China

Roy Hill has signed two memoranda of understanding with Chinese companies during the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.

Fortescue chief executive Elizabeth Gaines is optimistic that China’s trade dispute with the United States will not dampen iron ore demand from China.

For the past 15 years the success of Fortescue Metals Group and growth of the Pilbara iron ore industry has been guided by one man – Andrew Forrest, winner of the Prospect Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Global Mining Association of China to boost excellence in the resources industry.

Altura Mining’s maiden cargo of spodumene concentrate from its lithium project at Pilgangoora in the Pilbara has departed Port Hedland.

Blackham Resources and A-Cap Resources have signed a farm-in joint venture (JV) agreement over the Wiluna cobalt-nickel project. A-Cap will acquire a 75 per cent interest in the Wiluna project in Western Australia for $11 million.

Heron Resources has launched underground mining at the Woodlawn zinc-copper project in New South Wales with development now almost three quarters complete.

Metro Mining has shipped one million tonnes (Mt) of bauxite from its Bauxite Hills mine north of Weipa on Western Cape York, five months since the commencement of mining operations.

Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cathode powders produced at Lithium Australia’s subsidiary VSPC will be tested by battery-cell makers in China in the coming fortnight.

A new report from GlobalData predicts that electric vehicle (EV) demand will double global lithium production from 26,700 tonnes (t) in 20180 to 58,300t in 2022.

Altura Mining has secured an additional $US15 million ($21 million) to support the operation of its Altura lithium project at Pilgangoora in the Pilbara.

Northern Minerals have announced two new high-grade heavy rare earth discoveries, Dazzler and Iceman, less than 15 kilometres from its Browns Range processing plant in northern Western Australia.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has extracted and produced gold using a non-toxic chemical process free of cyanide and mercury use.

Northern Minerals has reached mechanical completion at its 60,000 tonnes a year Browns Range dysprosium pilot plant, having installed, powered up and tested all components of the process plant.

Fortescue Metals Group’s financial performance has slumped as China has focused on using high-grade iron ore at its steel mills.

Metro Mining is speeding through 2018 with a series of success – its Bauxite Hills mine has seen a strong first quarter of production, ramping up to realising a targeted production of 2 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) in 2018 with two more offtake agreements.

Northern Minerals has officially opened the Browns Range heavy rare earths pilot plant project in the East Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Mineral Resources (MinRes) has entered a farm-in and joint venture (JV) agreement with Hong Kong-based Brockman Mining to acquire 50 per cent of the Marillana iron ore project in the Pilbara, Western Australia.

Fortescue Metals Group has set a new record for iron ore shipments of 46.5 million tonnes (Mt) in the June quarter, a 20 per cent increase that brought it to its full-year shipment target of 170Mt.

Whitehaven Coal is well placed to deliver record fiscal performance in the 2018 financial year as thermal coal prices have reached seven-year highs.