Latest news with #Diggers&DealersMiningForum
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
St George Mining fires up drill rigs for first time at Araxa niobium-rare earth elements project in Brazil
St George Mining has begun its first drilling campaign at the Araxa niobium-rare earth elements project in Brazil. On Wednesday the WA explorer said it had more than 10,000m of auger, reverse circulation and diamond drilling planned across 12-16 weeks. St George said mineralisation was open in all directions, with significant mineralisation below 100m from surface not yet included in the current mineral resource estimate. The company said this meant there was potential for a 'substantial increase in the already globally significant resource' of 41.2 million tonnes at 0.68 per cent niobium pentoxide and 40.64Mt at 4.13 per cent total rare earth oxide. St George secured ownership of Araxa in the Brazilian State of Minas Gerais in February after announcing its intention at last year's Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Executive chairman John Prineas said the project had already delivered more than 500 intercepts of high-grade rare earths and niobium from past drilling, and St George was expecting to add significantly to this tally by the time the drilling campaign was completed. 'The Araxa project has many competitive advantages that make it a standout project in the rare earths and niobium space,' he said. 'Mineralisation starts from surface and is free-digging, supporting a potential low-cost open-pit mining operation. 'The project is in an established mining region with well-understood permitting and environmental management, providing an expedited pathway to potential development and strong ESG credentials. 'Araxa's key feature, of course, is the large, high-grade resource — an enviable development opportunity at a time when global economies are scrambling to establish new supply chains for critical metals, particularly magnet rare earths. 'One of the largest-producing hard-rock rare earths mines outside of China is the Mt Weld mine owned by the $8 billion Lynas Rare Earths, with a total resource of 106Mt at 4.1 per cent TREO. 'St George's Araxa project already has a total JORC resource of 40.64Mt at 4.13 per cent TREO, illustrating the potential value upside for St George as we progress through development studies and resource expansion drilling to demonstrate the potential for a commercial rare earth mining operation. 'At a time when investors are increasingly looking to Brazil for the next generation of quality hard-rock rare earths and niobium development opportunities, Araxa is in pole position to deliver sustained value for St George shareholders.'
West Australian
14-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Overpriced tenders delay city's installation of permanent multipurpose pavilion for Diggers & Dealers
It will be business as usual at this year's Diggers & Dealers Mining Forum, with tender cost issues delaying the City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder's plan to install a permanent pavilion at the Goldfields Arts Centre. The city announced during last year's forum it had made a budget allocation of $3.5 million for a multipurpose events pavilion at the centre, with mayor Glenn Wilson at the time saying it was testament to the city's commitment to ensuring it remained an ideal host for the forum into the future. While no firm timeframe was set for the installation of the pavilion, the city has recently advised Diggers & Dealers it would not be in place for this year's event. In a report to next week's council meeting, the city said it received two tender submissions but both exceeded the budget, so the council rejected them at its December meeting with a view to starting work after this year's Diggers & Dealers. The report said retendering with a longer tender submission period and a more relaxed delivery timeframe would attract a broader range of contractors and more competitive pricing. It said the new tender would be advertised this month or next. This situation means Diggers & Dealers will go ahead with its usual temporary pavilion being transported from Perth and placed in the centre's carpark. The report said the city had secured $1m in Lotterywest funding for the project, and also submitted a $5.1m application to the BHP Nickel West Community Fund. The city's intention is for the new pavilion to be used year-round for other events.
