Pilbara Minerals continues million-tonne mission

pilbara minerals' pilgangoora lithium operation — *The Pilgangoora operation. Image: Pilbara Minerals*

Pilbara Minerals is closer to upgrading its Pilgan plant at the Pilgangoora lithium project in Western Australia, with surging sales and shipments supporting the project.

Despite producing almost 700 tonnes less than the March quarter, Pilbara shipped a record 95,972 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of spodumene concentrate and exceeded its target of 75,000 – 90,000dmt.

Pilbara Minerals managing director Ken Brinsden said in the June quarter’s results presentation that the market for spodumene concentrate was developing in ways not seen for several years.

“We think Pilbara Minerals is incredibly well-placed to be able to participate in this next phase of growth that’s going on in the industry,” Brindsen said

“We would like to think we have the right combination of productive plant capacity, skills amongst the team to maximise the performance of those facilities – and that shouldn’t be underestimated because that is very hard-won in the lithium industry.”

The company produced 77,162dmt and sold a record 109,190dmt of spodumene concentrate for the June quarter, some of which was loaded late in the previous quarter.

Pilgangoora has two plants at different stages of operation – the Pilgan plant and the Ngungaju plant.

The former currently operates at around 350,000 tonnes per annum and is set for a 10-15 per cent improvement project during the September quarter.

The latter is set for a stated restart during the December quarter, as Pilbara Minerals targets up to 200,000dmt by mid-2022.

This would see the company producing up to 580,000dmt once everything is up and running at full capacity, while future improvements to the Pilgan plant aim to push Pilgangoora to be a one million tonne per annum operation.

With such promise on the horizon at Pilbara Minerals, Brinsden said an offtake agreement with Korean manufacturer POSCO was progressing.

“We are still optimistic in both the value in that relationship and the skills of the POSCO team,” Brinsden said.

“We have been frustrated by progress…but nonetheless we are optimistic about the progress of that deal and its relevance to the growth of Pilbara Minerals. We expect to see that progress during the course of next month (August).”

POSCO recently signed an offtake agreement with Queensland Pacific Metals for 3000 tonnes of nickel and 300 tonnes of cobalt per year from the Townsville Energy Chemicals Hub (TECH) project.

The Korean company has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Rio Tinto to develop low-carbon emission technologies for iron ore mining, further exemplifying its commitment to decarbonisation across a range of commodities.

Unlocking integrated project controls

July 28, 2021 Features Australian Mining

*The integrated project controls software also takes care of asset health estimations.*

InEight’s integrated project controls software allows mining companies to capture and manage operational data remotely, saving time and money in the process.

To successfully manage any mining operation, it’s integral for operators to keep up to date with the latest data and statistics relative to a site’s performance.

Outdated data analysis techniques can compromise thousands of dollars’ worth of productivity if a fault in a mining project is not addressed.

This is because traditional data analysis, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, can take weeks to provide critical information about a mining operation, leaving operators in the dark about operation-halting issues that could be prevented if they were discovered sooner.

As technology advances, real-time solutions have been refined, allowing productivity and cost data to be clearly identified both remotely and in real time.

Heavy industry technology specialist InEight has delivered field-tested data management software that allows mining and construction operations to manage risks and keep project costs in proportion.

At its core, InEight’s integrated controls software delivers real-time information about a mine site to prevent any project-related surprises.

InEight executive vice president, industry engagement Rick Deans says the company’s real-time integrated project controls software helps miners visualise the health of their assets.

“Mining companies – whether they’re an owner producing ore or a contractor – they’re getting paid to produce, not to run around, collect information and put it in reports,” Deans tells Australian Mining.

“By integrating estimating, project controls, field data collection, document management, contracts and change management functions, it allows for a more seamless flow of data across these applications.

“Information becomes more available to companies that need it versus companies having to stop what they’re doing to find it.”

A key benefit to the real-time software is it takes care of asset health estimations, flagging key trends before major issues arise, as health, safety, environmental and business risks are all minimised by the software.

According to Deans, InEight’s integrated project controls software can adapt costs to schedule. The software adds another element to help operators understand when money will be spent, rather than just how much will have to be invested into a project.

“In many cases the ‘when’ is just as important as the ‘how much’,” Deans says. “It gives folks the ability to time-phase their budgets and helps with understanding resource utilisation.”

Cost management is a vital part of a successful mining operation. Deans says traditional ERP systems are not timely due to their month end close procedure.

“You’re flying blind until the ERP tells you how you did five weeks ago,” Deans says.

InEight’s solution allows for data to be shown in real time instead, providing significant advantages across an entire operation.

“ERP systems aren’t very friendly from a forward-looking perspective,” he says. “They’re very good to find things that have happened in the past, but they’re not really helping me look forward and solve tomorrow’s problems,” Deans says.

“It allows workers to make decisions on the job site about moving some resources from some overperforming activities to underperforming activities.”

This also leans into the seamless data flow between contractors and owners, preventing any barriers in project management due to all assets being on the same real-time platform, enhancing visibility in contract performance.

The integrated project controls software also enables earned value management to prevent the guessing game that is often associated with project health.

“They’re going to gain or lose costs and workforce hours during the course of that effort, so management wants to be able to see before they commit a resource,” Deans says.

For Deans, the software mitigates the requirement for disorganised spreadsheets and instead streamlines data on a single platform.

“As estimates are built and changes occur, we need all project team members to log into that live instance of the estimate to track who made the change, when the change was made and how the cost was estimated. How did that affect this particular section of the work breakdown structure?” Deans asks.

“I think many companies have been in cases where we’re in a meeting and the project cost is from $50 million to $65 million.

“Spreadsheets won’t give you that information unless you have intimate knowledge of what those values were as opposed to bringing up an audit log to show the specifics of every change.”

With the mining world rapidly evolving to a more tech-savvy environment, Deans says there is no reason for miners not to adopt a solution like InEight’s integrated project controls software.

“A lot of folks ask us, how do we get started with something like this?” he says. “I always encourage folks to plant a shade tree in one’s backyard either 15 years ago or today.”

The future of mining is brilliant with St Barbara

July 26, 2021 Features

Article supplied by St Barbara for Australian Mining. (SBM.ASX)

St Barbara is a gold miner at heart, so finding brilliance is what it does. Whether at its operations in Western Australia, Papua New Guinea or Canada, its job is to operate with excellence. But to St Barbara, striving for brilliance is about so much more than what it does.

The mid-sized gold miner is focused on building brilliance; not just in what it does, but in how it does it. Because that’s where the future of mining lies; not only mining for shareholder return, but operating in a way that strengthens employees, builds diversity in all its forms, and creates value in the communities where they operate.

St Barbara take gender diversity seriously. In Australia, it is the only gold mining company to receive the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) ‘Employer of Choice for Gender Equality’ citation for seven consecutive years. It’s also one of only 10 Australian companies, within a total of 380 companies across 11 sectors worldwide, to be included in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index (GEI).

The company is strengthening its Technical Services and Innovation team expanding to meet the needs of the growing opportunities at its mines and the surrounding provinces.

Sonia Buckley, Senior Resources Analyst attests to this.

“St Barbara is a great place to work as you feel valued in your contribution to a global business, interacting with people all over the world,” she said.

“There is genuine care from management for all staff and they will accommodate individual requirements for work flexibility when needed.”

Building brilliance extends to its support for the community in Western Australia having agreed to renew its sponsorship for the Shooting Stars programs in Leonara and Clontarf in Kalgoorlie, helping Indigenous youth on their educational journey.

And for communities near its operations in Papua New Guinea, St Barbara supports future generations through chocolate farming.

Cocoa farmer, Anton Pegi. Image: St Barbara

Under the umbrella of Simberi Mine Services (SMS), a community business coordination and governance company, St Barbara have been working with Tabar locals to help them establish a thriving cocoa farming business. To support this thriving business, in 2020, St Barbara worked with them to help produce their first-ever chocolate bar.

Tabar Islands Chocolate is made from 75 per cent cocoa, sourced entirely from cocoa farmed by locals on Tabar Island and is made in partnership with Paradise Foods.

Around 120 family farmers are involved in the project and receive guidance from the miner’s Community Relations team by way of technical and agricultural advice. Farmers are guided through all stages of the delicate process of cocoa planting and production.

St Barbara reintroduced cocoa farming upon purchasing the mine in 2012. Planting began in 2017 and today, a total of 50 hectares have been planted around Simberi and Big Tabar Islands. This will help build a sustainable future for Tabar locals, and the broader PNG community, economically empowering them for a life beyond mining.

It’s an interesting time to be in mining and with a company like St Barbara the future is not only bright, it’s brilliant.

Lynas reaches record rare earths sales

Lynas Rare Earths has achieved $185.9 million in sales revenue after strong demand for the company’s neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) oxide during the June quarter of 2021.

The company produced 3778 tonnes of rare earth oxide (REO) for the quarter, including 1393 tonnes of NdPr.

Lynas chief executive officer Amanda Lacaze said its REO production demonstrated the company’s resilience to COVID-19 challenges in Malaysia.

“Sales revenue of $185.9 million and sales receipts of $192 million were both records for the company,” Lacaze said.

“This result reflected sustained demand for Lynas NdPr products and strong market pricing, as end users and governments around the world continue to recognise the need for a diversified supply of responsible rare earth materials.

“NdPr production of 1393 tonnes was a slight improvement on the preceding quarters. This is an excellent result given continuing challenges presented by the ongoing pandemic, particularly in Malaysia.

“The achievements of our Malaysian team have been absolutely outstanding over the full duration of the pandemic and in the past quarter in particular.”

Lacaze said demand for NdPr had strengthened to pre-COVID levels with the average China domestic price reaching $US69.90 ($94.86) per kilogram in June due to increased activity from the automotive and fluid catalytic cracking sectors.

Lynas has also continued to advance its 2025 project strategy, which includes its rare earth processing facility in Kalgoorlie and United States-based rare earths processing facility.

Information requested by Western Australia’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the Kalgoorlie facility was submitted during the quarter along with an updated environmental review document.

Lynas is preparing the Mt Weld rare earth deposit in Western Australia for its next mining campaign after it commissioned the second stack cell in late June and installation of a second concentrate dryer.

According to Lynas, the concentrate dryer will improve rare earth concentrate quality at Mt Weld with it expected to be in operation next quarter.

稀土开采公司Lynas第四季度销售收入达1.8亿再创记录，股价飙升10%

2021-07-26 10:53:01 (AET) by Edward Zhang 6767

稀土开采公司 Lynas（ASX：LYC）21财年第四季度的销售收入和季度收入均创下记录。其中，销售收入高达1.859亿澳元，较上一季度增长69%，比去年同期大幅度提升389.2%；稀土氧化物总产量为3778吨，较上一季度减少15.3%；镨钕产量为1393吨，较前一季度小幅提升。

澳股资讯平台 – 61 Financial 7月26日讯，稀土开采公司 Lynas（ASX：LYC）早盘发布21财年第四季度的市场报告。

根据报告，在对产品的持续需求和强劲的市场定价的推动下，Lynas的季度收入和销售收入均创下记录。

其中，销售收入高达1.859亿澳元，较上一季度增长69%，比去年同期的3800万澳元大幅度提升389.2%；稀土氧化物（REO）总产量为3778吨，较上一季度的4463吨减少15.3%；镨钕产量为1393吨，较前一季度小幅提升。

市场方面，第四季度镨钕在中国国内的平均价格为69.9美元/公斤，整个季度走势疲软，较前几个月的涨幅略有调整。但由于强大的需求也抵消了部分物价下跌对Lynas带来的影响，并且7月份镨钕氧化物价格再次出现上涨。

Lynas表示，在COVID-19大流行的持续影响下，公司马来西亚小组依然表现杰出，并处理了供水短缺问题。在该地区第三波疫情的影响下，公司对所有员工和承包商进行病毒检测，同时为其提供住所以控制传播风险。公司预计，尽管面临各种挑战，但马来西亚工厂仍将顺利保持以75%的产能运行。

受此消息影响，公司股价早盘高开，盘中涨幅高达9.95%，位居ASX200指数榜榜首。

截止发稿，股价上涨9.02%。

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公司公告Lynas Rare Earths Awarded $14.8M Australian Government Grant

Iron ore stars in June export figures: ABS

Australian exports have been upheld by metalliferous ores in June, with the category showing an 8 per cent increase and a fourth consecutive record month.

Head of International Statistics at the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Andrew Tomadini said overall exports experienced a similar jump.

“June 2021 recorded a monthly export value above $40 billion. Exports increased 8 per cent to $41.3 billion, with significant increases in metalliferous ores, coal, non-monetary gold and gas,” Tomadini said.

Metalliferous ores made up almost half of Australia’s export value in June at $20.49 billion, with iron ore up 6 per cent to represent most of that figure ($17.55 billion).

Coal saw its highest export value since April 2020, with $555 million making up 15 per cent of the country’s total export value.

The $40 billion total exports easily qualify the record $310 billion predicted for the 2020-21 financial year by the Resources and Energy June Quarterly.

“Supply chains disrupted by China’s informal import restrictions have largely reorganised, albeit with some loss of revenue,” the Quarterly stated.

China received $19.12 billion worth of Australian exports in June 2021, with record iron ore movement providing a strong backbone – up $1 billion (7 per cent on June 2020) to $14.89 billion.

In June, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia Keith Pitt acknowledged the importance of Australia’s resources sector in strengthening the Australian economy.

“These incredible results underline the importance of Australia’s resources sector to the national economy and international markets throughout the COVID-19 downturn,” he said in response to the Quarterly.

“Australia’s energy and resources sector has remained safe and reliable suppliers to domestic and global markets throughout the pandemic, helping to underpin economic growth and overcome the challenging trade conditions of the past year.”

Newmont rises above Tanami constraints

July 23, 2021 News Nickolas Zakharia

Newmont has boosted production across its global gold portfolio, with an increase in grades and throughput at the Boddington mine in Western Australia contributing to the result.

The company produced 1.45 million ounces of gold in the June quarter, which was 15 per cent higher than the previous corresponding period.

Boddington and Tanami produced 189,000 ounces and 109,000 ounces respectively in the June quarter.

The company signalled that production offset by a build-up of in-circuit inventory at Tanami after it was placed under care and maintenance which was lifted in July.

Newmont has also continued to deploy COVID-19 vaccinations to its workforce globally.

According to Newmont president and chief executive officer Tom Palmer, the company had secured $US1.6 billion ($2.1 billion) in earnings in the June quarter.

“Capitalising on the strength of our assets and integrated operating model, Newmont delivered a solid second quarter performance with $US1.6 billion in adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) and $US578 million in free cash flow,” Palmer said.

“Our performance and disciplined approach to capital allocation allowed Newmont to declare a second quarter dividend of $US0.55 per share, whilst we continue to reinvest in our business through our most profitable projects.

“As we move into our next 100 years of mining, we remain focused on delivering value to all of our stakeholders from our world-class portfolio of long-life, responsibly managed assets located in top- tier jurisdictions.”

Newmont will continue to focus on boosting gold production and investment into its operating aspects as part of its outlook.

The company has progressed its Tanami Expansion 2 project which will boost the site’s mine life beyond 2040 through a 1460-metre hosting shaft that will result in a 150,000 to 200,000-ounce increase to annual gold production.

The project’s capital cost is estimated to be between $US850 million and $US950 million with production from the expansion due in the first half of 2024.

Newmont’s annual gold production outlook is 6.5 million tonnes for the 2021 calendar year.

The company stated that its target is on track and will be bolstered by the second half of the year.

Newmont will aim to produce seven million ounces of gold per year from 2024.

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Northern Star reaps benefits of Saracen merger

Northern Star Resources is seeing the early signs of cost savings and productivity gains from the merger with Saracen Mineral Holdings as it progresses towards producing 2 million ounces of a gold a year.

The gold miner sold 1.6 million ounces of gold in the 2021 financial year at an all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) of $1483 per ounce.

According to Northern Star managing director Stuart Tonkin, the benefits of the Saracen merger are materialising.

“As we bed down the merger, the savings and the productivities are coming through at numerous levels,” Tonkin said.

“And the scale of our business, now underpinned by reserves of 21 million ounces exclusively in tier-one locations, is exceptional.”

The company produced 444,012 ounces at an AISC of $1459 per ounce in the June quarter from its Kalgoorlie, Yandal and Pogo production centres in Western Australia.

The Kalgoorlie production centre contains the Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM), Kalgoorlie Operations and Carosue Dam mine, with Northern Star claiming full ownership of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and Carosue Dam after merging with Saracen.

Northern Star has also mapped out its five-year plan to become a two-million-ounce producer.

This will involve increasing its Kalgoorlie production centre to 1.1 million ounces per year, Yandal to 600,000 ounces per year and Pogo to 300,000 ounces per year.

Northern Star plans to continue improving quality and increasing the quantity of ounces per share.

“It was a strong operational performance from our recently merged team with production and costs comfortably in line with the undertakings we provided to the market,” Tonkin said.

“This flowed through to our financial results, with cash flow rising significantly from the previous quarter, leaving us with cash and bullion of more than $800 million at the end of the financial year.”

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South32 longwall change improves Illawarra output

*Illawarra Metallurgical Coal. Image: South32*

South32 has improved metallurgical coal production at the Illawarra metallurgical coal operation in New South Wales after returning the site to a three longwall configuration.

Illawarra, which is South32’s sole metallurgical coal asset, improved production 9 per cent in the 2021 financial year thanks to the site’s updated configuration which enhanced efficiencies.

According to South32, the company’s coal production was impacted by challenging strata conditions at Ilawarra’s Appin mine during the June 2021 quarter, which performed below expectations with a 15 per cent decrease in coal production.

The company produced 7.6 million tonnes of metallurgical coal, leaving it below its target of 8 million tonnes for the 2021 financial year.

South32 expects its operating costs for metallurgical coal will be “moderately higher” in the 2021 financial year than its guidance of $US83 ($113) per tonne due to lower than expected coal volumes.

South32 chief executive officer Graham Kerr said the company’s divestments in the past year have added to its emissions targets.

“Our strong financial position supported the return of $US346 million ($471 million) to shareholders via our on-market share buy-back during the year, bringing total returns under our capital management program to $US1.7 billion ($2.3 billion) over the past four years,” he said.

“We also made substantial progress reshaping our portfolio during the year, completing the divestments of South Africa Energy Coal and the TEMCO manganese alloy smelter, while progressing studies for our base metals development options at Hermosa and Ambler Metals.

“This, along with the release of our medium-term target to halve our operational emissions by 2035 position us well as the world transitions to a low carbon future.”

The company increased production at Worsley Alumina in Western Australia by 2 per cent to a record 3.9 million tonnes and sales by 6 per cent to 4 million tonnes in the 2021 financial year.

South32 owns an 86 per cent interest in Worsley, with the site operating above its nameplate capacity of 4.6 million tonnes per year.

Zinc production has also improved for South32. The company’s Cannington silver-lead mine in North West Queensland increased its zinc equivalent production by 14 per cent to 380,200 tonnes in the 2021 financial year.

This result was guided by strong underground mine performance, bolstered by a higher-grade mining sequence.

Cannington’s silver, lead and zinc sales increased by 51 per cent, 48 per cent and 34 per cent, respectively, in the June 2021 quarter.

Monadelphous

工程集团Monadelphous与多家矿业龙头公司共签订2.15亿澳元合同

2021-06-22 14:27:04 (AET) by Edward Zhang 3338

工程集团 Monadelphous（ASX：MND）赢得了一系列的新合同，这些合同预计带来2.15亿澳元的收入。这些合同包括与多家澳交所上市的矿业龙头公司：必和必拓（ASX：BHP），Rio Tinto（ASX：RIO）以及Fortescue Metals Group（ASX：FMG）的合作。

澳股资讯平台 – 61 Financial 6月22日讯，工程集团 Monadelphous（ASX：MND）早盘发布公告，公司赢得了一系列的新合同，这些合同预计带来2.15亿澳元的收入。

公司表示，这些合同包括与必和必拓（ASX：BHP）旗下在南澳大利亚Roxby Downs的Olympic Dam铜矿项目的冶炼厂维护工作。该维护将立即开始，并定于12月结束。除此之外，Monadelphous还获得了一份延长两年的现有Olympic Dam维护服务合同，涵盖土木、结构和机械工程、建筑维护和电气服务以及地下轨道维护。

Monadelphous还与Rio Tinto（ASX：RIO）和必和必拓签订了西澳大利亚Pilbara地区的合同，重点包括Rio Tinto的Gudai-Darri铁矿石项目的建设和支持服务。

公司其它交易包括在智利各地与Codelco和必和必拓签订新合同，以及与Fortescue Metals Group（ASX：FMG）和重型起重公司Fagioli合作达成新协议。Monadelphous表示，与Fagioli的战略合作，使公司的专业重型起重业务能够增加产能，扩大澳大利亚资源和能源市场的能力。

Monadelphous是总部位于西澳珀斯的澳大利亚工程集团，为资源、能源和基础设施领域提供建筑、维修、和工业服务。其工程建设部门负责提供大型多学科项目管理和建设服务。其维护及工业服务部门专门负责机械和电气维护服务，固定工厂维护服务，脱水服务，专业涂层和可持续基建工程的规划，管理和执行。该部门通过与主要客户的长期合同为公司的重复性收入提供重要来源。

在截至2020年6月的财年中，公司收入为14.9亿澳元，较2019财年小幅度上升0.06%；运营收益为5509万澳元，较去年8343万澳元下降33.9%；净利润为3648万澳元，较去年同期5056万澳元下降27.8%。

截止发稿，公司股价上涨1.42%至10.00澳元。

text 【更多MND公告和股价走势请点击MND个股页面】

消息来源：

公司公告Monadelphous Contracts Update

BHP and Rio top PwC global miner report

Five Australian mining companies have been named among the world’s Top 40 miners in Pricewaterhouse Coopers’ (PwC) annual Mine 2021 report, with early forecasts suggesting the industry will record the second highest net profits in 18 years.

According to PwC’s 18^th annual report, BHP and Rio Tinto retained their positions as first and second on the list of the Top 40 global mining companies, while Fortescue Metals Group rose six spots on the list to fourth.

Newcrest Mining fell four spots from 14th to 18th, while South32 came in at 35th on the list, down from 28th last year.

According to PwC, based on production and commodity price forecasts, group revenue (excluding trading) for the Top 40 is expected to rise to US$700 billion ($903 billion), up 29 per cent.

BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue have distributed their highest ever dividends for the February 2021 reporting period when iron ore prices were lower, according to the report.

PwC global mining leader Paul Bendall said the Top 40 miners find themselves in an enviable position.

“Just as the world pivots to a more sustainable future reliant on a lower-carbon economy, the miners have a chance to think strategically towards a decarbonisation future and ESG agenda, and reap the long-term benefits,” he said.

“One such way is gaining access to materials necessary for customers to realise their bold net-zero targets.”

The report identified that companies with higher ESG ratings returned an average total shareholder return of 34 per cent over the past three years – 10 per cent higher than the general market index.

Bendall said there was undeniable value in top miners taking ESG seriously.

“This isn’t just about doing the right thing and appeasing shareholders, but there are long-term value creation opportunities at the ready for those who bake ESG into their core operating strategies, such as improved access to capital, and riding the wave of an ever-increasing thirst for low-carbon products,” he said.

“The top 40 mining companies have enjoyed tremendous growth in the face of challenging economic conditions, which begs the question: what will they do with their near record levels of free cash flow? There exists a massive opportunity to make a big, bold pivot towards the future – and reap the benefits of doing so.”

Bendall said the next challenge is to shift from short-term adaptation to long-term transformation.

“Miners need to think about how they’ll succeed in a world undergoing profound change due to the pandemic. These decisions will shape the future of the sector for decades to come,” he said.