In the vast and challenging landscape of mining operations, success hinges not only on extracting valuable resources but also on protecting assets, personnel and equipment from the unpredictable forces of nature.

A sufficient shelter solution to protect mining assets is crucial in ensuring the efficiency, safety and profitability of mining sites worldwide.

One such solution is fabric shelters from Allshelter. These shelters are crucial in a mining environment. Highly versatile structures can withstand all the earth throws at them and provide excellent protection.

Weather protection

Mining operations often face harsh environmental conditions, ranging from extreme temperatures and heavy rainfall to high winds and cyclones. Appropriate protection protects valuable assets such as machinery, equipment, and stockpiles from damage, corrosion, and deterioration.

Allshelter’s fabric structures shield against these elements, ensuring critical equipment remains operational and protected from adverse weather effects. By minimising exposure to rain, UV radiation and temperature fluctuations, mining shelters help extend the lifespan of assets, reduce maintenance costs, and optimise operational uptime.

Operational efficiency

Efficiency is the lifeblood of any mining operation, and downtime due to weather-related disruptions can have significant repercussions on productivity and profitability. Fabric dome structures help reduce these risks by providing a controlled environment for essential work activities such as equipment and vehicle maintenance, repairs, and material handling.

Allshelter’s towable, ground-mounted and container-mounted structures are engineered to be permanent but with the added benefit of being relocatable. This is crucial for many mine sites that are constantly on the move or expanding into new locations.

With easy installation and dismantling, these container domes and shelters are a great solution to short-term and long-term projects requiring swift pack-up or relocation.

With sheltered workspaces, mining operations can continue unaffected regardless of external weather conditions, allowing many procedures to proceed efficiently and safely. They also help to enable work to progress year-round without stopping everything due to unavoidable circumstances that may cause delays.

Safety

The mining industry is inherently hazardous, with risks ranging from cave-ins and explosions to chemical exposure and equipment accidents. This means that it is extremely important to ensure safety measures are in place. In this high-risk environment, the safety of personnel is of the utmost importance, and Allshelter shelters play a vital role in providing secure refuge during emergencies and adverse weather events.

Fabric dome structures can serve as safe zones where workers can seek cover during emergencies, especially if a mine site is remote. The shelters can be used as a first aid point and a meeting place or assembly area in case of a freak event.

Customisation

In the mining world, each workplace has site-specific challenges and operational requirements that vary significantly from one location to another. Fabric shelters offer the flexibility and customisation necessary to address the diverse needs of the industry.

With Allshelter’s expansive, flexible options, mounting options and customisation, shelters can be easily tailored to meet specific sizes, layouts, and functional requirements. With optional add-ons, including doors, guttering, artificial lighting, and engineering to your specific wind region, Allshelter’s fabric domes offer an abundance of design possibilities.

Each shelter has a different use. Whether it’s a tyre change bay, a workshop, or just storage for heavy vehicles or dry bulk, this solution will be sure to be used to its full potential.

Environmental sustainability

In an era of increasing environmental awareness and regulatory scrutiny, sustainability has become a global core consideration for mining operations. Allshelter takes pride in its sustainability action. The frames are made from 100 per cent recyclable steel, and the translucent fabric tensioned cover is environmentally adaptable, energy efficient, and can let natural light in, which reduces the need for artificial lighting during the day.

This is then packed into a compact kit form, up to 50 per cent lighter than equivalent steel structures, reducing the materials and transport carbon footprint. These align mining operations with principles of environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility.

The importance of robust shelter solutions cannot be overstated in the dynamic and demanding world of mining operations. From protecting assets and personnel against the elements to enhancing operational efficiency and promoting environmental sustainability, shelters play a multifaceted role in ensuring the success and longevity of mining operations across Australia and worldwide.

For more information, visit the Allshelter website: https://www.allshelter.com.au/

Australian Mining.

Lincoln Minerals is seeking a partner to help fund and develop the Green Iron magnetite project to operational status.

Green Iron is underpinned by a 1.2 billion tonne magnetite resource that consists of a head grade of 25.7 per cent iron and an average Davis Tube Recovery of 22.5 per cent. Its average concentrate grade is 66.4 per cent iron and five per cent silicon dioxide.

The project is located about 35km north of Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. It has been owned by Lincoln Minerals since 2018.

A recent review of Green Iron was conducted by Lincoln Minerals’ new management team, including chief executive officer Jonathon Trewartha, which highlighted the potential of entering a partnership to Green Iron.

The first phase of the partnering process will aim to advance Green Iron to definitive feasibility study status while completing approval documents.

Lincoln Minerals anticipates Green Iron to gather additional interest due to the growing acceptance of high-quality magnetite concentrate as a feedstock for green steel production.

“We believe there is substantial potential value in Lincoln’s 100 per cent owned Green Iron project, which in our view is currently not reflected in Lincoln’s share price, due to a lack of awareness by the market of the scale and attractiveness of previous study outcomes,” Lincoln Minerals director Julian Babarczy said.

“Following our review of the project, it is clear it has a compelling and significant scale, with detailed yet incomplete, advanced stage feasibility studies undertaken on all aspects of the project showing the potential to produce a very high-quality magnetite end-product with favourable metallurgical characteristics, ideal for the production of green steel in the region.”

Trewartha said the Green Iron project has potential to play a key role in a decarbonised future.

“Magnetite, with its environmental advantages, has emerged as an appealing option for sustainable, low carbon steel production,” he said.

“Lincoln’s Green Iron project, focused on producing a coarse-grind, high-grade iron ore concentrate, is expected to attract interest from potential steel producers, as has been the case with other peers in the region.

“The project’s unique properties, positive environmental impact, and proximity to established infrastructure and workforce contribute significantly to the project’s attractiveness.”

The South Australian Government recently revealed it was keen to partner with businesses to jointly investigate the development of a hydrogen-based direct reduction iron plant.

“The world needs steel, and as it seeks to decarbonise, it will increasingly need green iron and steel,” SA Premier Peter Malinauskas said.

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Australian Mining.

Genesis Minerals has revealed its five-year strategic plan, with total gold production equalling 1.3 million ounces (Moz).

The plan spans from the beginning of the 2024–25 financial year (FY25) until FY29.

Under the strategy, Genesis will increase production from its operations over the five-year period from 140,000oz in FY24 to 325,000oz in FY29.

The company will also maintain an average production profile from FY29 of 335,000oz per annum.

Genesis’ production target is based on a combination of 92 per cent ore Reserves and eight per cent inferred mineral resources mined between FY25 and FY29, as well as a total of 90 per cent ore reserves and 10 per cent inferred mineral resources mined between FY25 and FY34.

The gold miner’s strategy will be bolstered by its group resources standing at 15.2Moz and group reserves totalling at 3.3Moz, as of March 21.

“It is clear that we now have the reserve to underwrite our future as a major ASX gold producer with annual production of 300,000oz per annum and more,” Genesis Minerals managing director Raleigh Finlayson said.

“We also have long mine life and operational diversity on both the mining and processing fronts.

“Importantly, these new robust models show there is huge scope for ongoing growth in the inventory and forecast production rates, with mineralisation open across the assets and drilling continuing to return exceptional results which point to increases and upgrades in the resources.”

The increase in total resources and reserves is largely credited to three key acquisitions completed by Genesis in the second half of 2023, including:

• obtaining St Barbara’s Leonora assets
• purchasing the Bruno-Lewis and Raeside gold projects from Kin Mining
• acquiring 100 per cent ownership of Daican.

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Australian Mining.

Develop Global has announced that it has achieved its five-year mining services business plan in just 18 months.

The company’s latest agreement will see it undertake underground development activities for Karora Resources’ Beta Hunt mine in the Goldfields region of Western Australia.

Beta Hunt is located less than 100km away from Develop’s Pioneer Dome lithium project. The company is also seeing strong results from its $400 million underground mining contract at the Bellevue gold mine.

“It has taken just 18 months for our mining services division to meet the key activity, revenue and capability targets we set out in our five-year business plan,” Develop managing director Bill Beament said.

“This phenomenal result reflects the strength and capability of the world-class team of highly experienced
underground personnel we have built in such a short time.

“The strong revenue now being generated from the provision of mining services will also be highly valuable as we seek to secure the most attractive funding terms possible to advance our critical minerals assets in Australia.”

Develop has now ramped up its measured and indicated resource at its Woodlawn zinc-copper-lead-gold-silver mine in New South Wales by 11 per cent.

“This expanded and upgraded resource is a pivotal outcome for Woodlawn because it will drive the imminent reserve update,” Beament said.

“This will in turn underpin Woodlawn’s economics and position Develop to secure the most attractive source of project funding.

“With the copper price rising and widely forecast to increase much further, the Woodlawn inventory, short time frame to production and strong growth outlook means Develop offers investors much sought-after ASX-listed exposure to the metal.”

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Australian Mining.

Australian-based global technical services firm MEC Mining has continued its growth in the resources sector with the recent acquisition of environmental services company METServe.

The combined service offering will encompass all aspects of environmental services previously provided by METServe. This includes approvals, impact assessment, environmental management, closure and rehabilitation, ecology, social, GIS analysis, cartography, and more.

MEC Mining chief executive officer Christofer Catania highlighted that the acquisition complements MEC’s portfolio.

“METServe has a 20-year history of working within industry on successful project approvals across the federal, state, and territory levels in Australia,” Catania said.

“It’s exciting to bring METServe into the MEC group, our combined services offerings and mutual focus on supporting our clients as journey partners makes this a fantastic strategic fit. This step further strengthens our ability to support our clients at all stages of their mining projects.

“We have continued our growth and diversification path to better support our clients and mining industry, delivering first class services and contributing towards sustainable solutions across industry.”

METServe general manager Dave Moss echoed similar sentiments.

“The acquisition not only complements our extensive history but also aligns seamlessly with our commitment to contributing significantly to sustainable solutions across various industries,” he said.

“Our role in potential exploration and mining projects, coupled with MEC’s diversified portfolio, reinforces our collective ability to offer comprehensive environmental services.”

Catania said MEC is well-positioned in the industry.

“With mining engineering, environmental, geological, geotechnical and advisory services, MEC is well-positioned to offer end-to-end services across the full mining life cycle, leveraging our in-house expertise to collaborate and provide best-practice solutions to the resources sector,” he said.

Australian Mining.