$200bn capex ambition of mining majors under spotlight

The great China-led economic supercycle that has been boosting global economies for a decade is falling below its expected trajectory, which is giving rise to questions supercycle slippage and demise.

Rocklands copper project, Australia

The project involves the construction of a three-million-ton-a-year processing plant.

Qld pushes Burke for clarity on Rio's bauxite expansion

The Queensland government has called on Federal Environment Minster Tony Burke to deliver a timeframe for his decision on diversified miner Rio Tinto’s bauxite mine expansion plans, in Cape York. The state’s Deputy Premier and Minister for...

Resources growth ‘critical’ to reigning in Qld budget deficit

The Queensland government has vowed to cut red tape in the state’s resources sector, which it sees as a key driver of economic recovery, particularly in regional areas. “A sector that earns A$40-billion or 15% of gross state product annually,...

4 500 coal ships, not 10 000, to move through reef by 2020 – QRC

The Queensland Resources Council (QRC) on Tuesday refuted claims that up to 10 000 coal ships would move through the Great Barrier Reef by 2020. Quoting independent reef shipping forecasts, which had been released as part of an ongoing study to...

Kinnect opens doors in Perth

Injury prevention specialist Kinnect has opened regional headquarters in Perth in response to the region’s burgeoning resources economy. MD for the Queensland-established Kinnect, Kevin Conlon said on Monday that the Western Australian...

Abbot Point multi-cargo plan scrapped

The Queensland government on Monday confirmed it had scrapped plans for a multi-cargo facility (MCF) at the Abbot Point coal terminal. Over the weekend, media outlets in Australia reported that the A$9-billion expansion of the Abbot Point coal...

Moranbah South coal project, Australia

The project involves the construction and operation of a greenfield coal mine, with a peak production rate of up to 18-million tons a year of run-of-mine coal.

BHP withdraws from silver JV

Diversified miner BHP Billiton has withdrawn from a joint venture (JV) with ASX-listed Breakaway Resources at its Altia silver/lead/zinc project, in Queensland. The decision was based on the results of a commercial and technical review of the...

Skills shortage threatens Qld mining growth – report

A new industry research report has warned that the Queensland resources industry would not achieve its growth potential without implementing new workforce growth and development strategies. A report by skills adviser Kinetic Group predicted that...

World’s biggest miner pulling in its horns

The world’s biggest mining company is pulling in its investment horns. BHP Billiton chairperson Jac Nasser says that the investment climate has changed since the company spoke of spending $80-billion on project growth by 2015. “As much as...

Australian gas users fear shortage as LNG exports grow

Australia is on its way to becoming the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas, but industrial consumers on the country's east coast are worried gas producers will ship so much to Asia's booming economies that domestic supplies will be...