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ISSUE 5 AUTUMN 2017 $4.95 - where sold Coal country – picture special Plus: Century’s second wind Hints for job hunters Tap into the Adani action Golden glimpse of history MINES RISING - GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY, FEATURE INSIDE IN THIS ISSUE BIG PICTURE : 2-21 MINES RISING FEATURE COAL COUNTRY 34 INCLUDING TOOWOOMBA RANGE WORKS 46 NEW LIFE FOR CENTURY 2-3 Contacts: Managing Editor: Robert Dark 0417 623 156 FERTILE FUTURE 6-7 Client Services: Marion Lago (07) 4755 0336 Senior Journalist: Belinda Humphries 0439 726 074 also Thalanga, Dugald River, Journalist: Bruce Macdonald 0418 154 016 Ravenswood gold, Graphics Editor: Jim Thorogood 0418 790 745 Adani and more Email: [email protected] Post: PO Box 945, Townsville, QLD, 4810 Cover image: courtesy of Minco Photogrpahy Stacker-reclaimer at Hay Point, south of Mackay. Advertising booking deadline: All material is copyright and cannot be produced in part or in full by any means without written permission of the managing editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. Winter 2017 edition - May 24 Sell your equipment to the world With over 50 years of auction experience, Ritchie Bros. has grown to become the world’s leading industrial auctioneer. We help customers buy and sell equipment in multiple ways, while providing great customer service with honesty, integrity and respect. Consign your equipment to our upcoming auctions: Brisbane – Jun 15. Call your Ritchie Bros. Territory Manager, now located in Townsville. Tim Keys 0407.490.022 | [email protected] Learn more at rbauction.com.au/sell www.i-Q.net.au 1 “(We) make the MINES RISING | Century zinc rehab ilitation of old, unloved mining assets our core business driver” Patrick Walta Century Bull hopes to utilise MMG port facilities at Karumba (above). The Century operation has been on care and have shown that the tailings may be government rates, port costs and channel Deal delivers second life for mothballed mine maintenance since early 2016. reprocessed through the existing plant with dredging requirements.” minor modifi cations to achieve a recovery of Mr Walta said while Century Bull did not about half of the remaining zinc mineralisation. expect to release any major tenders in the may include activities in the evaporation dam, ceased in early 2016. Mr Walta said Raging Bull Protection about obtaining the necessary The evaporation dam and tailings Mr Walta said Century Bull was reviewing immediate future, it would be very pleased tailings storage facility, mining of other in-situ fi rst reached out to MMG during 2014 about approvals to commence this rehabilitation storage facility will be the fi rst the works required to bring the plant online and to hear from potential suppliers, particularly deposits inclusive of on-lease and off-lease the site’s future. activity.” have it fi t for purpose. targets for mineral extraction as businesses from the lower Gulf and phosphate resources, which would support the “Following our fi rst enquiries, MMG The company hopes to begin that work It hoped to be able to utilise the slurry surrounding communities who felt they could new owners begin work at north capping of the existing waste dumps,” he said. commenced a formal Expression of Interest this year and aims to commence economic pipeline from Lawn Hill to port, Karumba port The Century tailings deposit alone holds a during 2015 and, following that, Raging Bull add value to the business. Queensland’s Century mine. rehabilitation of the tailings storage facility facilities and the newly acquired transhipment JORC-compliant resource of 71 million tonnes with Attila Resources were successful in Businesses can send capability information during 2018. vessel, the MV Wunma, he said. at 2.73 per cent zinc – or 1.94 million tonnes of completing the transaction with MMG to via [email protected] Century Bull expects to employ up to 50 The new owners say the former operators “As part of our feasibility studies, we will be contained zinc. acquire the Century project,” he said. people at peak operations, with the workforce focused on throughput maximisation rather investigating all logistics options to ensure Those who may be interested in working at The Silver King and East Fault Block ore MMG is providing $34.5 million in cash over to be sourced from the lower Gulf area and than recovery maximisation in terms of ore we can achieve our targeted commencement Century, particularly people from the lower deposits on the tenement package contain three years towards rehabilitation assistance other communities in north Queensland. processing at Century mine, which had an dates and lowest possible cost structures,” Mr Gulf who may have had experience at the more than 600,000 tonnes of zinc and there and establishing a $12 million trust to benefi t original deposit of more than 100 million Walta said. previous Century mining operations and the The company specialises in ‘economic are large phosphate deposits amenable to lower Gulf communities. Karumba port, are encouraged to contact rehabilitation’ and is taking over the mothballed processing via the existing plant. It has committed to the ongoing provision tonnes at 12 per cent zinc. “Some of the elements that will be MMG assets in joint venture with Attila Century Bull is linked to the Raging Bull of bank guarantees of $193.7 million for the Three independent metallurgical studies considered in this process include local Century Bull via the same email address. Resources. group, which is also involved in the Mount benefi t of Century Bull, enabling the operation Managing director Patrick Walta said there Morgan Tailings Rehabilitation Project with to meet fi nancial assurance obligations with was potential to extend commercial activities Carbine Resources and the Queensland the Queensland Government. at the lower Gulf site beyond the next 30 Government. MMG chief executive offi cer Jerry Jiao years. Mr Walta said the traditional mining lifecycle said the renewed future for Century was “Economic rehabilitation activities at Century involved stages of intense economic activity a great outcome for the communities and followed by many years of often passive and businesses of the lower Gulf and for the State SEE OUR poorly funded rehabilitation activities, which of Queensland. could result in negative consequences for the “It provides new life for the substantial environment. Century assets, while supporting dedicated FEATURE “Our model for economic rehabilitation rehabilitation and ongoing employment, simply focuses on ways to make the training and business opportunities,” Mr Jiao rehabilitation of old, unloved mining assets said. SPREAD our core business driver, ensuring positive Mr Walta said the evaporation dam environmental outcomes delivered through an downstream from the tailings storage facility active onsite presence undertaking economic was Century Bull’s fi rst target for economic The Big Picture rehabilitation,” he said rehabilitation at the Century site. Raging Bull believed there were plenty of “The water contains dissolved minerals opportunities, not just in Queensland but which can be extracted with a view to reducing Coal Country throughout Australia and globally, to implement the overall disturbance footprint of the its model for economic rehabilitation where evaporation dam and pumping the remaining traditional miners might otherwise view water back into the open pit,” he said. projects incorrectly as mere liabilities, he said. “We have already commenced discussions Pages 34 & 35 The Century site has been on care and with the Queensland Government’s Tailings storage at the Century site. maintenance since mining and processing Department of Environment and Heritage 2 iQ INDUSTRY QUEENSLAND | AUTUMN 2017 www.i-Q.net.au 3 Advertorial MINES RISING | Thalanga Refusing to fuse: Victaulic HDPE pipe joining solutions on display at MineX 2017 High density polyethylene (HDPE) is one of dusty environments or wet underground the fastest-growing pipe materials in mining conditions. Unlike fusion, where these applications, with adoption expected to conditions can affect both the time required increase by 5 per cent per year. In response to complete a joint as well as the integrity to this trend, Victaulic, the world’s leading of the joint itself, mechanical joining ensures producer of mechanical pipe joining solutions, installations go ahead as planned – rain or has developed a WaterMark™ certifi ed shine.” mechanical joint for HDPE poly piping. With no need for fusion tents, no concerns The solution is set to increase installation about contamination of pipe ends, and no effi ciencies and overcome the harsh extra heating or cooling time during extreme specialised equipment or certifi ed installers. environmental barriers which typically weather, poly pipe installation with the “The installers initially loved the Victaulic challenge poly welding and fusing Victaulic system becomes streamlined and couplings because they were quick and easy installations on mining sites. hassle-free. For mine sites located in some to work with,” Mr Rattray said. “The fact that “The new Refuse-to-Fuse™ system from of Australia’s harshest environments, the there were zero failures and no need for any Victaulic ranges from 63mm to 900mm, ability to complete projects without weather rework was a huge bonus. They were able to with solutions for joining plain-end poly pipe, delays and reduced rework will result in transitioning from poly to steel pipe and substantial time and cost savings.