News

The BHP last night approved US$2.9 billion ($4 BILLION AUD) in capital expenditure for the South Flank project in the central Pilbara, Western Australia.
BHP President Operations, Minerals Australia, Mike Henry, said the South Flank project will fully replace production from the 80 Mtpa (100 per cent basis) Yandi mine which is reaching the end of its economic life.
“South Flank is a capital efficient project which offers attractive returns, and which was approved following a thorough evaluation under BHP’s Capital Allocation Framework,” Mr Henry said. “The project will create around 2,500 construction jobs, more than 600 ongoing operational roles and generate many opportunities for Western Australian suppliers. It will enhance the average quality of BHP’s Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) production and will allow us to benefit from price premiums for higher-quality lump and fines products.”
The South Flank project expands the existing infrastructure at Mining Area C, and involves construction of an 80 Mtpa crushing and screening plant, an overland conveyor system, stockyard and train loading facilities, procurement of new mining fleet and substantial mine development and pre-strip work. 
First ore from South Flank is targeted in the 2021 calendar year, with the project expected to produce ore for more than 25 years.
South Flank iron ore will contribute to an increase in WAIO’s average iron grade from 61 per cent to 62 per cent, and the overall proportion of lump from 25 per cent to approximately 35 per cent. It is expected to have a strip ratio in line with the WAIO average.
In June 2017, BHP approved an initial funding commitment of US$184 million (BHP share), primarily for the expansion of accommodation facilities to support current and future workforce requirements. 

Mineral Resources Limited announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. to acquire the assets that were used, to run its Koolyanobbing iron ore operation in the Yilgarn region of Western Australia. The assets that MRL will acquire include Cliffs’ tenements and all remaining iron ore as well as the fixed plant, equipment and non-process infrastructure items on those tenements. In addition, MRL will assume ownership of Cliffs’ fixed infrastructure assets at the Port of Esperance, which include the railcar dumper and two large storage sheds. Koolyanobbing is located approximately 50km north of Southern Cross and immediately adjacent to MRL’s existing Carina Iron Ore Project.
The acquisition of the remaining iron ore in the Cliffs deposits will enable MRL to realise further value from the investments it previously made in fixed plant, mobile equipment and rail rolling stock, which the Company has used to operate Carina since 2011. This transaction will also see MRL commence an iron ore export business from Esperance using larger and more cost-effective cape-size vessels.
Mineral Resources Managing Director Chris Ellison said:" I would like to thank Cliffs, their local management team and their advisers KordaMentha and Norton Rose Fulbright for working tirelessly with the MRL team over recent weeks to successfully conclude this transaction. I particularly wish to acknowledge the efforts of the State Government, the Premier Mark McGowan and his Ministers whose commitment to preserving jobs in Western Australia and getting better results for the Yilgarn has been plainly evident in our dealings with them. I also wish to thank the team at Arc Infrastructure for their pro-active approach in agreeing an acceptable below-rail access arrangement that recognises the challenging conditions in the lower-grade iron ore market. Our combined efforts have culminated in a transaction that delivers a win-win outcome for all parties involved:

Cliffs achieves a clean exit from Australia on economic terms that are more favourable than if they were to have simply shut down the Koolyanobbing operation;
The remaining iron ore left on the Cliffs tenements will be extracted and sold to create ongoing economic activity and benefit for Western Australia; and
MRL will continue sending tonnes down the rail to Esperance and by doing so continue to provide jobs for hundreds of West Australians for the next five to six years.

“I can confidently say that this transaction, and the many benefits it will create for Western Australia, would simply not have been possible without the cooperation and commitment from Cliffs, the State Government and Arc Infrastructure.”

Joint venture partners Tawana Resources and Alliance Mineral Assets announced today a 105% Reserve upgrade for the Bald Hill Lithium‐Tantalum Mine located in the eastern goldfields of Western Australia The Reserve upgrade reflects pit design changes resulting from increases to Indicated Resources following infill drilling completed in the second half of 2017. The Total lithium Resources of 26.5Mt at 1.0% Li2O now supports 9 years of production. The JV partners are currently reviewing options for significant expansion in processing capacity and concentrate production.
Tawana Managing Director Mark Calderwood said: “The increased Reserves along with the potential for additional Reserves resulting from infill drilling of Inferred material, provide strong support for significantly increasing processing throughput rates. We are actively reviewing the options to best increase throughput in the existing plant and/or add an additional DMS circuit and fines circuit. There has been strong interest from a number of parties to obtain concentrate supply from Bald Hill.”

Westgold Resources Limited announced today an update of its underground exploration into virgin areas of Paddy’s Flat ore system at its Meekatharra Gold Operations.
Their first underground drilling into the virgin zones beneath the Fenian’s–Consol’s spurs have returned spectacular results providing high-hopes for a continuation of these prolific high-grade lodes at depth, and importantly an impending boost to the overall ounce per vertical metre of the ore system. Best results include:

0.55m at 20.35 g/t Au from 324m
0.33m at 15.84 g/t Au from 304m
6.3m at 9.99 g/t Au from 327m

Gascoyne Resources Limited advised today that it has poured it's first gold bar from the new 2.5Mtpa processing plant at the Company’s 100% owned Dalgaranga Gold Project.
Dalgaranga contains a Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resource of 31.1Mt @ 1.3 g/t for 1,320,000 ounces of contained gold, which is inclusive of Proved and Probable Ore Reserves of 15.3Mt @ 1.3 g/t for 612,000 ounces of gold. The Company remains focused not only on ramping up to full production, but also an ongoing aggressive exploration effort aimed at increasing the mine life towards 8-10 years, as well as progressing the Glenburgh Gold Project, the Company’s second +1.0 million ounce gold project in Western Australia.
Mike Dunbar the Company’s Managing Director said:
“To say that I am pleased to have poured our first gold would be a massive understatement. The Company has managed to put together a fantastic team which has grown the global resource base from under 200,000oz on listing, to now having two gold projects which each contain more than 1 million ounces, and progressed Dalgaranga through feasibility. We have built a 100% owned new gold processing facility and associated infrastructure under budget and ahead of schedule, and now poured first gold.
The construction of the Dalgaranga mine would not have been possible without the Company’s Director of Operations and Development, Mr Ian Kerr who with his highly experienced (but small) development team of Warren King and Garry Moore, along with GR Engineering’s Team of Andrew Bennett and Matt Gordon have delivered the project ahead of schedule and under budget. A very rare feat indeed.
With the plant now operational, the aim for the next few months is to achieve consistent performance from all aspects of the process plant.
While the recent attention has been on delivery of the Dalgaranga Gold Project, the Company remains focused on continuing the exploration success that has so far resulted in discovery of over 2 million ounces of gold since listing. The current 75,000 metre drill programme is split between Dalgaranga, to extend the mine life to 8 – 10 years, and Glenburgh, where exploration outside the known 1.0 million ounce resource base is aiming to increase the global resource prior to feasibility and ultimately development.”

Artemis Resources Limited advises today that it has submitted a wide-ranging Programme of Works (“POW”) with the Western Australian Government’s Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety (“DMIRS”) to start an extensive drilling, trenching and bulk sampling programme immediately west of Novo Resource Corp’s (“Novo”) Comet Well Project. In addition, Artemis also provided and update on gold nuggets recovered (3.6kg) from the current ground rehabilitation works underway at 47K Patch.
David Lenigas, Artemis’s Executive Chairman, said “Artemis has now identified ~67 kilometres of potential gold-bearing conglomerates associated with the Mt Roe Basalt contact, immediately west of Novo Resources Comet Well 6 kilometre long conglomerate gold project. Our exploration and bulk sampling programme is about to commence in earnest at 47K Patch, the source of the many gold nuggets reported today. Applications have also gone in with the DMIRS for an extensive exploration programme immediately to the west of Novo’s Comet Well.”

Syrah Resources Limited announced today that it has signed a purchase agreement for an industrial site for its Battery Anode Material (BAM) development in Vidalia, Louisiana. Under the terms of the agreement, the purchase price of US$1.225 million is for a 25 acre site with an existing building. 
Shaun Verner, Managing Director & CEO said, “With the purchase agreement for the Vidalia site, we continue to progress our initial entry into the BAM market. Consistent with our approach in Mozambique, Syrah is committed to environmental sustainability and community engagement through development and into operations. The Company’s recently awarded ISO Certifications for Health, Safety and Environmental management systems for its Balama Operation demonstrates the Company’s commitment to global best practice.”

In a strategy to focus its efforts on its larger long-life Murchison gold assets, the Board of Westgold Resources Limited has agreed to sell its South Kalgoorlie Operations to Northern Star Resources Limited. 
South Kalgoorlie Operations operates  Jubilee  Processing Plant as its mining hub.  In recent years the HBJ  Underground Mine has operated as the core feed with additional smaller open pit and low-grade stockpile sources providing approximately 60% of plant capacity. The remainder of plant capacity has been filled by toll processing third party ores from the region.
Westgold has agreed to sell its wholly-owned subsidiaries that collectively make up the South Kalgoorlie Operations; Dioro Exploration Pty  Ltd,  HBJ  Minerals  Pty Ltd and Hampton  Gold  Mining  Areas  Ltd.  The consideration for the sale is  $80  million  (with working capital adjustments).  The purchase consideration is made up of $20 million in cash and $60 million in unrestricted fully paid ordinary shares in Northern Star calculated at a backwards-looking 10-day VWAP.
Westgold will retain its lithium royalties over the Mt Marion Lithium Mine and the rights to lithium exploration and mining over Location 53 and 59.
Westgold Managing Director Peter Cook said:“This is a nice deal for both parties. It provides Northern Star with additional and instant plant capacity in the Kalgoorlie region for its expanding gold operations. For Westgold, it divests our shortest life asset, provides a cash boost and upgrades the overall quality of our gold portfolio. As at June 30, 2017, South Kalgoorlie Operations had Ore Reserves containing 252,000 ounces which was 7.45% of the groups total Ore  Reserves.  SKO has produced 24,000 ounces in the first half of this financial year”.

Blackham Resources Limited announced an operational update for the month of January at its Matilda-Wiluna Gold Operation. Access to high-grade zones in the M4 and Galaxy Pits was achieved late in the Dec’17 quarter, enabling record monthly gold production of 6,498oz. This resulted in Blackham achieving a record low monthly AISC in Jan’18 of A$1,158/oz, in comparison to an average realised gold price during the month of A$1,663/oz, demonstrating a clear step change in economics. Milled grade and gold production are expected to continue to improve. The operation is now building high-grade stockpiles for the first time since March 2017. 
“With the Operation’s production at record levels and a significant reduction in AISC having already been achieved, the Company is clearly demonstrating that its operational turnaround is well underway. This operational performance, in conjunction with the current strong AUD gold price, is expected to make 2018 a transformational year that is expected to generate significant cash flows and value for Blackham and its shareholders.” Blackham’s Executive Chairman, Mr Milan Jerkovic, said.

After a protest at the steps of Parliment house today, the WA state Liberals unanimously decided to block a move by the WA state government to raise the gold royalty rate from 2.5 percent to 3.75 percent.
Opposition Leader Mike Nahan said after the meeting "This royalty increase would have imposed a significant risk to jobs in the industry, it is our view that the McGowan Government did not seek nor have a mandate to increase the gold rate"
The state government now has to hope for a win on the GST after a report suggested changes which could send billions back to Western Australia which will help fill a deepening black hole.