AERIS Resources is constructing a new ventilation shaft at the Tritton Copper Project in western New South Wales. The shaft will support operations as they progress deeper, following the ore body and will enable the Tritton Deeps project to be developed, prolonging mine life.

THE Board of established Australian copper producer Aeris Resources has approved development of the Murrawombie underground copper mine at its Tritton operations near Nyngan in western New South Wales. The decision follows completion of a positive feasibility study.

Extension drilling has confirmed the continuity of the mineralized zone between the Bellbird and Bellbird North deposits at KGL Resources’ Jervois copper-silver-gold project in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Newcrest Mining’s Cadia East Copper-Gold Mine at Newcrest’s Cadia Valley Operations, 25km from Orange in Central Western New South Wales (NSW), was officially opened last week by NSW Premier Mike Baird.

KGL Resources has discovered more massive sulphides at the Jervois Copper-Silver-Gold Project in Australia’s Northern Territory. The company is completing a surface and downhole electromagnetic survey this month to assist in defining the limits of the high grade zone for targeting further drilling.

Adelaide Resources has announced some of the highest grade copper-gold results in South Australian history at its Alford West prospect within the Moonta Project.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has officially opened Evolution Mining’s Mt Carlton Gold-Silver-Copper Project which signifies the company’s $200 million investment in the region.

AFTER becoming a gold producer in 2016 Havilah Resources will return to exploration this year seeking copper and gold resources at targets within trucking distance of the operating Portia Gold Project in South Australia. The planned budget for the 2017 drilling program is $500,000, of which 40% will be funded by the South Australian Government under a Program for Accelerated Exploration (PACE) grant.

DRILLING at the Rockface prospect of KGL Resources’ Jervois Copper-Gold-Silver Project in the Northern Territory has delivered high grade copper results. Although only a limited number of deeper holes have been drilled there are early indications of improving copper grades at depth.

STRONG copper mineralisation has been intersected between two previous high-grade copper intersections at the Rockface prospect on KGL Resources’ Jervois Copper-Silver-Gold Project in the Northern Territory. One hole encountered a broad zone that includes more than 24 metres of strong copper mineralisation from 435.6 metres.

This article examines a small but significant aspect of copper. This very important metal is one of the three which were the key to the development of man from the Stone Age to the industrial era.

ALTONA Mining has created a joint venture with Sichuan Railway Investment Group (SRIG) to build a new copper-gold mine at Altona’s Cloncurry project in northwest Queensland. A joint venture company, Roseby Copper Pty Ltd, will hold the Cloncurry project.

The fifth prospect drilled by Highlands Pacific at its Star Mountains project in Papua New Guinea has encountered copper-gold porphyry style mineralization. The Kum Kom prospect is about 25km northeast from the Ok Tedi mine and just 5km north of the Olgal porphyry that was identified in 2012 and which contained a 596 metre intersection of 61% copper and 0.85 grams/tonne gold. 

A feasibility study has confirmed that the Frieda River copper-gold joint venture in north-western East Sepik province is the country’s largest undeveloped open pit project, and among Asia-Pacific’s tier 1 copper-gold sites. The study outlines the project will require an estimated initial capital investment of US$5.6 billion, for a 20-year open pit mine life capable of annually producing an average 304,000 tonnes of copper and 451,000 ounces of gold in its first five years. 

AURELIA Metals achieved record quarterly production of 14,184 ounces of gold during the three months ending March 31 at the Hera Gold-Base Metals Project in the Central West of New South Wales. In addition, the company finalised a funding and settlement agreement with Glencore to continue the Hera operations.

FOLLOW-UP drilling by the Minotaur Exploration and OZ Minerals joint venture at the Iris-Electra copper-gold prospect near Cloncurry in north Queensland has confirmed the potential for copper sulphide mineralisation. All four holes of the program intersected hydrothermally altered breccia zones exhibiting various degrees of chalcopyrite mineralisation.

Global power and automation technology group ABB has secured a US$51 million contract to fit out two new copper plants in Kazakhstan. The partnership will see ABB supply the country’s largest copper producer Kazakhmys with comprehensive electrification and automation solutions for the new facilities.