Mining

New CSIRO research explores influence of coal seam gas activity on human health

New research has been released into the potential for coal seam gas (CSG) activity in Queensland to affect human health. A 2,150 square kilometres study site in the Surat Basin, Queensland, was selected and factors that could lead to potential hazards such as chemicals, air emissions, noise, light and dust associated with CSG activities were identified and appraised. Existing data related to these factors was screened to determine whether any factors would require in-depth assessment. While the study found that for the majority of factors there was no plausible pathway to impact human health, it determined further in-depth assessment of a small number of identified factors was required. As a result, two new CSIRO research projects are now underway and will conduct further in-depth studies focussing on eight groups of chemical factors. The research, undertaken by CSIRO and The University of Queensland, was governed through CSIRO’s Gas Industry Social and Environmental Research Alliance (GISERA). GISERA is an alliance led by CSIRO and is a collaboration between CSIRO, commonwealth, state and territory governments and industry with the purpose of working with the community to undertake research about the potential or actual impacts of gas development, across major environmental and socio-economic topics. The study was funded primarily by the Queensland (59 per cent) and Federal Governments (21 per cent) and CSIRO (18 per cent). GISERA industry partners APLNG and QGC each provided one per cent in funding and also made available operational data. CSIRO Energy Resources Research Director and GISERA Director Dr Damian Barrett said the study provided forensic information about the potential hazards to affect human health from CSG activities in the Surat Basin. “The value of this exhaustive study is that it provides certainty about where we need to focus further research,” Dr Barrett said. “By ruling out factors of […]

Rockwell Automation partner for OZ West Musgrave Project

Sustainably mining the in-demand minerals for Electric Vehicle (EV) and battery production Rockwell Automation will be the automation partner for OZ Minerals’ West Musgrave copper-nickel project. The company will supply control systems including its PlantPAx distributed control system, and advanced control and information management systems. OZ Minerals specialises in extracting minerals important for a low carbon future. The West Musgrave Project is a greenfield copper and nickel project located in the remote Ngaanyatjarra Aboriginal Lands of central Western Australia near the intersection of the borders of Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. Production is expected to commence in the second half of 2025. Energy transition minerals like copper and nickel are in high demand globally as the world moves into the de-carbonisation and electrification era. Once operational, West Musgrave is expected to be one of the world’s largest copper and nickel projects. It will also be one of the largest fully off-grid, hybrid renewable powered mines in the world. Initially 80% of its energy will be sourced from renewable wind and solar and there are plans to transition to an electric haulage fleet in the future. Rockwell Automation’s Control Systems will be installed throughout the West Musgrave Minerals Processing Plant to provide an integrated solution for the control and monitoring of the processing plant’s equipment and processes. The systems will be used to control and monitor the mine’s ore processing plant. “Modern minerals producers like OZ Minerals are looking to minimise their carbon footprints by using renewable energy, electrifying their fleets, and working with technology providers like Rockwell Automation to be more productive and more sustainable. We are honored to be working with them on this globally important project,” said Rockwell Automation’s regional director for the South Pacific region, Anthony Wong. Rockwell Automation works with miners and manufacturers […]

The Interview: Karyn Parker senior exploration geologist,Poseidon Nickel

Explain to readers what exactly it is you do? My role as a Senior Exploration Geologist involves leading and managing exploration activities with the aim of finding nickel deposits. The job is a varied one that involves planning and executing exploration programs using geological data. This allows me to be creative and apply new ideas as well as use the latest scientific theories to locate deposits. This also takes me into the field to manage and supervise drilling programs and teams. Our current focus is drilling out the Black Swan Disseminated deposit to update our resources with the aim to bring the mine back into production. I am overseeing this drilling in the open pit and the production of the resource estimate. In conjunction with this, I am planning exploration drilling on our project called Lake Johnston. Here there is little drilling on an ultramafic belt (the rocks that host Nickel) that runs through our ground. This is an exciting program with historic nickel mines in the area. The team has come up with a new geological model and an exciting theory to test. Life as a geologist…tell us about it? Life as a geologist is different every day. This ranges from working in the field doing manual tasks and camping in swags to high-level thinking in the Perth office. The lifestyle is unique with time spent living in fly camps in the bush for weeks on end, working in mining camps on FIFO rosters, and also living in towns like Kalgoorlie and Norseman. One thing for sure is that it takes you places you would not ordinarily go to. Life as a Geologist has taken me throughout the Goldfields and WA, from as far south as Esperance, to the Pilbara in the North. It has also provided opportunities to […]

Normet Group to buy Garock Pty Ltd

Normet Group Oy has entered into an agreement to acquire Garock Pty Ltd, a leading manufacturer and supplier of ground support systems for the mining and civil industries in Australia. With the acquisition, Normet strengthens its portfolio in dynamic ground support in underground mining and construction infrastructure projects. “This is a strategic acquisition for Normet in the Asia-Pacific market with impact on our global ground support business. With Garock, Australia will become Normet’s Global Centre for Rock Reinforcement R&D with ability to innovate in the future”, comments Ed Santamaria, President and CEO at Normet. Garock Pty Ltd will trade under the Normet Group from 1July 2022. Garock Pty Ltd, founded in 2012, offers highly innovative ground support systems that are fundamental to modern, safe underground mining and civil construction operations. Garock has a manufacturing presence in Western Australia and New South Wales and have 18 employees.

Golden State Mining announces new Payne’s Find Lithium Project

Gold, lithium, and base metals exploration company Golden State Mining Limited is substantially growing its’ footprint across Western Australia following the successful granting of two out of five tenement applications at GSM’s new ~1200km2 Payne’s Find Project in the Murchison region of Western Australia. Located immediately east and 30km north of Payne’s Find in the Murchison region of Western Australia, GSM has secured the ground for its lithium and base metal potential based on open file aeromagnetic and remote sensing data evaluation. The project-scale lithium targeting work has already commenced on the new, underexplored tenure of the entire project area, with further reconnaissance and initial soil sampling work due to commence in the coming weeks. Golden State’s Managing Director, Michael Moore, said “The diligent targeting work carried out by GSM during the second half of 2021 is already paying off for the company with the recent granting of two out of five tenement applications at Payne’s Find, being an exciting addition to the GSM stable of projects across Western Australia. In conjunction with a well-regarded industry consultant, this greenfields area was specifically targeted for its lithium prospectivity, however, the recent Meleya discovery by Tempest Minerals Limited some 30km away has also highlighted the importance of base metals opportunities in this region.” The new Payne’s Find Project adds to GSM’s quality projects focussed on Western Australia, with the flagship being the Yule Project in the under-explored Mallina Basin in the Pilbara region of the State. GSM’s 100% per cent owned holding is a strategic ground position in the highly sought-after Archaean Mallina Basin, with the tenement package hosting intrusive bodies and major structural corridors. The most recent drill campaign uncovered a significant gold intersection of 4m @ 0.8g/t from 74 metres. “The region is seriously under-explored. GSM continues to validate the […]

Australia could benefit from a global shift to emissions-free steel

John Pye, Associate Professor, School of Engineering, ANU, Australian National University;Alireza Rahbari, Research fellow, School of Engineering, ANU, Australian National University; Emma Aisbett, Fellow, Australian National University;Frank Jotzo, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy and Head of Energy, Institute for Climate Energy and Disaster Solutions, Australian National University; and Zsuzsanna Csereklyei, Senior Lecturer in Economics, RMIT University. Australia is the world’s number one exporter of both iron ore and metallurgical coal, the key ingredients of traditional steel making. Together, these materials make up a very large part of Australia’s export income. But as the world moves towards net-zero emissions by 2050, the conventional way of making steel, using coal to power a blast furnace, will come under question. Iron and steel production, in total, account for close to 7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This is incompatible with a net-zero world economy, where residual emissions would need to be compensated through carbon dioxide uptake from the atmosphere. The mature technology of coal-fired blast furnaces currently dominates the steel industry, generating 90% of its emissions. For years, decarbonising steel production has been seen as particularly challenging. But now, alternatives to the centuries-old practice of using coal to produce iron and steel are emerging. Researchers have been working on a number of new pathways to make steel with little or no emissions. The most promising process relying on the use of hydrogen. Our new research shows the steel industry can develop and implement green steel production processes to contribute to the great decarbonisation effort needed. For Australia, this presents an enormous new opportunity to future-proof and expand our steel industry as the world acts on climate change. How can we produce green steel? To eliminate emissions from this sector, several things are needed. First, we must use steel efficiently in well-designed structures. Second, we must […]

Highly detailed Earth. Australia and Tasmania

Strong interest from oil and gas sector in carbon capture acreage releases

Australia’s oil and gas industry says there has been strong interest in acreage releases for new carbon capture and storage (CCS) opportunities off Western Australia and the Northern Territory. As bidding closed, the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) welcomed the opportunity for members to bid for five areas in Commonwealth waters to explore greenhouse gas storage opportunities. APPEA Chief Executive Andrew McConville said the sector’s technological expertise and commitment to reducing emissions provided it with an advantage to deliver more as well as ultimately support a new hydrogen industry. “We understand members showed strong interest in this release, illustrating a solid backing of the pathway to a lower emissions, cleaner energy future,” Mr McConville said. “The oil and gas industry is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and some of our members are targeting earlier dates. “Billions have already been invested in cleaner technologies such as carbon capture and storage and hydrogen. “CCS has an important role in lowering the carbon intensity of gas production and in supporting the development of a blue hydrogen industry. “CCS is a viable and proven method and the oil and gas industry is well-positioned to deliver the technology.” The bidding under the Federal Government’s 2021 Offshore Greenhouse Gas Storage Acreage Release was the first opportunity since 2014.

BRC-civil-engineer-Nikita-Nikiteev-right-with-his-peers-at-the-business’-rail-provisioning-yard-in-Bowen

Engineers encouraged to get dirty through grad program

Bowen Rail Company (BRC) civil engineer Nikita Nikiteev knows better than most the professional value of getting your hands dirty. “I played in the dirt a lot as a kid and had a love for the exact sciences, so civil engineering was always the job for me,” he said. “But it wasn’t until I saw the opportunity of a graduate position working on the Carmichael Rail Network and getting my hands on to something challenging and meaningful that I knew where it would take me. “It turned out that was working alongside thousands of people building a railway in the middle of nowhere, and I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my career.” Now the 26-year-old is encouraging his like-minded peers to seize their opportunity as part of Adani’s second Graduate Program intake with its Bravus Mining and Resources and Bowen Rail Company businesses. Six positions across Bravus’ Carmichael Mine and Bowen Rail Company’s rail freight services are on offer for graduates in the fields of mining, civil and mechanical engineering, and geology. “I’d strongly encourage anyone wanting an exciting and rewarding career to apply,” Nikita said. “It’s continued to open doors for me, and right now I’m working as part of the dynamic team building BRC’s provisioning yard in beautiful Bowen. It’s a lot of fun and I still get to get my hands dirty.” Bravus and BRC HR & IR Lead Rebecca Wells said the 2022 Graduate Program was open to engineers up to two years post-graduation. She said successful applicants would benefit from 18 months of on-site work with senior engineering team members, as well as off-site training with Central Queensland University. “This is the opportunity for the many talented people who want to work in our industry to kick-start a fulfilling career in a […]

Carmichael-Mine-haul-truck-trainee-driver-Brooke-McNee-AUS-MN

Brooke revved up for a career in mining

Brooke McNee was born with a passion for performance vehicles in her veins. “My grandma has always been into cars, she passed that passion onto my dad, and as soon as they took me to my first Summernats I was hooked,” Brooke said. “Add to that growing up on a cane farm surrounded by a culture of big agricultural equipment, and there was no chance the McNee love of machinery and motorsport would skip a generation.” Now the 22-year-old is about to jump behind the wheel of an 85 litre, 3,500 horsepower engine as one of 60 new trainee haul truck drivers at Bravus Mining and Resources’ Carmichael Mine. The Burdekin local said getting to learn and qualify on Bravus’ fleet of Caterpillar 796 AC mining trucks was the “opportunity of a lifetime”. “I first began applying for mine operator roles in 2019 and when I wasn’t successful moved into a good job in real estate, which I really enjoyed,” she said. “But when I saw this traineeship advertised I knew I had to apply. “Not only is this my start in an amazing industry and working with massive, sophisticated machinery, it’s an opportunity that will open doors to other goals like building my first home.” Bravus Mining and Resources CEO David Boshoff said Brooke and her peers would undertake a four-week program of desk-based and supervised on-the-job training, including both day and night shifts. The 60 trainees will be employed by Bravus’ mining services contractor MacKellar, and their start dates will be staggered from the end of February through to May 2022. “We’re delighted to continue to invest in regional Queenslanders and give Brooke and the other trainees a paid, structured, environment to kick start their career in mining,” Mr Boshoff said. “We had just shy of 4,000 applications […]

Eraring set to close seven years early in 2025

Chris Briggs,Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney In a major step forward for Australia’s clean energy transition, the country’s biggest coal-fired power station Eraring is set to close seven years early in 2025, Origin Energy announced this morning. Eraring has been operating for 35 years in the central coast of New South Wales. Last year, it alone was responsible for around 2% of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, based on calculations from electricity market and emissions data. The fundamental reason for its early closure is the brutal impact the growth of renewable energy is having on the profitability of coal plants. Origin has announced it will be building a large, 700 megawatt battery on-site in its place to store renewable energy. This announcement follows the acceleration of other major coal plant closures: Liddell power station is scheduled to close in 2023, Yallourn’s closure was brought forward to 2028, and only last week AGL Energy edged forwards the scheduled closure of two more coal plants. This is a welcome step with transition planning by Origin – but also underlines the risks of Australia’s clean energy transition accelerating without a national plan for the exit of coal. Why is this happening? Old power stations are excellent sites for batteries due to their existing connections to transmission lines and lots of electricity capacity. This has also been announced for the closed Hazelwood and Wallerawang coal power stations. Over the past 12 months, the market share of renewable energy has increased to over 30%. In particular, the rapid growth of rooftop solar and solar farms in the middle of the day has sent daytime wholesale electricity prices crashing. To stay open, coal plants are using a variety of coping strategies. This includes cycling their output down on sunny days and ramping back up for higher prices as the sun sets and demand increases at the end of […]

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