MININGSpecial Report FEATURE TIINGTIING MM NTRACTORSNTRACTORS INGING NINGNING NTRACTORSNTRACTORS MINING $US700 million in the past year, with Strandline Resources for FEATURE including 150 megawatts of [W]e have multiple the Coburn mineral sands pro- Big miners position for project next solar-powered generation. ject, and was awarded a $200 Majority owned by Hancock million deal for work at Silver Prospecting, Roy Hill Holdings has project scopes currently Lake Resources’ Mount Monger been given approval to increase gold mine. The big iron Projects under way & likely output at its namesake mine from 55mtpa to 60mtpa, while subsidi- under study for Koodaideri Lithium PROJECTS PROPONENT COST COMMODITY TIMING ary Atlas Iron has been awarding A big glut in production of ore miners are contracts for work at Corunna - Chris Salisbury lithium led to about $3 billion of South Flank BHP $6bn Iron ore 2021 phase two Downs this year. projects being deferred in WA in thinking about Iron Bridge FMG $3.8bn Iron ore (magnetite) 1H2022 Wood Mackenzie senior said the big issue was infrastruc- state agreements more actively to the past two years. research analyst Kim Christie ture investment for rail and port support new projects and get the Wesfarmers pushed back a Koodaideri Rio Tinto $3.5bn Iron ore Early 2022 what’s next in said the iron ore price had held construction. economy moving. final investment decision on the Eliwana FMG $1.7bn Iron ore Dec 2020 up remarkably well, thanks to Deloitte partner Noel Richards Mount Holland mine and Kwi- consistent Chinese demand in said iron ore was the largest con- Contractors nana lithium refinery, together the pipeline after Kemerton Albemarle Corporation $1.5bn Lithium hydroxide 2021 recent months. tributor to a total of nearly $30 Two big acquisitions will worth about $1.4 billion, until the projects such as Mesa B,C&H Rio Tinto $1.4bn Iron ore 2021 The commodity was trading at billion of major projects under change the contracting market in March quarter of 2021. Western Turner Syncline Phase Two Rio Tinto $1bn Iron ore 3Q2021 about $US85 per tonne at the time way in WA. WA, with NRW Holdings buying Tianqi Lithium completed the of writing, up by about $US4/t There was a further $122 bil- BGC’s contracting business and first stage of its Kwinana refin- South Flank and West Angeles C&D Rio Tinto $870m Iron ore 2021 from three months previously. lion of possible projects in the Macmahon Holdings taking con- ery in late 2018, but put the $300 Pilbara generation FMG $690m Iron ore 2022FY Ms Christie said there was state including in LNG and public trol of GBF. (A new-look BNiQ million stage two on hold, while Koodaideri. considerable infrastructure transport, according to Deloitte’s mining services list is on page 21.) Talison Lithium, co-owned by Greebushes expansion stage 2 Tianqi Lithium $520m Lithium concentrate investment in the pipeline in recently released investment In the short term, contractors Tianqi and Albemarle Corpora- Queen’s Valley FMG $420m Iron ore China for the year ahead, which monitor report. are grappling with the impact of tion, reconsidered its stage three would support steel demand, To get more marginal iron ore COVID-19. expansion of the Greenbushes DEFERRED OR DELAYED although global supply had been projects moving there would need Monadelphous told the ASX mine. Mt Holland mine Wesfarmers & SQM $1.4bn* Lithium concentrate tight. to be long-term certainty about in May that its engineering Albemarle is still building the But there were headwinds the iron ore price, Mr Richards construction business had expe- Kemerton refinery with Mineral Kwinana Refinery Wesfarmers & SQM $1.4bn* Lithium hydroxide looming for the global steel indus- said. rienced delays on large resources Resources, with 50,000 tonnes Mineral Resources & try, even in China. Ore quality was also increas- projects in progress, while ser- of lithium carbonate equivalent Wodgina refinery Albemarle Corporation $600m Lithium hydroxide “We think steel consumption ingly important, because lower vices were delayed or scaled back capacity to come online in 2021, Greenbushes expansion stage 3 Talison Lithium $520m Lithium concentrate will fall in the rest of the world,” grade ores were receiving steeper across its sites and productivity the company said in March. Thunderbird Sheffield Resources $478m Mineral sands STEADY: Kim Christie says Ms Christie said. discounts. would be hit. Concentrators at the Wodgina With regard to new greenfields He said the state government Contracts are still being mine, the other leg of the joint Matt Mckenzie Kwinana Refinery stage 2 Tianqi Lithium $300m Lithium hydroxide the iron ore price has held [email protected] up well in recent months. developments such as Brockman would need to streamline approv- awarded, however. venture between the two com- @Matt_Mckenzie_ Source: *combined Mining’s Marillana mine and als and potentially consider In April, Macmahon signed an panies, were shut down late last .com.au Photo: Gabriel Oliveira 6-PAGE FEATURE Flinders Mines’ Pilbara mine, she concessional royalty rates, or use early involvement agreement year, however. HERE is no shortage of For example, public documents Koodaideri hub to 70 million BHP has to increase capacity at potential investments suggest pit closures at Hope tonnes [per annum] and beyond.” its Port Hedland iron ore facility T to follow the seven big Downs, which Rio owns 50-50 That compares to the 43mtpa by 40mtpa, to 330mtpa, while also iron ore projects now under with Hancock Prospecting, in capacity of stage one. mtpa promising to spend $300 million way in Western Australia’s Pil- 2024. The Koodaideri hub would give over five years reducing the impact bara region, as the price of the “We have a number of brown- flexibility, Mr Salisbury said, and POTENTIAL CAPACITY of iron ore dust from the port. Ser M I steel-making commodity has field developments at or below a could potentially position Rio AT KOODAIDERI HUB Fortescue Metals Group also Australian Owned & Operated all manpower equipment and service. Rapid has Preferred Contractor status with Rio Tinto (Cat 3) defied gravity in recent months. capital intensity of $30 per tonne,” to increase production above wants to increase port capacity, & BHP Billiton. Silver Award Status with WorkSafe. All the big miners, led by Rio Mr Salisbury said. replacement levels. per cent complete at the end of by about 35mtpa to 210mtpa. Tinto, BHP and Fortescue Metals “These multiple developments Rio has three other major March. Production will begin Fortescue is approaching the Group, are evaluating new projects. make use of our operating hubs developments in construction: next year. peak of construction at the $US1.3 In an investor briefing late last – leveraging existing infra- West Angelas C&D, Mesa B,C & H, BHP achieved a historic envi- billion Eliwana iron ore project, year, Rio Tinto said it had eight structure, reducing capital and and Western Turner Syncline ronmental approval last year for while detailed engineering on its “Doing it Right” Pilbara mines in feasibility or creating optionality.” phase two. 13 new mines to be built during $US2.6 billion Iron Bridge mag- rapidcrushing.com.au/extras/crushing-screening/ rapidcrushing.com.au/extras/dam-contractors/ pre-feasibility studies, while a The one project flagged by Mr They bring the total value of the next decade and beyond, netite project passed halfway at further six were in the concep- Salisbury was a second stage Rio iron ore projects under way including Carramulla, Opthal- the end of March. tual stage. development at Koodaideri. to about $7 billion, according to mia/Prairie Downs, Mudlark, and Construction at Iron Bridge Rio’s chief executive iron ore Construction is already under the BNiQ major projects list. Tandanya. will begin in the second half of Chris Salisbury said that was on way at the $US2.6 billion stage Aside from iron ore, Rio is accel- The company has also been the year. par with the number of mines one of Koodaideri, and produc- erating the Winu copper-gold growing its nickel operations, A further, smaller project con- under consideration in 2010, and tion will ramp-up in early 2022. project in the Pilbara, drilling 124 with the Yakabindie mine com- firmed in May 2019 is the $US287 he flagged a significant period of “[W]e have multiple project kilometres of exploration in 2019. pleted and 26 tenements secured million Queen’s Valley mine. mine renewal ahead. scopes currently under study for Production is targeted for 2023. for greenfield exploration, while it Outside the iron ore space, The company will need to Koodaideri phase two,” he said. The biggest mining project has started consultation to expand Fortescue announced two pack- invest in new mines as ageing “There is the potential to under way is BHP’s $US3.6 bil- capacity at its Kwinana refinery ages of investment in new rapidcrushing.com.au/our-services/equipment-rental/ deposits deplete in coming years. increase capacity for the lion South Flank, which was 66 about 10 per cent, to 90mtpa. electricity infrastructure totalling Perth offi ce: 577 Bickley Road, Maddington, Western Australia 6109 | Phone: (08) 9452 5888 | Fax: (08) 9452 5822 | Email: [email protected] | Web: rapidcrushing.com.au 16 | May 18, 2020 May 18, 2020 | 17 FEATURE INGING NINGNING NTRACTORSNTRACTORS $US700 million in the past year, with Strandline Resources for including 150 megawatts of [W]e have multiple the Coburn mineral sands pro- Big miners position for project next solar-powered generation. ject, and was awarded a $200 Majority owned by Hancock million deal for work at Silver Prospecting, Roy Hill Holdings has project scopes currently Lake Resources’ Mount Monger been given approval to increase gold mine.