The transformation of mine sites to fully automated mines will bring great benefits to workers, including the removal of conditions attached to fly-in fly-out (FIFO) work, technical recruitment services provider Fircroft has found.

Black coal mining has been predicted by IBISWorld to be one of the Australian industries that will experience a decline in revenues this year as market conditions turn.

Western Areas’ recently approved Odysseus underground nickel project in Western Australia is on track after hitting several early-stage milestones.

Diversified Minerals has awarded the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the Dargues gold project in New South Wales to DRA Global.

Kirkland Lake Gold has continued to experience success at the Fosterville mine in Victoria, with a greater amount of high-grade quartz-veins than it previously estimated.

The Port of Gladstone in Queensland exported 20.58 million tonnes of LNG exports in 2018, resulting in a new annual record.

CIMIC Group company Sedgman has been awarded a $155 million minerals processing contract at QCoal’s Byerwen coal mine in Central Queensland.

Dacian Gold has met its goal of achieving a December start to commercial production at the Mt Morgans gold operation near Laverton, Western Australia.

Downer Group has won a five-year rail renewal services contract with Rio Tinto Iron Ore, adding to the track construction and tyre management services it previously provided to the mining major.

China Molybdenum Company (CMOC) and Sumitomo have approved the development of a new block cave mine to expand the Northparkes Mines copper-gold operation in New South Wales.

Cobalt 27 has agreed to acquire all the remaining shares in Highlands Pacific that it does not already own to increase its exposure to nickel-cobalt mine Ramu in Papua New Guinea.

Albemarle Corp has entered the new year by commencing the construction of its Kemerton lithium hydroxide conversion site in Western Australia.

The QRC and CFMEU have joined forces to criticise an Australian Greens Party proposal to ban thermal coal mining in the Galilee Basin, Queensland.

Sandvik has expanded its Ranger DX series of surface top hammer drill rigs with a pair of non-cabin versions.

The Environmental Group Limited (EGL) is to purchase RCR Tomlinson subsidiary RCR Energy Service.

Resolute Mining’s growth ambitions at its gold operations in West Africa and Australia remain on target.

BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance’s (BMA) Saraji coal mine in Queensland has returned to normal operations following a fatal accident last week.

Rio Tinto has completed the roll out of the AutoHaul autonomous freight train system across its iron ore operations in Western Australia.

Mach Energy has entered 2019 as Australia’s newest coal producer after reaching production at the Mount Pleasant project in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales in late December.

Pilbara Minerals is moving forward with its planned expansion of the Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project in Western Australia thanks to recent funding developments with Chinese and South Korean companies.