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The New Zealand government is considering a second application for a prospecting permit to mine seabeds off the western coast of Taranaki. 
Officials are weighing up an application from Ngarara Exploration Limited (NEL) to mine for vanadium – a metal increasingly viewed as an alternative to lithium in batteries.

NEL follows Trans-Tasman Resources, an Australian mining giant already pursuing approval to extract 50 million tonnes of iron sands just off the Taranaki coastline in a protracted, back-and-forth battle with the government in Auckland.

There has been a gradual rollback of previous Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s environmental policies under Christopher Luxon, a former business executive who said his main priority is to improve the New Zealand economy when he gained office last October.

At the forefront of this shift is the proposed draft for New Zealand’s new Minerals Strategy, released last week. Shane Jones, Minister for Oceans and Fisheries, said the strategy “will put in place actions that will lead us on an export-led growth pathway to double the sector’s exports to $2 billion by 2035”.

British multinational mining company Anglo American has paused production at its Grosvenor steelmaking coal mine in Queensland, Australia, after battling an underground fire. 

The company reported that all emergency protocols were adhered to and that workers were safely evacuated from the mine without any injuries. It added that the mine team is collaborating with specialist teams from the Queensland Mines Rescue Service and regulatory authorities to extinguish the underground blaze and assess safe re-entry into the mine. Due to the anticipated damage underground, these procedures are expected to span several months. 

Anglo American’s steelmaking coal business is expected to yield approximately 8mt of product in the first half of 2024, with the Grosvenor facility producing around 2.3mt. 

Anglo American, which rejected a A$58.6bn takeover bid from BHP earlier this year, is reportedly exploring options for the sale of its coal division. 

Fortescue Metals Group and Liebherr Mining have joined forces to develop a fully integrated autonomous haulage solution (AHS) for zero-emissions vehicles. The collaboration will help implement the first AHS with zero-emissions vehicles in Fortescue's iron ore operations in Western Australia's Pilbara region. 

The system will include a fleet management system, an onboard autonomy kit for the T 264 truck, and a high precision machine guidance system for loading equipment. The AHS will facilitate the control and coordination of mixed fleets comprising autonomous ultra-class mining trucks, autonomous road trains and autonomous light vehicles. 

The latest collaboration builds on the existing alliance between Liebherr and Fortescue, which started in June 2022. The two companies have a shared goal of creating a zero-emissions haulage solution that leverages Liebherr's OEM expertise and Fortescue's advanced fuel cell, battery and battery-electric technology.

The board of Fenix Resources has given its approval to relaunch operations at the Shine iron ore mine in Yalgoo, Australia. 

Fenix plans to commence site works this quarter, with iron ore production scheduled to begin in the December 2024 quarter. 

The decision to proceed with the stage 1 mine plan follows a thorough review including in-pit drilling, product sampling and updated resource modelling. The approved budget for stage 1 is A$7.4m.  

The Shine open pit mine was acquired by Fenix in July 2023 from Mount Gibson Iron, along with other Midwest iron ore assets. 

Production started at Shine in March 2021. However, operations at the mine were suspended in October 2021 due to increased haulage costs and a fall in iron ore prices.

Pilbara Minerals has announced the pre-feasibility study for the P2000 project, which could significantly expand lithium production at its Pilgangoora operation in Western Australia.

The P2000 project, named for its production target, is expected to yield 1.9mtpa for the first ten years, with more than 2mtpa during the initial six years post-ramp-up. The project is expected to position Pilbara Minerals as the world’s largest pure play lithium producer.

The proposed expansion includes the construction of a new flotation plant, estimated to cost A$1.2bn, which will operate alongside the current processing facilities at Pilgangoora. Results from the feasibility study are expected by the end of 2025, after which a financial investment decision will be made. Progression of the P2000 project will depend on the results of the study, necessary project approvals and market conditions.