MiningLink News

The Queensland Government has broken ground on the first construction works of the $5 billion CopperString project. Work commenced yesterday on the CopperString projects’ first and largest workforce accommodation site. The site will house those charged with building the project’s 840km high-voltage transmission line that will connect Mount Isa to the ‘SuperGrid’ for the first time. The workforce accommodation will house up to 550 construction workers at its peak. These workers will construct a nearby substation and progress early stages of the transmission line development heading west from Hughenden out to Mount Isa. Supercharging the state’s north-west aims to unlock Queensland’s $500 billion north-west minerals province. It’s expected CopperString will be complete in 2029, weather and construction conditions permitting. Queensland Premier Stephen Miles said CopperString is the biggest ever expansion to the state’s publicly owned energy system. “Queenslanders deserve cheaper, cleaner, more reliable energy – to power their homes, our schools, hospitals, shopping centres and more,” Miles said . “CopperString will be the catalyst for transforming Queensland’s north and north-west – opening up mining opportunities, creating more jobs and unlocking critical minerals which will be essential in developing renewable technologies. “This is the start of a long and exciting future for the region and our state.” Commencing later this month, project owner, Queensland Powerlink, will be offering free sessions for businesses along the CopperString corridor to build their capabilities. The program includes five workshops and one-on-one assistance to help businesses build confidence to bid on major projects and supply chain work in the region. “All of North Queensland understands the immense opportunities that CopperString presents for local jobs both directly and indirectly which is why this is such a momentous day,” Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart said.  “Critical minerals are the next big boom for the resources industry and the feedback I’ve had from companies is that this project is key to unlocking those opportunities.” Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/queensland-breaks-ground-on-copperstring/

Underground mines are busy places, and it’s vital companies are on top of their processes to enable an efficient and safe underground operation. Whether it’s having the best equipment to drive higher production, maximise return on investment, minimise waste or keep workers out of harm’s way, mining companies benefit from understanding and investing in the right underground technologies. Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/showcasing-the-best-in-underground-mining/

BHP has started environmental processing to have the transport at its Escondida copper mine in Chile transitioned to an electric trolley system. The Big Australian will invest around $US250 million ($371.6 million) in the project at Escondida, which it owns in a joint venture with Rio Tinto. The funds will go towards installing key infrastructure to electrically assist the movement of extraction trucks in areas where the highest fuel consumption currently takes place. BHP has submitted an environmental impact statement to the Environmental Impact Assessment System in Chile. “The electric trolley system is one of the initiatives with which we seek to move towards a safer and more sustainable way of operating hand in hand with technology,” BHP Escondida president Alejandro Tapia said . “This project will allow us to reduce the fuel consumption of our extraction trucks and thus advance our goal of net-zero operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” The project includes the construction of a new electrical substation and transmission lines both inside and around the Escondida Norte pit. These facilities will electrically assist the movement of trucks inside the mine in the areas where they go up loaded with ore and, consequently, consume more fuel. With this new technology, instead of using diesel, they will be propelled by electrical power, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving productivity associated with truck performance given the higher travel speed. Once construction kicks off up to 160 jobs are expected to be created. The trolley project is in addition to other technological transformation initiatives that the company maintains in different stages of study and execution, including the progressive incorporation of autonomy in its mining equipment.  To date, Escondida has six autonomous trucks in full operation and by 2025 it expects to have the largest fleet of autonomous equipment in South America. Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/bhp-goes-green-at-worlds-largest-copper-mine/

Dendra has evolved its aerial seeding technology to the point that it can cover up to 44 hectares per day – a 10-fold increase in just a decade. The Australian mining industry is beginning to understand the gravity of the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement and what it means for a company’s bottom line. Regulators, investors and other stakeholders are increasingly taking ESG into account when making decisions that affect a mine’s financing and development. Dendra is enabling ESG compliance in the local resources sector by empowering miners and contractors to implement better ecosystem-restoration practices, leading to improved land treatment and relationships with Traditional Owners. As an important component of ecosystem restoration, aerial seeding sees drone fleets disperse various seed types and combinations onto disused mining areas, providing the foundation for ecosystem restoration, reducing erosion hazards, and suppressing the growth of invasive plant species. Aerial seeding usurps traditional ‘boots-on-the-ground’ methods, with drones able to seed larger and harder-to-access areas faster. In fact, Dendra is able to seed up to 44 hectares per day through its current aerial seeding processes – a 10-fold scale increase from a decade ago. Dendra has not only been able to expand the scale of its offerings but also improve the quality of its technology to handle a wider range of seed types. “In Australia, seed types range from grains to grass and everything in between,” Dendra engineering group manager Ashwin Chandrasekaran told Australian Mining. “This is where Dendra comes in – we’ve pioneered new technology that can help spread far more fibrous and difficult seed types. And we do this with a focus on operational safety and efficiency.” Dendra Australia engineering manager Alec Lewandowski said Dendra’s technology is ever evolving. “We are always adapting our system to new seed types,” he told Australian Mining. “When we receive a seed that’s outside of our capability, we perform some R&D (research and development) and get the system working again to a good level. “This is a testament to how our company works; no matter the customer request, we push to make it work.” Dendra sees new capabilities entering the drone technology sector all the time. It’s one thing to adopt a new technology, but it’s another thing to adapt it. “Every year new aircraft enters the market that has more agility or carries heavier weights,” Chandrasekaran said. “Dendra builds a system that can adapt to these aircraft. Just because an aircraft can carry ‘X’ amount of weight doesn’t mean it is better, because you still need to be able to accurately disperse a certain amount of seed per hectare.” The continued expansion of Dendra’s aerial seeding solution reflects both the growth of drone technology over the years and the company’s ability to evolve with that growth and tailor its solutions to current environmental needs. Chandrasekaran said when a mining customer in Western Australia requested its mining operation be seeded by “one of Australia’s most difficult seed types”, Dendra went to work. “The first time we saw the seed, we instantly knew it was going to be a difficult seed to work with; the seed could be compared to a bale of hay,” he said. “But we quickly made some modifications to our system and patented a new technology that focuses on how different seed types can efficiently pass through our system. “We’ve been able to improve our technology little by little, making it more and more efficient, and we’re now at the stage where we’re doing an extensive project. “We started aerial seeding about five hectares for this client. This year we’ll be doing 500 hectares.” Dendra has achieved greater scale and scope with its aerial seeding solution. The company is also changing the way undulating and difficult-to-access terrains can be rehabilitated. “Much of the mining environment is very treacherous terrain – it’s rarely flat,” Chandrasekaran said. “While traditional methods often involve trucks, tractors or teams of people on ground manually completing seeding tasks, this is not possible or safe in many mining landscapes. “This is where our aerial solution comes into effect. There is no terrain we cannot seed, which means we can easily scale because we only need to add more aircraft to increase the size of the area we’re trying to spread. “And even if the terrain is accessible, if you consider the cost per hectare, buying another drone is a lot more economical than buying another tractor to seed the same area.” Dendra makes seeding simple, with the mobility of its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) meaning solutions can be quickly mobilised to a mine site. “Some of the mine sites we work with are so remote that it isn’t always practical to get machinery on-site in a short space of time,” Chandrasekaran said. “But we’re able to quickly deploy our UAVs, go out and complete hundreds of hectares of seeding over a couple of weeks. “We’re efficient, we’re safe, and we’re fully capable of being able to deliver seeding solutions at scale in a short period of time, which saves mining companies a lot of time and money.” While Dendra has already achieved so much with its aerial seeding solution, there is so much more potential for this technology to grow and evolve. Lewandowski said the company is always pushing to achieve greater volume. “The more volume an aircraft can hold, the more seeds you can hold in one flight,” he said. “This means less fly backs, less filling up of the aircraft, which means more spread and more hectares covered per day.” Dendra has a passion for technology and a passion for the environment, two critical linchpins in determining the mining sector’s ESG future.  And as Dendra establishes a stronger presence in the Australian mining sector, the company will continue to drive greater innovation and unearth safer, more efficient and more cost-effective ecosystem restoration practices. Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/inspired-tech-and-faster-rehabilitation/

The MagneW PLUS+ electromagnetic flowmeters from Azbil Corporation are designed to measure every sort of liquid, including water, chemicals, slurries, and corrosive liquids. The standard model has a mirror-smooth PFA (perfluoroalkoxy) liner for excellent adhesion resistance that enables outstanding durability even in long-term use. It is available in an integrated type and a remote type and can be used in a wide range of settings, including explosion-proof and outdoor environments. The Azbil magnetic flowmeters offer the following features: Improved performance and greater stability Suppression of flow noise is 3.5 times that of the conventional model for excellent stability in the presence of noise. Achieves more reliable measurement in individual applications through features such as an excitation frequency change function, an optional auto spike cutoff setting, travel averaging, and manual zero adjustment. Improved factory data memory function to facilitate checking after shipment In addition to the serial number and production date on the product tag plate at shipment, the human machine interface enables checking in maintenance mode. Statuses that may be difficult to read on the product tag plate are backed up as electronic data. High-speed batch function for batch applications A high-speed response function with a damping time constant of 0.1 second can be selected as an option. This enables compatibility with high-speed batch applications, allowing use with a pulse frequency of up to 3000 hertz. Compatible with HART and CommPad communicators as a standard feature Communication with CommPad is supported as in previous models. Communication superimposed on the analogue signal can be used by selecting the HART communicator function.  For further information, contact AMS Instrumentation & Calibration , Azbil’s Australian distributor. Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/introducing-azbils-new-electromagnetic-flowmeters/

EQ Resources hit new weekly production records in June at its Mount Carbine and Saloro tungsten operations in Queensland and Spain respectively. The Mount Carbine operations produced a record 70.4 tonnes of 50 per cent tungsten oxide (WO3) concentrate over a seven-day production period, with a daily record of 13.6 tonnes of 50 per cent WO3 concentrate produced within a 24-hour period. According to EQ, this marks a 16 per cent improvement over the previous weekly production record at Mount Carbine. It also builds off the production record achieved in the March 2024 quarter. The Saloro operations also achieved a weekly production record of around 50 tonnes of 50 per cent WO3-equivalent concentrate within a seven-day period at the beginning of June. EQ credited the higher recovery and final concentrate production at Saloro to significant upgrades implemented during the June 2024 quarter. “I am very pleased with the progress seen at both operations specifically throughout June,” EQ chief executive officer Kevin MacNeill said . “Mount Carbine faced a major rebuild of our main screen, which allowed us to implement the previously announced upgrade of one of our XRT sorters. Technology is evolving quickly and given our good relationship with TOMRA and considering that we just commissioned the new generation sorters at Saloro, we could finish the upgrade in less than a week.” Looking ahead, the Saloro processing plant de-bottlenecking program is scheduled for completion by the end of the September 2024 quarter. The plant improvements implemented so far include the crushing and screening circuit, modification of jig ragging, spiral circuit optimisation and a rearrangement of the shaking table circuit to capture a higher proportion of fine scheelite previously lost in the tailings stream. The Queensland Investment Corporation will also fund the expansion of Mount Carbine via a $20 million loan to be received by EQ in two instalments over a three-year period.  Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/eq-hits-tungsten-production-high/

The Northern Territory Government has extended a deal with two aspiring lithium cathode producers for the development of a new battery manufacturing project. Avenira Limited and Advanced Lithium Electrochemistry (Aleees) will extend a memorandum of understanding (MOU) originally signed in September 2022. Under the September 2022 announcement, a tripartite non-binding MOU was signed by Avenira, Aleees and the NT Government to work towards the development of a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cathode manufacturing facility. The NT Government is to assist and advise on necessary infrastructure including water, energy, power, telecommunications, road, port and rail access and service requirements. The new agreement will aim to see a feasibility study commenced on the project by the end of the year, with site allocation to come in 2025. Avenira’s work on the project is currently underway following the completion of a promising scoping study, which Avenira chair and chief executive officer Brett Clark said demonstrated the strong economic and technical viability of the project. “The MOU extension demonstrates the continuing support of the Northern Territory Government and Aleees with this significant LFP cathode project in Darwin,” he said . This agreement has been extended to June 30 2025 to allow the NT Government to continue to provide Aleees and Avenira with support through to the completion of the next stage studies. Once operational, the pilot facility will manufacture up to 10,000 tonnes of lithium-iron phosphate battery cathode material per year.  It’s estimated the project will initially create 100 jobs, growing up to 1000 jobs and generating more than $US4 billion ($6 billion) in revenue annually once scaled to full production. Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/more-support-for-nt-lithium/

Catalyst Metals has revealed that dewatering at its Plutonic East deposit is progressing faster than anticipated, thanks to an improved balance sheet. In February 2023, it was announced that Catalyst would merge with Superior Gold via a Canadian plan of arrangement. As a result, the company took over ownership of the Plutonic gold mine, located about 300km northeast of Meekatharra in Western Australia, in June 2023. A month prior, it was announced that Catalyst would acquire Vango Mining for $66 million. The acquisition was completed in March 2023. Both acquisitions allowed Catalyst to consolidate the Plutonic gold belt. When the acquisitions took place, the Plutonic gold mine was the only operating mine on the belt. Within the first 12 months of owning the Plutonic operations, Catalyst installed a new management team and reinvested cashflows into advancing the Plutonic gold belt’s development. The company also managed to lower cut-off grades from 2.7 grams per tonne (g/t) to 2.0g/t, allowing Catalyst to better understand the Plutonic gold belt and two development projects it has in the area: Plutonic East and Trident. In April 2024, the company commenced dewatering at Plutonic East. The initial pit lake and underground dewatering activities are expected to continue until the first quarter of the 2024–25 financial year (Q1 FY25), with rehabilitation of the decline at Plutonic East also commencing in Q1 FY25. With these works being undertaken, Catalyst said the start-up capital costs for Plutonic East will be lower than anticipated. “The Catalyst operating team has done an exceptional job in stabilising operations and lifting production at Plutonic,” Catalyst managing director and chief executive officer James Champion de Crespigny said . “This has led to a strengthening of Catalyst’s balance sheet. “Our focus now turns to the organic growth strategy of developing the existing resources across the belt. As Catalyst better understands the belt, we’re seeing the capital costs for developments fall. These lower capital costs, and our improving balance sheet, are encouraging signs.”  Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/a-catalyst-for-more-gold/

Martin Engineering has announced the next generation of secondary conveyor belt cleaners engineered to reduce dusty carryback and lower maintenance time. Designed to withstand the stress of heavier loads carried on wider and thicker belts at higher speeds, the Martin SQC2S Orion secondary cleaner features individually cushioned tungsten carbide blade cartridges for effective cleaning without risk to the belt or splices. A two-tiered tensioning system means minimal adjustments and monitoring throughout the life of the blade, and the heavy-duty blades are mounted on a slide-in/slide-out assembly for faster and safer one-worker external servicing. The result is improved belt cleaning with less dust and maintenance for greater workplace safety at a lower cost of operation. “We field tested the Orion over several months side-by-side with competitor designs in punishing mining environments and found that the new design significantly outperformed the competition,” Martin Engineering conveyor products manager Dave Mueller said. “At the end of the testing period, customer participants started the process of replacing all their heavy-duty secondary cleaners with the Orion. We now view this design as the future of our secondary cleaner line moving forward.” Secondary cleaners play an essential role in the belt cleaning process by significantly reducing the volume of dust and fines dropped as carryback on the belt return. Primary cleaners release most of the abrasive material remaining on the belt after discharge. Located below the head pully just behind the primary, secondary cleaners scrape off the fines and dust that hide in cracks and divots in the belt. Carryback is attributed to many environmental and operational issues such as air quality violations, fouling of rolling components and machinery, and increased labor for cleanup and maintenance. The Martin SQC2S Orion secondary cleaner is appropriate for all bulk handling material applications. The unit is made up of individual six-inch (152.5mm) blades mounted on a square steel tube assembly. Not designed for reversing belts, it is suitable for belt widths between 18–96 inches (457–2438.5mm), belt speeds up to 1200 feet per minute fpm (six metres per second), and temperatures up to 250ºF (121ºC). “What sets this unit apart from others on the market is the innovative, dual tensioning system with independent heavy-duty tungsten blades which are game-changing design features,” Mueller said. “The first level of tensioning is supplied to the entire assembly using the heavy-duty SQC2S tensioner, which applies light upward torque evenly across the belt profile for less friction and no wear on splices.” The second level of tensioning is on the individual blade assembly. Each Orion blade assembly is attached to a steel square tube assembly that is secured a mounting plate. The square tube houses a rubber tensioner with a torsion arm bolted to each side and a specialised tungsten blade is attached to the arm. The whole system is mounted at a 90-degree angle, then tensioned so each blade is vertical and perpendicular to the belt. As the belt runs, each blade assembly adjusts independently to precisely match the belt’s profile, permitting them to compensate for camber, flaws/blemishes, and stubborn material stuck to the belt’s face. To accommodate belt cupping and other uneven surfaces, the blade assemblies can be individually adjusted to match the belt profile. The blades are specially designed for heavy-duty abrasive applications in both dry and wet environments. Tested on hard rock and slurry belts, the Orion blades offered superior cleaning results with a longer equipment life. This is due to the rugged tungsten carbide core surrounded by mild steel. Blades are also available in stainless-steel for specific corrosive materials. The blade design features an attached deflector shield made from polypropene or rugged nylon for high temperature applications. Mounted directly to the blade in an outward scoop design, the shield ushers loosened material away from the mainframe and toward the discharge chute. This mitigates buildup on the assembly, extending the blade’s effectiveness and reducing the amount of maintenance.Safety and ease of maintenance is a key feature and a core priority for all Martin Engineering designs. The slide-in/slide-out design allows a single worker to perform maintenance with easy access outside of the conveyor structure, eliminating the need to crawl underneath or awkwardly reach inside. This greatly improves workplace safety and reduces the amount of time and labor required for maintenance, significantly lowering the cost of operation. “Every bulk handling operation is unique and requires equipment that is versatile and adaptable, and I think we’ve achieved that with the Orion,” Mueller said. “Martin Engineering products are developed to improve efficiency and safety, without compromising belt health. This design gives customers more options and superior results, regardless of the material or the process.”  Source: https://www.australianmining.com.au/martin-engineering-debuts-secondary-conveyor-belt-cleaner/