Cost blowout for Mt Peake project

Australian resource and mineral processing technology company TNG has warned of higher-than-expected expenditure at its proposed Mt Peake vanadium/titanium/iron project in the Northern Territory. Cost blowouts have been experienced by the Clough Group, which had been appointed to develop an optimised plant layout for the project, which was completed in November 2021. Clough was also …

Alarm bells over Alcoa loss

A surprise quarterly loss by US economic bellwether and aluminum giant Alcoa has created jitters as the metal used in everything from iPhones to soft drink cans hits headwinds. Metals have slumped as hawkish central banks fight inflation, Europe faces an energy crisis and China’s economy struggles to recover. Alcoa has posted an adjusted loss …

Counterfeit parts not worth the risk, warns Cummins

It’s a warning often repeated by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), yet some businesses continue to put their operations at risk – knowingly or otherwise – by using cheap counterfeit parts. Powering more types of equipment in more markets than any other engine company, Cummins encounters and fights against counterfeiting every day while constantly warning that …

Miners hope for foreign labour help as skills shortage continues

As the skills shortage continues, large mining companies are hoping that foreign workers can help solve the problem. Mining giants BHP and Whitehaven Coal have reported lower coal outputs over the past three months, while shipments through the Port of Newcastle were over 12 per cent lower in the past nine months. Both miners have …

Project rostering gets smarter: Here’s how

Spreadsheets are great—until they’re not. What CRU Software hears over and over from organisations with difficult-to-manage employees is that their spreadsheet has gotten too big and cumbersome to navigate. The spreadsheet becomes increasingly unreadable, time-consuming, and prone to mistakes; which leads to decreased productivity and efficiency. When it comes to rostering project-based work (such as …

Wet weather woes for Whitehaven

Production for the September quarter was lower than planned across all three of Whitehaven Coal’s open cut mines in New South Wales, primarily as a result of rain disruption and flooding impacts. The Maules Creek, Werris Creek and Tarrawonga operations were already expected to produce lower volumes for September relative to the strong June quarter, …

PROK rolls through with quality conveyor equipment

Providing fit-for-purpose conveyor solutions for bulk handling operations, the HDPE roller supplied by PROK is essential for high-volume and high-intensity operations. The bulk handling industry has been pushing for a lighter and more durable conveyor roller as it looks to boost operational efficiency and the volume of materials being transported. As an alternative to heavy …

Human resources in the gold industry

Australian Mining chats with an industry HR advisor about the often-unique experiences of working in the Australian gold industry. As a vital global industry, there are many pathways and opportunities present in Australia’s ever-growing gold sector. Facilitated by the Gold Industry Group, Australian Mining is conducting a number of interviews over future issues looking at …