Australia

Scott Wooldridge has been appointed as Rockwell Automaton’s managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Australia has contributed as global coal consumption fell sharply for the second consecutive year in 2016, according to a BP report.

With more autonomous mining equipment entering the marketplace, Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is focused on developing new solutions that have been successfully tested in Australian conditions.

Explorer Variscan Mines says a suspect package was found on one of its drilling rigs at the St Pierre gold project in France.

A rebound in sentiment in the mining services sector has sparked a significant increase in the asset acquisition intentions of businesses in Western Australia and Queensland, according to the latest Alleasing Equipment Demand Index.

Metso is expanding its global manufacturing capacity for rubber screening media used in minerals processing by investing in three new injection presses, including one for its Australian facility.

Ernst & Young (EY) expects an upward trend in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and capital raising activity to continue in 2017, the company outlined in its latest mining and metals report.

Western Australia remains the most attractive jurisdiction in Australia for mining investment, according to Canadian think-tank, the Fraser Institute.

Australian gold mine production reached a 17-year high in 2016, according to gold mining consultants Surbiton Associates.

Mining exports in the country skyrocketed in December on the back of a surge in coal and iron ore shipments.

In Australia, the push for diverse workforces is a mining recruitment trend that looks like it is here to stay. However, don’t expect emerging technologies, like autonomous equipment, to heavily influence workforces just yet.

Caterpillar has launched a project that will see the mining equipment manufacturer move further into autonomous technology.

Australian miners are likely to be affected by changes made to Indonesia’s mining policy for exports of minerals including nickel and bauxite.

Exploration budgets in Australia continue to fall, according to a new report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Led by increased liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity in Australia, Platts Analytics has forecast a 16 per cent rise in Asian output in 2017.

Improved commodity prices are expected to push Australia’s mining and energy export earnings to a record in 2016-17, according to the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.

The number of mining deals in Australia is rising, according to Ernst & Young’s (EY) third quarter global mining and metals M&A activity report.

With Australia’s budget deficit worsening, following Papua New Guinea’s lead may help us bring in more revenue from natural gas, sooner.

Australia’s continued determination to dig up coal, while refusing to dig deep to tackle climate change, has put it increasingly at odds with world opinion.

Australia is joining the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), an international standard for increased transparency and accountability in the resources sector.