Corrosion control is a major cost factor in mine maintenance with valuable equipment subject to adverse weather conditions and environmental degradation. Revolutionary protective covers, which were originally developed by NAVSEA for the US Navy are now available for mine equipment.

Australian Pump, authorised distributors for the covers, say they offer a complete solution that will protect your key assets from moisture, dust, UV light and heat. The result is massive reduction in maintenance hours spent cleaning and “rust busting”.

“Traditional waterproof tarps and plastic covers often trap moisture with devastating results”, said Australian Pumps’ Chief Engineer, John Hales. “The Envelop Covers unique design creates a micro climate that slows corrosion reducing maintenance and improving equipment readiness,” he said.

The covers are already being supplied to big iron-ore mines in the Pilbara, Western Australia, where monsoonal rain and frequent dust storms contribute to the corrosion of key assets. They also supply them to the Royal Australian Navy, leading to huge maintenance cost reductions on Australian ships including FFGs, Anzacs and Mine Hunters. There are big savings to be made on commercial assets, even those held in long term storage, where corrosion can be an issue.

The covers use a unique and patented system that literally absorbs moisture from under the cover by “wicking” damp into absorbent layers which then sweat the water droplets through the outside cover. The outside layer is waterproof and acts as a rain shield as well. The result is a controlled environment that keeps the asset dry and corrosion free.

That same technology has been applied to covers for the offshore drill rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and substantial cost savings made. Covers have been created for electrical control boxes, engines, hydraulic motors and pumps.

These high cost assets, critical for automated control and monitoring, are susceptible to corrosion caused by water intrusion, either from the elements or from periodic wash cycles required by adjacent power equipment.

The covers shield equipment from the elements, keeping it dry, corrosion free, and eliminating the moisture build up underneath the cover.

“Laboratory testing and field evaluations have resulted in up to 90% reduction in corrosion”, said Hales. “Field tests also showed substantial gains in protection of electrical components, optics and delicate navigation aids”, he said.

A new CSIRO roadmap addresses the long-term needs of the Australian oil and gas industry, identifying how research and innovation can support this evolving sector.

CSIRO’s Oil and Gas: A Roadmap for unlocking future growth opportunities for Australia is the latest in a series of roadmaps outlining challenges and opportunities faced by a number of sectors, which have been developed as part of CSIRO’s Strategy 2020.

Four pathways that are enabled by science and technology can help the sector address key challenges:

• Being more efficient in exploration and production to cost-effectively unlock resources
• Using digital and automated solutions to improve the economics of current assets
• Focusing on advanced environmental technologies to further minimise impacts on air and water, and
• Identifying business models and products that represent new revenue streams, for example diversifying into higher value products like hydrogen.

The Roadmap follows extensive consultation, led by CSIRO Futures and Energy divisions, including 80 representatives from industry, government and technology providers.

It is also aligned with the energy resources growth centre, National Energy Resources Australia (NERA), matching key Roadmap focus areas with NERA’s knowledge priority areas.

CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Larry Marshall said: “As a key oil and gas provider, innovation is critical to Australia to sustain its market position.

“Technological innovation will not only help support the outputs of this important industry for Australia, but increase our efficiency to explore our resources, improve the economics of our current resources, minimise impacts on air and water, and identify new revenue streams like hydrogen.

“For over 100 years the CSIRO has used science to solve Australia’s greatest challenges, and is uniquely placed to drive technological innovation for the oil and gas industry, to ultimately help us navigate to a better outcome.”

NERA Chief Executive Miranda Taylor said: “We are currently in a period of unprecedented technological disruption, and as global industries are shaped and formed through these advances, the oil and gas industry must keep pace,” Ms Taylor said.

“To capitalise on these opportunities, we must adopt bold thinking, challenge our beliefs around what makes us competitive and transform our approach to how we innovate.”

The Roadmap is the fifth in CSIRO’s Industry Roadmap series.

Read the report here: www.csiro.au/oil-and-gas

Australia’s resource and energy export earnings in 2016–17 increased to $204 billion, and are forecast to reach a record $211 billion in 2017–18, before declining to $201 billion in 2018–19. 

The Resources and Energy Quarterly – September Quarter 2017, released today by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, shows a 27 per cent increase in earnings in 2016–17.

The report shows this increase was largely driven by price increases in iron ore and metallurgical coal, which are Australia’s top two resources and energy commodity exports.

Price spikes in metallurgical coal and iron ore in 2016–17 were aided by capacity cuts in coal, a resurgence of China’s steel sector, as well as by temporary supply disruptions.

“Buoyant prices for steel-making commodities and thermal coal, and increased LNG export volumes, are expected to increase Australia’s resource and energy export earnings to a record $211 billion in 2017–18,” the department’s Chief Economist, Mark Cully said.

However, the high prices that have bolstered Australia’s resources and energy export earnings in 2016–17 and (so far in) 2017–18 are not expected to last. The combination of slowing demand growth from China’s steel sector and increased global supplies are expected to lower export unit values in 2018–19.

Despite the forecast decline in export earnings, LNG export growth is expected to constrain declines in export values in 2018–19.

“In the next two years, LNG export earnings are forecast to increase at an annual average rate of 26 per cent, to reach $35 billion in 2018–19, becoming Australia’s second largest resources and energy commodity in terms of export earnings,” Mr Cully said.

This edition of the Resources and Energy Quarterly also features a special report on the prospects for India’s resource commodity consumption out to 2035.

“The prospects for Indian resource and energy commodity usage over the next twenty years are promising, though it won’t be on the same scale that we have seen from China over the past decade or so,” Mr Cully said.

For more information and to access the report, visit www.industry.gov.au/oce

13th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference

Date: 16-18 October 2017

Venue: Gold Coast, Australia

Capturing the Opportunities: Communication, Collaboration, Innovation

Since the last Underground Operators’ Conference in 2014 the global market downturn has had a severe negative impact on our industry and by association, many of our colleagues. Some have been fortunate to maintain full-time employment throughout this period, while others have not.

Signs of improvement to the industry are slowly emerging, however there remains opportunities to be realised and it is in difficult times that innovation thrives through necessity. We need to be adaptable and smarter! We need to share ideas and collaborate to ensure that the mining industry as a whole moves forward. Finally, we need to communicate our ideas; throughout history people have built on the ideas of others and ultimately society has benefitted. It should be no different in the mining industry.

It is for that reason that regular forums such as The AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference are vital to the development of the profession generally. UGOPS2017 will provide an opportunity for practitioners to share their learnings, provide inspiration and produce an ongoing reference for years to come.

On behalf of the organising committee of the 13th AusIMM Underground Operators Conference, I invite you to the Gold Coast in October 2017 to share ideas and experience, to learn from your colleagues, to renew past acquaintances and extend your professional networks.

Peter Hills FAusIMM(CP)
Conference Chair

Keynote Speakers Announced

Lena Abrahamsson Professor, Luleå University of Technology	Mark Adams MAusIMM Kaama Consulting	Dale Elphinstone Executive Chairman, Elphinstone Group	Gideon Chitombo MAusIMM Professor and Chair of Minerals Industry Engagement (BRC), Sustainable Minerals Institute
Joe Luxford FAusIMM(CP) Trident Project & Mining Services	Professor Michael Quinlan Partner, Oceania Climate Change and Sustainability Services Leader, UNSW Australia	Paul Rouse MAusIMM Executive Chairman, PYBAR Mining Services Pty Ltd

http://www.undergroundoperators.ausimm.com.au/

Bowen Basin mining and support companies and businesses will collaborate to find solutions to challenges facing the industry as part of a Paluszczuk Government plan to generate more than 3000 extra mining technology jobs over the next decade.

State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the pilot METS Ignited Bowen Basin Cluster Program would be launched on Monday in Mackay.

“Encouraging companies to collaborate to develop and commercialise solutions identified by Bowen Basin mining companies is one of the key actions of our Queensland METS ((mining equipment, technology and services) 10-year Roadmap and Action Plan,” Dr Lynham said.

“The program offers an opportunity for companies that have complementary skills and expertise to collaborate to solve real business problems, to deliver more long-term jobs and business opportunities for regional Queenslanders,” Dr Lynham said.

Challenges, which collaboration between the industries have previously tackled, include accelerating the timeline of rehabilitation and remediation on operational mine sites and installing environmental monitoring systems in underground operations to improve health and safety of miners.

The Roadmap and Action Plan is part of the Queensland Government’s $420 million Advance Queensland initiative to create knowledge-based jobs of the future for Queenslanders backed by a $7 million mining technology specific investment.

“Local miners will identify their challenges, and local mining technology companies will collaborate on innovative solutions to bolster the North Queensland economy,’’ Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert said.

“We want to make it easier for companies to turn their ideas into commercial products for market.’’

Member for Mirani Jim Pearce said the Bowen Basin was chosen for the program because it was home to world-leading mining technology companies with a long history of finding the solutions to the problems faced by mining companies in their local area and internationally.

“Our companies are international market leaders in exploration, mine design and construction, mine safety, minerals processing, remediation and rehabilitation,’’ Mr Pearce said.

Queensland’s mining, equipment and technology sector contributes $7 billion to the economy each year and employs almost 20,000 people and has huge potential for further domestic growth and even greater expansion overseas.

The program is a joint initiative between the Queensland Government and METS Ignited. METS Ignited is an industry-led, government-funded, Growth Centre for the mining equipment, technology and services (METS) sector.

Applications for the program through www.metsignited.org and close on 30 October 2017.

The Palaszczuk Government’s decision to merge Energex and Ergon, as Energy Queensland, has slashed the costs of the senior executive by $3.7 million, Energy Minister Mark Bailey said.

“When Tim Nicholls was Treasurer and a Shareholding Minister for Energex and Ergon, the total remuneration costs for the senior management of these Government-Owned Corporations was $7.9 million,” he said.

“As promised, the Palaszczuk Government merged Energex and Ergon under one CEO and re-established their head office in Townsville.

“In 2016-17, the remuneration costs for the senior executives of Energy Queensland were $4.2 million – a 46% decrease.

“No one forgets that Tim Nicholls oversaw a 43% increase in electricity prices – or $436 on bills for the average household, yet the LNP still tries to claim they lowered bills by $120. They simply can’t be trusted.

“The LNP also spent another $100 million of taxpayers’ money preparing assets for sale including our power stations and poles and wires. “

Mr Bailey said the LNP’s plan to freeze the executive bonuses at Queensland’s government energy businesses again shows the LNP’s woeful lack of understanding on energy policy.

“The combination of factors that have led to recent electricity price rises – in particular the lack of national policy certainty and heatwaves – are beyond the influence of individual company senior executives,” he said.

“Even if this policy had an impact on prices, there are around two million electricity accounts in Queensland – this would save people about 1 cent a week on their bills.

“Let’s be clear, Queensland would be in a much worse position and facing higher electricity prices like the rest of the National Electricity Market states under Tim Nicholls’ privatisation plan.

“The Palaszczuk Government is committed to keeping energy assets in public hands and using dividends to back Queenslanders.

“Dividends from government owned energy companies directly contribute to funding initiatives to stabilise prices and electricity concessions for vulnerable customers.

“Those dividends would have gone interstate or overseas if the LNP had their way and sold off our assets, rather than being reinvested to back Queenslanders.

“That includes the Palaszczuk Government’s $1.16 billion Powering Queensland Plan which is our comprehensive strategy to ensure Queenslanders will continue to have an affordable, secure and sustainable supply of electricity into the future.”

Mr Bailey said thanks to actions taken by the Palaszczuk Government, Queenslanders have been shielded from the price increases experienced in Southern privatised States.

“In fact Queensland has had the lowest average household increase of any mainland state in the national energy market – 3.3% compared to up to 20% in privatised states,” he said.

The Board of each GOC is accountable for the remuneration arrangements for its company’s senior executive.

The level of remuneration is determined in accordance with the provisions of Guidelines for Executive Remuneration approved by the Shareholding Ministers.

The Government’s expectation is that chief and senior executives are remunerated at no more than the market median for the position’s work value.

The upcoming version of the Deswik.Suite software from global consulting and technology company, Deswik, will feature new haulage functionality for underground mine operators. The Deswik.LHS for Underground module will let users create and visualize an underground haulage network from a 3D mine model and integrate the results directly with the mine schedule.

Specifically designed by mining engineers, for mining engineers, the software simplifies the process of calculating haulage metrics for underground mine operations and presents the results in the form of 3D animations. An easy-to-use interface guides users through the process, delivering a simple, speedy experience. Results are amalgamated back into the original schedule in Deswik.Sched (Gantt chart scheduling tool) to ensure single source reporting and enable estimations of truck requirements.

The functionality, currently available as a technology preview, is integrated into Deswik.Suite version 2017.2, where the haulage network can simply be built from the mine design centerlines, which are used as the data source for scheduling. Once the initial setup is complete, the entire life of asset schedules can easily be run in a matter of minutes, using detailed rimpull calculations.

The results of this process can pre-emptively highlight issues with ventilation and congestion as well as give defendable haulage metrics for costing and budgetary purposes.

A fully integrated platform designed for all stages of the mining value chain, the Deswik software suite has been pushing the boundaries in the mine planning space since its inception. Deswik Suite lets mine planners’ complete plans and scenario analysis in one continuous workflow – in some instances, substituting the need for up to eight separate software packages.

Deswik.LHS for Underground will be unveiled at the AusIMM 2017 Underground Operators’ Conference on the Gold Coast, next week. Its easy-to-use interface requires no expert knowledge of haulage modelling or setup, and visitors to the Deswik booth will have the opportunity to interact with the tool and learn how they can use it to execute their mine plans more efficiently.

Faster and better decision-making and shorter time to first oil and gas top the list of expected benefits that digital technologies can drive for upstream oil and gas companies, a new survey from Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) reports. Respondents to the “Accenture and Microsoft 2017 Upstream Oil and Gas Digital Trends Survey” also estimated the monetary value of digital technologies and noted the next wave’s potential to further transform their business, despite ongoing low oil prices.

Asked to identify the top ways digital benefits their companies, faster and better decision-making (30 percent) remained foremost, as in the 2016 edition of the survey. Faster time to produce oil and gas, however, jumped to second place from fifth last year (19 percent). Reduced risk enabled by real-time decision support was the third most important (12 percent).

Now in its sixth edition, the global survey showed the upstream areas most expected to benefit today from digital are production (28 percent), geological and geophysical (27 percent), and drilling and completion (19 percent).

Almost two-thirds (62 percent) of the more than 300 professionals surveyed perceive business value from digital technologies, with 27 percent totalling it at $50 million to $100 million or more for their companies. However, 14 percent of upstream respondents don’t know how much monetary value digital is delivering, 20 percent don’t measure it, and 4 percent believe digital is adding no value to their businesses today.

Most of the respondents expect their companies to realise value from digital technologies and 73 percent said most of their oil and gas fields will become fully automated using these technologies in three to five years.

On the other hand, 39 percent of respondents said the greatest risk from a lack of digital investment is becoming uncompetitive; more than double the next group at 19 percent who cited the inability to transition to a new energy landscape. Surprisingly, despite the rise of connected devices on oilfields further exposing upstream companies to cybersecurity risks, the fear of increased cyberattacks came in at a distant third (18 percent).”

“Upstream oil and gas companies are evolving from only using digital technologies in siloes to using these digital technologies and the related new ways of working to transform entire business areas,” said Rich Holsman, who leads Digital in Accenture’s Energy industry group. “Our survey respondents see big data and analytics, cloud, the Internet of Things (IoT), mobility, high-performance computing (HPC) and cybersecurity as having the greatest potential to transform their businesses. In the next three to five years, 70 percent plan to spend more or significantly more on digital technologies, and the next wave includes HPC, wearables, robotics, artificial intelligence and blockchain.”

Digital technologies that upstream companies are investing in today include mobile devices (56 percent), cloud (45 percent), big data and analytics (43 percent) and IoT (42 percent). Priority investment areas for these technologies are asset management and maintenance, capital project management and production optimization.

“It’s not always about petabytes of data. It’s about a set of solutions and technologies that could not have been achieved even five years ago,” said Egbert Schroeer, Worldwide Managing Director, Process Manufacturing, Microsoft Corp. “Digital is doing more than helping reduce operational costs through increased worker productivity with mobility. The cloud, better asset management and remote monitoring through analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are driving operational excellence and subsurface data management for the oil and gas industry. However, it will be essential for upstream companies to quickly develop in-house capabilities and add external talent for data analytics and other leading technologies, to stay ahead in the digital revolution.”

Upstream companies are also now adding digital workforce challenges to their ongoing talent concerns.

Recruitment is their biggest challenge in this regard, especially skill-building for contingent labor, freelancers and onboarding new hires. Most said it will take three to five years to build the necessary digital skill base. For example, the great majority of respondents (85 percent) felt their companies lacked fully mature analytics capabilities. While they plan to develop that area, the expected three-to-five-year time frame in which they aim to do that might be too extended – competitively speaking – as technologies advance rapidly. This is especially relevant, as an Accenture Strategy study, The Talent Well Has Run Dry, notes the oil and gas industry could experience a shortage of 10,000 to 40,000 petro-technical professionals by 2025.

About the survey
The Upstream Oil and Gas Digital Trends Survey, sponsored by Accenture and Microsoft and conducted by PennEnergy Research in partnership with the Oil & Gas Journal, surveyed over 300 upstream leaders across 18 countries. Respondents included executive and mid-level management, business unit heads, engineers and project managers from a cross section of National Oil Companies, International Oil Companies and Independent Oil Companies.

If you’ve recently started working a high paying FIFO job, you may be excited to be finally earning decent money, however with earning big dollars comes responsibilities.

If you’ve never had a high paying job before, it can be electrifying seeing the huge amounts of money pour into your bank account, and almost always as exciting to spend it. One of the hardest parts of heading towards financial freedom is setting a plan into action from your very first pay. As hard as this may sound, there are many ways you can do just that, as well as indulge a little at the same time.

Adam Truelove, Trading Floor Manager at Learn to Trade, says “Budgeting is difficult, especially if you are used to budgeting from a small salary, and when you have all this extra money in your reach, it makes it very difficult to control yourself. When you are FIFO, when you fly home after a stint onsite, it can be very tempting to spend big when you are home, whether it be out of boredom or because you love having money you’ve never had before.”

The other temptation with high income FIFO workers, is of course taking out finance to buy big ticket items, which can leave you in a worse financial situation than you were in before.

“What if,” Mr. Truelove says, “instead of spending your money on things you don’t really need, or things you will barely even get to use because you work so hard, you could make more money from your extra income, while you are away? Being smart with your money is difficult, but these tips should help you get in front, and stay in front.”

“If you can avoid debt, avoid it like the plague. It’s better to save money and wait until you have enough to buy nice things, rather than borrow it, and be caught out if you lose your job. Sit down with a financial planner, even if it is your scrooge of a dad, and be completely honest about where you want to be financially in 1, 5 & 10 years. Then build a plan that helps you to use your money sensibly,” he explains.

Mr Truelove says that the housing market is also a great way to make money, but only if you want to spend your time off working on it. “There is good money to be made in flipping houses, and if you have mates or family members in the building industry, they might want to partner up for a bigger cut, so you don’t have to do it alone”.

“Always put aside some spending money for yourself, for no other reason but to constrain your spending urges. Instead of spending this money on silly things, invest it into something like stock, or even better, Forex Trading.”

Trading is one of the simplest ways to get good return on your money, and it’s quite exciting as well. Spend a small amount of your time onsite and at home studying up on the ins and outs of Forex Trading, and you’ll be a gun in no time, and well onto your way to financial freedom that will outlast your FIFO contracts.

The Australian minerals industry will convene an education summit in Melbourne in May 2018 to bring together industry, universities and government to develop a co-ordinated approach to building the mining workforce of the future.
Australia’s world-class minerals sector needs more highly-skilled young people to meet the needs of a growing and innovative industry.

Aside from the economic driver of commodity prices on enrolments, the 2018 mining education summit will look at current challenges including:

• A mining industry that is rapidly adopting new technologies, demanding different skills mix for a future workforce
• Low understanding among younger people of the role of mining in providing the essential elements of daily life
• Changing university models, generalising the early years of engineering study
• Modification of the 457 visa program making it harder to get access to overseas students, teachers and qualified professionals.

Australia’s world-class mining workforce is the product of industry innovation and investment in skills and training. The sector provides high-value, high-wage jobs in a range of scientific and highly-skilled professional occupations, employing more geologists and geophysicists, industrial and mechanical engineers and metallurgists and physicists than any other industry.

The mining engineering pipeline has been rapidly declining, with projected enrolments dropping from 171 in 2017 to 98 in 2018, 69 in 2019 and 47 in 2020. This is in the face of marked increases in demand for mining, energy and resources employees – according to SEEK, job ads in mining, resources and energy grew by 54 per cent in the last 12 months.

The Australian minerals industry employs more than 200,000 high-paid, high-skilled professionals and tradespeople, mostly in regional and remote Australia, with a workforce that is younger, better-paid, better trained and has a much higher share of Indigenous Australians and apprentices than all-industry averages.

Average full-time weekly pay in the mining sector is $2,610, which is 67 per cent higher than the all-industries average and 1.4 times higher than in the US, Germany and Canada.

Over the past decade, wage growth averaged 4.4 per cent per year, compared to the all-industry average of 3.5 per cent. Almost all jobs (98 per cent) in mining are full-time, the largest proportion of all industries.

The mining industry spends five times more than government benchmarks on training, with 64 per cent of skilled workers holding a Certificate III qualification or higher, compared to the all-industry average of 58 per cent.

The Australian minerals industry is working hard and collaborating with others to encourage more young people to take up engineering and other mining courses to meet the needs of the workforce of tomorrow.

The Urquhart Bauxite Project is another step closer to tapping in to three billion tonnes of undeveloped bauxite and creating up to 26 Cape York jobs with the granting of its mining lease.

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham said the lease will allow project proponents Oresome Bauxite and Ozore Resources to progress to project operations later this year.

“The granting of this mining lease will support up to 26 jobs and allow the new mine to produce  bauxite for export until 2033,” Dr Lynham said.

“The mine is located near Weipa in the western Cape York Peninsula which is known for its proven large deposits of high-quality export grade bauxite.

“This mining lease builds on the existing bauxite operations in the Cape which include Rio Tinto Alcan Weipa mines and Amrun Project under development and the Bauxite Hills mine under construction by Metro Mining Limited.

“The Urquhart Bauxite Project adds to the project pipeline and follows the recent granting of the mineral development license to Glencore for 283-million tonne Aurukun Bauxite Project.

“Queensland is a bauxite powerhouse and Australia is the world’s largest producer of bauxite, representing 30 per cent of global production,” Dr Lynham said.

Key points:

• Acquisition of outstanding central tenement consolidates Primary Gold’s landholding at its Coolgardie Project
• Similar geological and structural setting to Primary’s wholly-owned Tycho deposit
• Minimal drilling on the tenement to date on prospect known as Queenslander
• Priority targets to be assessed and included in 2018 exploration program

Primary Gold Limited has announced the acquisition of a 100% interest in Prospecting Licence 15/6071 (P15/6071) at the Coolgardie Project via its wholly owned subsidiary, MacPhersons Reward Pty Ltd. With the Acquisition of this central outstanding tenement, Primary’s contiguous landholding at Coolgardie has now increased to 3,047.05 ha of granted tenements.

The newly acquired tenement is considered prospective for gold mineralisation due to its positioning in a similar geological and structural setting to the known Tycho gold deposit which, along with MacPhersons and A-Cap, are to be the focus of mining operations at Primary’s Coolgardie Project during Q1 2018 (refer to Figure 1 and announcement dated 3 January 2018).

Commenting on the Acquisition, Primary Executive Chairman and Managing Director, Garry Mills said, “While mining ramps-up at the Coolgardie Project, Primary is also focussing on targeted exploration of its tenements with a clear objective to increase mineral inventory and mine life of the Project.

“The highly prospective acquisition of P15/6071 forms an important part of this strategy and further confirms Primary’s intent and ambition to expand our landholding around our wholly-owned Coolgardie Project.”

150 megawatt Aurora Solar Energy Project with 1,100 megawatt-hours of energy storage secures Development Approval

SolarReserve has received Development Approval for its Aurora Solar Energy Project, a key milestone required to build the landmark 150 megawatt solar thermal power station 30 kilometers north of Port Augusta. The approval process examined a range of critical elements including environmental, community, and social impacts of the Aurora project, which were assessed by several South Australian Government agencies. Development Approval is a legal document which enables SolarReserve to construct the Aurora project, provided the construction complies with the submitted plans and any conditions outlined in the Development Approval.

“It’s fantastic that SolarReserve has received development approval to move forward with this world-leading project that will deliver clean, dispatchable renewable energy to supply our electrified rail, hospitals, schools and other major government buildings,” said South Australia’s Acting Energy Minister Chris Picton. “This approval triggers an investment of about $650 million, will create a total of about 700 construction and ongoing jobs in Port Augusta and will add new competition to the South Australian market, putting downward pressure on power prices.”

“This important milestone is a significant step in the development of the Aurora solar thermal power station, which will bring SolarReserve’s world-leading clean power generation technology to South Australia,” said SolarReserve’s CEO Kevin Smith. “The remarkable story of the transition of Port Augusta from coal to renewable energy – which won a competitive tender against fossil fuel – is also a preview of the future of power generation around the world.”

Minimising Environmental Impact while Maximising Local Benefits

As part of SolarReserve’s project development process, the company collaborates with stakeholders and local communities to ensure the project has minimal environmental impact while working to maximise benefits for local communities. The Aurora Solar Energy Project has had overwhelming support from not only the Port Augusta and South Australian community but a range of local agencies and organisations including the local Barngarla Aboriginal Group. The Aurora Solar Energy Project is on schedule with final approvals expected in the first half of 2018 and construction expected to commence shortly thereafter.

Dispatchable Electricity, Day and Night

The first of its kind in Australia, the Aurora Solar Energy Project will utilise SolarReserve’s world leading solar thermal technology with integrated molten salt energy storage. Aurora will generate electricity and collect and store the sun’s energy during the daytime – in essence ‘charging’ its own salt battery for use after the sun has set. The power station will provide the equivalent electricity needs of all of the State’s schools, hospitals, police stations, and government buildings over a full year.

Aurora’s massive 1,100 megawatt-hours of storage will provide 8 hours of full load power after dark. This means that, from storage (its ‘salt battery’) alone, Aurora will be capable of powering South Australia far in excess of State Government buildings, the equivalent of over 230,000 homes for 8 hours, or around 35% of all of the households in South Australia.

Creating Jobs and Economic Benefits for South Australia – Today and Tomorrow

Because a solar thermal power station operates like a conventional coal or gas power station, many of the jobs require the same skill sets as conventional energy jobs – from its construction phase through to operations. Aurora is an example of how sustainable solutions are able to foster new industries and create new jobs for South Australia:

• 4,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs will be created during construction, with a significant portion of those created in South Australia
• 650 full time construction jobs are expected for a duration of 30 months
• 50 full-time, permanent jobs will be required for operations and maintenance
• Equipment and services will be purchased across South Australia, which will support an entirely new industry and develop a supply chain, which will be leveraged for other solar thermal projects in South Australia and the broader region

As part of this transformative project, SolarReserve will be establishing a research partnership with South Australian universities to advance solar thermal research and education in South Australia.

 

 

The total amount of energy storage capability for the project will be a massive 1100 megawatt-hours (MWh), at a much lower cost than battery storage

 

Thousands of union members employed by the largest electricity distributor in New South Wales have voted overwhelmingly to take part in a range of work stoppages, bans and other industrial action from as soon as next month unless an agreement covering wage increases and career progression opportunities can be reached.

Employees at Ausgrid, which is jointly owned by the NSW Government, Australian Super and IFM Investors, have not received a pay rise since 2014 and have also had to endure surging workload demands as almost 2,000 jobs have been slashed during the same period.

Ausgrid owns and operates the electricity poles and wires that deliver power to more than a million homes and businesses across Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Hunter.

The protected action ballot, conducted by the Australian Electoral Commission, asked more than 2,800 members of the Electrical Trades Union, United Services Union, Community and Public Sector Union, and Professionals Australia whether they supported taking part in a range of actions.

The AEC found overwhelmingly support for all the proposed actions, with:
? 93.5 per cent voting in support of taking part in work stoppages of up to 8 hours;
? 93.3 per cent agreeing to impose up to 30 different work bans, including refusing to do overtime, callouts, refuel vehicles, attend team briefings, or work on the light rail network; and
? 94 per cent willing to change how they perform their work, including refusing to process deliveries from suppliers or process payments to the company.

This outcome of the vote allows union members at Ausgrid to lawfully commence industrial action within the next month, with delegates of the combined unions to meet on January 31 to determining the timing and format of any stoppages.

Electrical Trades Union organiser Mark Buttigieg said workers had been left with no choice but to consider industrial action by Ausgrid management.

“Our members have endured four years of wage freezes, with no pay increase since 2014,” Mr Buttigieg said.

“During this same time, Ausgrid executives awarded themselves pay increases averaging 5.3 per cent a year, while they also enjoyed average bonuses of more than $50,000 each in 2014, 2015 and 2016.

“Our members work day and night to keep the power on for consumers, so the last thing they want to do is impact the public, but the repeated failure by management to resolve these issues has created a situation where industrial action is the only option left.”

United Services Union energy manager Peter Campise said workers were also concerned by management’s push for a new policy that would severely impact on future career progression.

“Not content to freeze wages for four years, Ausgrid are trying to push through a scheme that would result in new employees receiving lower rates of pay, while at the same time making it much harder for existing staff to receive promotions into more senior roles,” Mr Campise said.

“Our members are simply asking for a fair deal, with a modest pay rise of 3 per cent a year and policies in place that allow people to grow their skills and make their way into more rewarding roles over time.

“Ausgrid workers just want their fair share, particularly as they’ve delivered huge productivity increases in recent years of between 43 and 62 per cent, while the loss of 1,987 jobs in recent years has forced much greater workloads onto those who remain.”

The Resources Regulator has published a consolidated targeted assessment report summarising the findings of assessments undertaken in relation to the hazard of airborne contaminants in underground metalliferous mines.

These assessments began in August 2017 and were completed at five mines. The targeted assessment is an in-depth look at the control measures for airborne contaminants and their implementation.

The assessments are undertaken by a multi-disciplined team of Resources Regulator inspectors using both desktop and on-site assessment. The findings of the assessments are grouped into those that are specific to the hazard of airborne contaminants, and those that could be generally applied to all aspects of critical control measure implementation.

All safety assessment programs can be downloaded from the department’s website.

General findings identified that:
? most mines had implemented recommendations provided in previous diesel exhaust
emissions targeted assessments. Consequently, improvements were observed in mine
documentation, static monitoring and health monitoring.
? broad brush risk assessments did not consider all areas of the mine and tasks undertaken,
including all surface processing areas such as chemical storage, laboratory and maintenance
activities.

Specific findings identified that:
? some mines did not comply with legislated requirements in relation to storage, labelling and
use of hazardous chemicals.

? training for maintenance personnel in relation to servicing sealed pressurised cabins fitted to
mobile plant did not fully capture the complexity of the sealing system.

The assessment process highlighted that:
? broad brush risk assessments must consider all areas of the mine and tasks undertaken,
including all surface processing areas such as chemical storage and laboratory, and
maintenance activities
? mine operators must ensure legislative compliance in relation to hazardous chemicals
including, storage, use, labelling, notification of manifest quantities and obtaining and
providing worker access to safety data sheets (SDS)

The Resources Regulator has published a consolidated targeted assessment report summarising the findings of assessments undertaken in relation to the risk of coal dust explosion in underground coal mines.

These assessments commenced in October 2016, and to date have been completed at 16 mines. The targeted assessment is an in-depth look at the control measures for coal dust explosion and their implementation.

The assessments are undertaken by a multi-disciplined team of Mine Safety inspectors using both desktop and on-site assessment. The findings of the assessments are grouped into those that are specific to the hazard of coal dust explosion, and those that could be generally applied to all aspects of critical control measure implementation.

All safety assessment programs can be downloaded from the department’s website.

 Australian Potash Limited has provided an update on the Yamarna Gold Project, 130km north-east of Laverton in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields.

Highlights:

·       Multi-element interrogation and analysis completed, building on the initial structural review completed in July 2017

·       Multi-element geochemical data confirms priority targets for follow-up testing including walk-up drill targets

·       Mineralisation within the project area has a magmatic or intrusion related signature

·       Project area reviewed covers an area equivalent to the entire area of other known major greenstone belts

·       Interrogation and review conducted by tier 1 consultants CSA Global and industry leading geoscientists Scott Halley, Marcus Willson and Carl Brauhart

·       Drill program being prepared in light of the targeting implications of this significant new analysis

Structural Review

In 2017, the Company commissioned industry leading geological consultants CSA Global to conduct a structural review of its tenure at the northern end of the Yamarna Greenstone Belt in the Eastern Goldfields Province of Western Australia.

The results of this initial review and targeting exercise were outlined in an ASX announcement released 27 July 2017[i], and identified that the Yamarna Gold Project area was conducive to Archaean Lode/orogenic gold type mineralisation, with a structural analogy to the southern Abitibi/Timmins in Canada.

The initial review concluded that an additional lithological and geochemical interpretation would provide further insight into the identified targets. The findings of this follow-up review and multi-element interrogation are discussed here, including further confirmation of the priority drill targets.

Multi-element Geochemical and Lithological Review

Large mineral systems have large alteration halos and these halos can be detected by a range of means. Where an exploration target is under the cover of sediments one of the most effective exploration methods is geochemical analysis and pathfinder mapping to detect alteration halos and direct further exploration to high probability drill targets.

With over 500 drill holes reaching basement rocks within the project area, geochemical analysis and alteration mapping has proven to be an effective tool to refine targets generated in the structural study and lead to high probability drill targets.

Significantly, the analysis identified that mineralisation within the project area has a magmatic association and presents intrusion related mineralisation targets.

The Lake Wells area considered in the reviews comprises over 1,400km² of granted and pending tenure across 16 exploration licenses, encompassing the majority of the northern third of the Yamarna Greenstone Belt.

The project area commences c.60 kilometres north-west of the 6-million-ounce Gruyere mine development.

Pathfinder Analysis & Lithogeochemistry

Principal Component analyses (PCA) is the method CSA Global used to define a number of element associations and correlations with mineralisation. The review concluded that of the 4 associations identified through PCA, 3 were significant, or potentially significant, with respect to gold mineralisation.

Significantly, the analysis identified that mineralisation within the project area is intrusion related. A local of example of this style of mineralisation is Kanowna Belle (¬7Moz).

The analysis produced a geochemically defined lithological classification, and indicates that the project area comprises 2 distinct domains, being the northern extent of the Yamarna Shear and, to the west, the Lateral Ramp Thrust. Rock types defined in the lithogeochemical analysis are consistent with those associated with other gold mineral systems and deposits.

Executive Chairman Matt Shackleton said, “The Yamarna Gold Project represents a significant opportunity for our shareholders, as the work conducted by Scott Halley, Marcus Willson and Carl Brauhart shows. Their experience of Archaean greenstone structural settings is widely acknowledged, and in Dr Halley’s case, his expertise in geochemical alteration analysis is recognised globally.

“The results of the multi-element analysis and lithological/alteration mapping further strengthen the targets identified in the previous structural review, and cannot be ignored. Our exploration team is now finalising plans for drill programs on priority target areas, commencing with target area 1.

“With a positive outlook for gold in 2018, the high-grade results returned by Gold Road Resources from tenure contiguous to the highest priority targets[ii], and the truly regional nature of the Yamarna Gold Project, we believe this to be an auspicious time to be considering this value-adding work.

“This work has the potential to generate significant value for shareholders as APC moves forward in 2018.”