industry in the current financial year.
Sumit Oberoi, senior manager of construction strategy and partnerships, Asia Pacific at Autodesk, emphasised that with the challenges confronting Australia’s construction sector, the adoption of AI and technology is imperative for business success and cost reduction in construction.
“Disruptive new technologies combined with a challenging business outlook means that construction and engineering leaders in Australia and across Asia Pacific (APAC) are having to seriously rethink their tools, workforce skill needs and how they interact with clients and contractors,” said Oberoi. “Generative AI has exploded onto the agenda for senior leaders with the rapid adoption of tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney and Github Copilot.”
“No industry is immune from the transformative potential of this technology.
“Generative AI means that a new project proposal doesn’t need to start from scratch, instead leveraging material and pricing based on projects completed by the company with similar specifications.”
A further 33 per cent of Australian construction companies surveyed plan to use AI in future, with AI the most common technology they are looking to integrate into their operations. Australian construction companies surveyed said the benefits of AI will:
Improve efficiency – 76 per cent
Reduce costs – 61 per cent
Increase competitive advantage – 57 per cent
Increase revenue – 53 per cent
Improve margins – 53 per cent
Uncover new ideas and insights – 52 per cent
Enhance relationship with clients – 49 per cent
Create new revenue streams – 43 per cent
Improve employee engagement – 42 per cent
David Rumbens, partner at Deloitte Access Economics, suggested that if every company with intentions to implement AI follows through, AI could become as common in the construction sector as data analytics or mobile apps.
Integrating technologies like these into business operations will be no small feat. The construction industry in Australia contributed over $140 billion to the economy and employs over 1.2 million people, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data.
According to the report, 76 per cent of Australian businesses are reporting a technical skills gap related to digital technology. Oberoi said, “Priority areas for construction businesses to improve digital adoption include starting small by piloting projects, selecting a digital champion, tracking a range of success measures, building a digital ecosystem and asking whether your business is AI ready.”
“Put simply, construction companies need to get their ducks in a row now so they can implement AI in future years.
“The first step to successfully implementing AI is data standardisation and having an operational common data environment for teams.”
Additional key findings from the report across APAC include:Across APAC, 30 per cent of construction companies are trialling or currently use artificial intelligence in their operations, with a further 39 per cent planning to use the technology in the future.The critical role of technology in supporting business growth is increasingly being recognised. There was an increase in both businesses seeing new technology as assisting with new project work (up from 38 per cent to 45 per cent) and technology as improving internal processes (up from 37 per cent to 43 per cent).Foundational technologies are the most commonly used, with data analytics (47 per cent), construction management software (43 per cent) and mobile apps (40 per cent) providing the backbone of construction operations.Generative artificial intelligence is expected to become as pervasive in the construction and engineering industry as these foundational technologies, with 94 per cent of businesses now having plans to integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning into their businesses.
ASTEC and OPS share a decade-long partnership. Image: Astec
Astec and OPS are committed to growing each other and the mining industry.
All hands were on deck at the OPS Screening and Crushing Equipment open days on March 21–22.
Held at OPS’s Perth facility, the expo celebrated 35 years of the company supplying critical equipment to Australia’s mining and quarrying industry.
To mark the occasion, OPS welcomed industry players from across the world to take part in two days of exhibitions, presentations and displays.
Rock-to-road solutions expert Astec was a major participant at the event. The company was also celebrating its decade-long partnership with OPS.
“Both Astec and OPS have seen excellent growth through our partnership,” Astec business line manager – material solutions Adam Gordon told Australian Mining.
“A key factor in the relationship is we know we can rely on OPS to provide quality service and expert technicians ready to rise to any challenge.”
Astec was in attendance to support OPS at its two-day expo in March. Image: Astec
Gordon said OPS is a trusted distributer of Astec’s bulk material handling and fixed plant equipment to mines and quarries in Western Australia, South Australia, the Northern Territory and New South Wales.
And the company distributes Astec’s rock breaker systems, materials handling equipment and ship-loading range Australia-wide.
“Astec manufactures equipment for the entire mineral processing chain, including crushing, screening, handling and washing,” he said.
“It’s big equipment for a big industry, and it requires knowledge, expertise and an extensive range of high-quality products to get the right machines to the right sites.”
Between them, Astec and OPS teams have built hundreds of years of industry experience, including expertise drawn from the 16 respected brands under the Astec umbrella.
“While Astec and OPS are successful businesses in their own right, they’re even better working together,” Gordon said. “We each bring different strengths to the partnership – strengths that we then build on to benefit each other and our customers.
“And with our combined experience, we have the Australian mining and quarrying industries covered.”
According to Gordon, one significant advantage in working together is the companies’ ability to deliver advanced training to teams on the ground.
“We’re very hands-on with our training,” Gordon said. “In fact, we ran multiple, comprehensive training sessions on specific aspects of our equipment at the two-day expo,” Gordon said.
When it comes to ensuring technicians are capable of providing outstanding service to customers, Gordon credits Astec’s tailored approach in ensuring OPS staff members are well equipped to face any challenge.
OPS managing director Shane Czerkasow addressing the crowd at the OPS expo. Image: Astec
“We have a lot of equipment in the thousands-of-tonnes-per-hour range and it’s all very specialised,” he said. “That’s why our training is personalised in a one-on-one environment, to ensure these technicians are able to deliver next level service to our customers.”
Among Astec’s innovative equipment and technology on display at the OPS event was a virtual reality station where attendees could take a virtual tour of Astec’s ship-loading and modular plant crusher facilities.
“Being able to showcase the scale of our capabilities was a major highlight of the event,” Gordon said.
The recent expansion of Astec’s Omagh manufacturing facility in Northern Ireland is another important factor in the company’s ability to support OPS.
“This expansion has effectively doubled our manufacturing capability, meaning we can supply more equipment more often to OPS, thereby keeping our customers up to date with the latest products and critical support when they need it,” he said.
Gordon emphasised that through Astec’s commitment to continuous improvement, the company is already designing and building equipment for the future, and it’s counting on OPS to be with them on that journey.
“We are very proud to be associated with OPS,” Gordon said, “We’re similar businesses, with the same goal of providing our customers with the best possible equipment to meet their needs.
“We work very well together, and we’re looking forward to a great future of growth.”
The Hazemag Roller Screen is the next generation of roller screens. Image: Hazemag
European manufacturer Hazemag believes many Australian quarries could benefit from installing a roller screen.
Traditionally, the roller screen has been the domain of limestone producers due to its ability to handle sticky and difficult material.
However, a new generation of roller screens is being developed to help quarries with more than just a sticky situation, especially if they want extra versatility.
“We’re seeing a lot of inquiries at the moment for the roller screen because in the rainy season and winter time, quarries can get flooded with water, and the material can get quite sticky, so they need something that can be used in the dry and wet season,” Hazemag and allmineral managing director of Australia Teddy Craies told Quarry.
It is a familiar story for Craies and project and service engineer Jaco Botha when they visit quarries, especially around the Victorian and eastern coast markets.
When winter strikes and the seasonal conditions worsen, their productivity drops as their equipment struggles to handle the change.
Prescreening can help increase profits. Image: Hazemag
The Hazemag Roller Screen can help quarry operators handle different weather conditions, raw material consistencies and specification requirements.
The Hazemag Roller Screen has a separation surface area featuring disc-fitted rollers. The polygonal-shaped rollers help transport, circulate, and loosen material for the downstream equipment. Fines pass the gaps between the rollers while coarse material is conveyed from the screen to the screen overflow.
Compared to a vibrating screen, the Roller Screen from Hazemag is non-vibrating, which is helpful in specific operations like limestone, clay stone, natural stone, and gypsum.
Hazemag has heard from customers that their roller screens have become an effective pre-screening tool.
“We’ve heard from a few Australian quarries when they’ve approached us about the roller screen, the main reason is their crushers and chutes are getting clogged up during winter,” Craies said.
“The roller screen, in installations across South East Asia and PNG helps the crusher do the job and helps operations in terms of variance in materials and the season and optimised energy utilisation.
“It helps the crusher perform better.”
The Hazemag new generation of roller screens, with gap setting adjusted for product size primary 70mm to 120mm and secondary 20mm to 70mm, is available to the quarrying industry.
This enables operators to adapt to changing requirements and suit material specifications easily. It can handle difficult material, which means less wear and reduced energy consumption for downstream equipment.
“You can put it in front of your primary crusher because it can handle quite a big lump size compared to a conventional vibrating screen,” Jaco Botha said.
“Putting it in front of the primary crusher enables you to get away with a smaller crusher because you’re dealing with smaller sizes.”
Hazemag’s Roller Screen can benefit other machines with a quarry’s downstream set-up.
“This helps the crusher do what it is meant to do and crush the bigger material, not crush things that don’t need to be crushed,” Craies said.
“When you compare it to a vibrating screen, they can’t handle the lump sizes and volume (like a roller screen).
“The roller screen helps pre-screen material which optimises the crusher’s lifespan and the production and energy consumption as well.”
In a traditional vibrating screen, which has two oscillating screens, these types of materials can adhere and bake onto the screen. This enhances wear and the need for maintenance.
The Hazemag Roller Screen has none of this movement, and each roll is equipped with scraper elements to ensure an enhanced clean.
“Each roller has a scraper which helps to scrape and move and then breakdown the separated materials to help get them moving forward,” Craies said.
Hazemag has designed its roller screen with a modular design, available in modules of four or six shafts. The roller screen’s modular nature enables customers to place extra steps between the individual modules.
All Hazemag’s shafts are solid core but can be altered to fit the customer’s application. For example, the welded three-bow disc design is better suited to heavy-duty applications, while the form-locked join design is more versatile.
The roller screen drive system and disc arrangement are selected based on the customer’s application. The chain-link system is where one geared motor drives several shafts, and the individual drive system is where each shaft is driven by a geared drive.
“We can customise it to the customer’s requirements to their needs and application,” Craies said.
“We use all the information, including what the customer is trying to achieve and what their current set-up and footprint are, and we will do some testings to find the best solution for them.”
Hazemag’s updated HAZconnect system enables site managers and operators to access data on all Hazemag machines including the Roller Screen.
The digital maintenance platform enables operators to perform preventative maintenance using detailed data insights from the dashboard on HAZconnect.
“It brings information about the machine to the operator, and they can adjust the settings and gives them control,” Craies said.
“This kind of preventative and digital maintenance lets them reduce downtime.”•
Tungsten is considered a critical mineral under Australia’s Critical Minerals List. Image: Wirestock Creators/shutterstock.com
The Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC) will fund the expansion of EQ Resources’ (EQR) Mount Carbine tungsten mine in the state’s north with a $20 million loan.
The funding comes from the Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund, which aims to assist critical minerals development and the manufacturing of battery technologies.
EQR will welcome the funding in two instalments over the loan’s three-year period. The first round will see $12 million provided to assist in doubling the site’s processing capacity and commencing underground drill testing.
The second round of $8 million will be used to continue underground drill testing and start underground trial mining.
Queensland Minister Resources and Critical Minerals Scott Stewart said the Government is committed to developing the state’s critical minerals resources like tungsten.
“The resurgence of tungsten production is another remarkable success story in Queensland’s critical minerals boom,” Stewart said.
“Since returning to operation in 2019, Mount Carbine tungsten mine has become a major employer in the Far North, where 175 workers and contractors are on track to produce about 3000 tonnes of tungsten concentrate every year.
“The existing open-cut mine is forecast to reach its end of life by 2029, but the Queensland Government is committed to supporting these workers and the communities they call home.”
EQR chief executive officer Kevin MacNeill welcomed the funding, which will see drilling kick off this year.
“We are pleased that the opportunity has arisen for such extensive and attractive funding support from the Queensland Government,” he said.
“The provision of financing will support our recently announced expansion program to double capacity at Mt Carbine, but we also consider this a strong endorsement of the company’s corporate strategy to further establish ourselves as a leading and responsible producer of globally relevant critical minerals.”
The Ravensthorpe nickel operations. Image: First Quantum Minerals
While many of the staff members from the Ravensthorpe nickel operation (RPO) will be made redundant, owner First Quantum Minerals is taking steps to keep as many employed as possible.
It comes as First Quantum places the WA site into a care and maintenance process from May 1. All production at the site is expected to cease by late May, with wind-down activities planned over the coming weeks.
“First Quantum acknowledges that its decision will have a significant impact on its employees and their families,” a spokesperson for the miner said in a statement.
“A smaller, dedicated care and maintenance team will be appointed from current RNO employees to ensure the site is safe and preserved for a future re-start.”
In addition to keeping on as many staff as possible, First Quantum will continue to support the Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun communities in any way it can.
“The company remains committed to supporting the local community and will play an active role within the Shire of Ravensthorpe throughout the care and maintenance period,” the First Quantum spokesperson said.
“This will include ensuring a large proportion of the care and maintenance team are based locally and maintaining the current First Quantum-owned housing within Hopetoun.
“Recognising the impact that this decision will have on the region, the company will continue engaging with the Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun communities and provide an appropriate level of community investment and support in the period ahead.”
After first scaling back operations in January, First Quantum again cited lower nickel prices and higher operating costs as major factors in the decision.
“Despite RNO’s best efforts to maintain operations by transitioning to a new operating strategy that involved ceasing mining activities, processing stockpiles and altering its approach to production, the site is incurring significant current and projected losses,” the spokesperson said.
“RNO will continue to meet all its environmental management and monitoring, rehabilitation and other regulatory requirements for the site.”
Ravensthorpe joins the Cosmos nickel mine in WA in entering care and maintenance in 2024, with owner IGO also citing a weakening nickel market as a driver in the decision to shutter the site.
“We still believe there is value in Cosmos; however, in this nickel environment we need to be disciplined with our allocation of capital, while retaining our optionality to restart if market conditions improve,” IGO managing director and chief executive officer Ivan Vella said in January.
Duaplate DX is a revolutionary weld overlay material engineered by Bradken to perform under the most extreme abrasive operating conditions.
Trialed in the lower section of a surge bin, the Duaplate DX was installed in an iron ore mine in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The bin was compared to an identical chute lined with Duaplate D80.
Duaplate DX is manufactured to Bradken’s proprietary composition to create an incredible fine microstructure that provides a substantial improvement in the operational life over traditional chromium carbide based overlay.
APA solar farm at Mount Isa, Queensland. Image: Glencore.
Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines operation is set to source 20 per cent of its long-term electricity needs from APA Group’s new solar farm in Mica Creek, Queensland.
Under a 15-year agreement, Mount Isa Mines can use up to 50 per cent of the solar electricity produced each year at the Mica Creek solar farm (also known as the Dugald River solar farm).
The agreement was first announced in December 2023, where Glencore zinc assets Australia chief operating officer Sam Strohmayr said the partnership will help Glencore reduce its emissions footprint.
“The partnership helps reduce our high-power costs which is one of the elements that make it difficult to compete with our international rivals,” Strohmayr said.
The 88-megawatt farm at the basis of the agreement was officially opened yesterday and is poised to boast 180,000 solar panels across 200 hectares of land. The official opening was attended by Strohmayr.
“APA has been working with us for many years providing reliable electricity for our Mount Isa Mines operations,” Strohmayr said. “We welcomed the opportunity to partner with APA on a renewables project and in the process contribute to a collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“There are several benefits from this agreement – not only for us but also for the community. Mount Isa Mines is reducing its carbon footprint, and in the process using renewable energy to help produce energy transition metals, such as zinc and copper, that are needed globally for a low carbon future.”
In October 2023, Glencore announced plans to close the Mount Isa Mines underground copper operations – Enterprise, X41 and Black Rock – and its copper concentrator by the end of 2025. The company cited low ore grades as the cause.
Glencore’s Lady Loretta zinc mine, which was a finite orebody with a seven-year mine life, will also close in 2025.
In response to the Mount Isa closures, the Queensland Government created the $50 million Mount Isa Transition Fund, which aims to boost projects that can commence quickly, create jobs, and build on the region’s reputation as a great place to live and work.
With $20 million going towards shovel-ready mining projects, $30 million will be used to accelerate resources projects in the Northwest Minerals Province. The initiative will be led by the Queensland Treasury and Department of Resources.
Other Mount Isa operations such as the copper smelter, the George Fisher mine, the zinc-lead concentrator, the lead smelter, and the copper refinery in Townsville remain operating.
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Metso’s largest service centre has now officially opened in Karratha, Western Australia, supporting the growing demand of customer needs in the region.
The centre serves mining and aggregates customers with maintenance and repair solutions and spans a 35,000m² area, including a workshop covering 5000m².
“The opening of the new center is an important milestone and further proof of our commitment to accelerate strategic investments in serving customers from pit to port,” Metso president, services business area Sami Takaluoma said.
“Strengthening our presence to offer increased productivity, shorter lead times, and environmental advantages will allow us to take service capabilities and customer experience to the next level.”
The centre has been equipped with advanced amenities including high-capacity cranes, CNC machines, a heat treatment furnace, welding facilities and assembly stations.
“This is a long-term and significant commitment to the Pilbara region and the communities here,” Metso president Asia Pacific Stuart Sneyd said. “We are extremely pleased that our local customers are already expressing considerable interest and confidence in our services.
“Metso has a significant installed base of equipment and a strong reputation in Asia Pacific; every day over 900 processing plants rely on Metso’s technology.
“By utilising Metso’s service know-how and expertise, genuine parts, exact materials, and OEM specifications, customers will achieve significant business and sustainability benefits.”
The centre will also provide a dedicated training facility to enhance the technical expertise of mining professionals.
An apprenticeship training program is planned for the centre at a later date.
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An exploration program undertaken by BHP at its Oak Dam copper deposit has identified high-grades of copper deep beneath the Olympic Dam ore body, with some grades equalling more than two per cent.
The Oak Dam deposit is located 65km south-east of the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia, one of the world’s most significant deposits of copper, gold, and uranium.
Once its acquisition of OZ Minerals was finalised last May, BHP established an integrated copper province in SA’s far north by combining the Prominent Hill and Carrapateena mines with the Olympic Dam mine, smelter and refinery, and Oak Dam deposit.
“BHP has created an integrated copper province that we hope will bring the scale required to economically and sustainably produce and process more copper here in SA and deliver it to global customers,” BHP asset president copper South Australia Anna Wiley said.
“Our South Australian operations are performing well and we’ve had further exploration success.
“The Oak Dam exploration project is progressing with 12 rigs currently on site, 150 kilometres of drilling completed, a core processing facility on-site and 150-person accommodation camp nearly complete.
“We’re also exploring in an area below the known Olympic Dam deposit, known as Olympic Dam Deeps.”
Alongside further exploration, BHP is also assessing options for a new two-stage smelter at Olympic Dam that would potentially double its capacity from 0.5 million tonnes (Mt) to 1–1.7Mt and lift its copper production to about 500,000 tonnes per annum.
The South Australian Government, which approved the Oak Dam exploration program last year, welcomed the Oak Dam discovery.
“Copper is a key component in our State Prosperity Plan,” SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
“BHP hope to more than double the size of their smelter – which means more jobs, opportunity and greater prosperity for our state.
“There are enormous amounts of copper in our state’s north, but to extract and refine it, we need something in short supply – water.
“That’s exactly (the SA) Government is partnering with industry to progress plans for the Northern Water project, which has the potential to deliver an additional five billion dollars in economic activity to our state each year.”
BHP chief executive officer Mike Henry took to the stage at the BMO Global Metals, Mining and Critical Minerals Conference yesterday, where he revealed that the potential two-stage smelter at Oak Dam is expected to reach a final investment decision sometime between the 2025–26 and 2026–27 financial years.
