The Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions rock tools team are helping to set the industry standard for circularity of rock tools and their operations.
Currently, Sandvik is one of the only original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) who recycles tungsten carbide across the world through its Carbide Recycling Program to preserve and protect remaining reserves of tungsten, a rapidly declining resource.
So far, the program has supported Sandvik to reduce its own transport CO2 footprint within this area by roughly 93 per cent, and by using recycled materials for new tools, Sandvik uses approximately 70 per cent less energy and reduces this portion of CO2 by approximately 64 per cent.
Watch the video below find out how the program supports Sandvik’s and its customers journeys towards more sustainable mining operations for future generations.
MACA has locked in a major contract at Atlas Iron’s Miralga Creek iron ore project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The mining, civil and mineral processing contractor will provide mining and drill and blast services at the mine, continuing a 15-year partnership between the companies.
The contract announcement was made by Thiess, which has owned MACA since 2022.
“This contract will see the business further embed our presence in the Pilbara’s rich iron ore industry, all while working alongside a client that has played a large role in MACA’s expansion,” Thiess Group executive chair and chief executive officer Michael Wright said.
Miralga Creek becomes MACA’s second active Atlas Iron contract, situated in close proximity to Sanjiv Ridge, a project awarded to MACA in June 2020 providing infrastructure, drill and blast, and load and haul services.
Operating at the project since mid-March under a letter of intent, MACA has since mobilised a fleet of excavators, trucks, drills and associated support equipment, as well as a 45-person workforce to ensure minimal operational downtime.
“Since 2009, we have proudly worked with Atlas Iron, consistently delivering our capability and flexibility to meet production goals.” Thiess Group executive – Australia West David Grieg said.
“Securing the Miralga Creek contract is a strong signal of MACA’s capability in delivering our promise of performance in a range of highly technical applications.
“With over 20 years’ operating in the Western Australian landscape, new contracts with both existing and former clients remain the ultimate testimonial of our performance.”
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Drilling operations at the Springdale graphite project in WA. Image: International Graphite.
International Graphite has welcomed the US’ decision to impose tariffs on a range of Chinese imports, including batteries, battery components and parts, and critical minerals.
Earlier this week, the US Government announced the tariff rate on natural graphite and permanent magnets from China will increase from zero to 25 per cent in 2026, and the tariff rate for other critical minerals will increase from zero to 25 per cent in 2024.
The tariff rate on electric vehicles (EVs) will also increase from 25 per cent to 100 per cent in 2024, meaning EVs that use Chinese graphite for battery components will not be eligible for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax incentives.
The IRA legislation encourages innovation by giving firms various demand- and supply-side incentives to invest in developing and deploying clean energy technologies, while helping the country transition to net-zero.
“Despite rapid and recent progress in US onshoring, China currently controls over 80 per cent of certain segments of the EV battery supply chain, particularly upstream nodes such as critical minerals mining, processing, and refining,” the US Government said.
“Concentration of critical minerals mining and refining capacity in China leaves our supply chains vulnerable and our national security and clean energy goals at risk. In order to improve US and global resiliency in these supply chains, (the US Government) has invested across the US battery supply chain to build a sufficient domestic industrial base.”
International Graphite said graphite from its Springdale project in Western Australia will be free of US tariffs and Springdale customers will be eligible for IRA incentives as per the free trade agreement between Australia and the US.
“The timing of US tariffs coincides with the dates we expect to bring our Springdale mine into production,” International Graphite managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Worland said. “It is also the point at which world markets are expecting graphite demand to exceed supply.
“Our plan for a vertically integrated mine to market graphite business from Western Australia, fits perfectly with the goals of the US to reduce its reliance on China and secure other sources of trusted, reliable graphite.
“We have shown that Springdale has the potential to be a multi-decade, low-cost operation that will produce high quality graphite concentrates specifically for lithium-ion batteries.”
The Springdale graphite project in located in the Ravensthorpe region of WA. Since International Graphite took ownership of the project in 2022, it has grown to become one of the top 15 graphite deposits in the world.
K-AllShelter conveyor belt covers are manufactured using a wide range of optional materials. Image: Kinder Australia
Kinder Australia is helping quarries keep dust down while protecting material from the elements with its K-AllShelter Capotex covers.
Quarries can be a harsh and unrelating place for conveyors and the material they move.
Being exposed to the Australian elements can invite disaster. Rain adds more complications to the mix, as adding water to quarried material can quickly alter the consistency and lead to screen blinding, clogging, chute hangups and blockage.
Heat and humidity can interfere with material quality and flow, while the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays can shorten the belt life.
Strong winds can blow material off the belt, and in some cases, even flip the belting entirely. This also has the added problem of creating dust emissions.
Peter Laskey, a Kinder Australia field application specialist, told Quarry that dust prevention is becoming even more important in the sector.
“We are seeing quarries around the country looking to minimise dust as much as they can,” he said.
“Regulations are strict and it’s important to ensure the safety of the nearby workforce.”
One Victorian Quarry reached out to Kinder Australia to rectify its onsite dust issues. The site had recently improved one of its transfer points to deal with dust that had been building up.
However, following the transfer point upgrade, dust was being redirected to a different point of the conveyor system. Two vertical shaft impactors were frequently creating excessive dust emissions, particularly around the front of the transfer site, during the start up and production phase.
Baffles were previously used, but this solution was not enough to combat excessive dust emissions during normal production.
K-AllShelter features:
• Cost effective
•Self-supporting (no support structure required)
•Accessible from both sides of the conveyor
• No sharp edges
• Build-in inspection points available
•Site specific wind load report available to confirm compliance to Australian Standard
Laskey said the K-AllShelter Capotex conveyor cover was the proven, cost-effective dust suppression solution.
“The K-Shelter Capotex conveyor cover was chosen for its lightweight, high strength and easy to install features. The covers feature a dust-tight seal that prevents dust from escaping and causing problems on site.
“Future conveyor maintenance is made simple and hassle free due to the conveyor covers being hinged on both sides and due to the Caposafe Service Prop. The prop holds the cover and lets the maintenance team get access easily.”
K-AllShelter conveyor belt covers are manufactured using a wide range of optional materials and engineered as a waterproof, durable barrier. They can be custom made to suit all belt widths and models.
They help to provide durable protection from extreme environmental elements and help to control moisture levels of conveyed materials. Covering the conveyor is also beneficial to operators, improving safety by covering the moving parts.
Laskey said the dust emissions were eliminated following the installation of the covers, as the dust would settle onto the belt instead of becoming airborne.
“The customer was very happy – they saw how well it contained dust and decided to continue it to the head pulley. Once they saw how effective it was, they decided to go for the whole length of the conveyor,” he said.
“This is a classic example of how Kinder Australia works to find the right solution for a site. Our team looked at one part of the system, got that right, then moved to another. It’s not about isolating the symptom – we want to rectify the problem itself.
“We’re a solutions-based company with a large engineering base. Kinder is always working on new ways of solving problems that work best for each site.” •
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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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.”
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.
