South West WA Branch – Albany technical event report

Our South West WA Branch

The AusIMM South West WA Branch is geographically one of the largest regions of the Institute, extending from Mandurah/Rockingham in the north, Albany in the south, and Merredin in the east. Many significant mining projects are located in this region including:

• Boddington - Gold
• Greenbushes - Lithium
• Alcoa and South32 – Alumina
• IGO/Western Areas – Forestania Nickel
• Iluka, Tronox & Doral – Mineral Sand Mining
• Tronox – TiO₂ production
• Iluka – Synthetic Rutile
• Collie – Brown Coal
• Albemarle – Lithium Hydroxide
• Mt Weld – Lithium
• Mt Holland - Lithium

There are approximately 300 AusIMM members located in the SW region. The membership includes people living in regional communities and working at nearby drive in, drive out mine sites, and numerous members work remotely via fly in, fly out commute. The branch also includes personnel providing consulting services, government services and numerous retired professionals.

Monthly committee and technical meetings are held at the Mercure Sanctuary Golf Resort. In addition to technical meetings, in the past three years the branch has organised tours to the Greenbushes lithium mine, a Tronox mineral sands concentrator and dry separation plant both located close to Busselton, the Iluka synthetic rutile plant at Capel, and the Newmont Boddington gold mine.

Regional outreach

When planning the program for the 2024 year, the branch committee was anxious to engage with members in the more distant regions of the branch. Albany was selected for the 2024 year. The Grange Resources - Southdown Magnetite project was the focus for this event. The timing for this event (Wednesday 28 February to 1 Friday March 2024) was chosen to coincide with the WA Labour Day holiday to provide participants with the option to extend their stay in this picturesque area of WA.

Wednesday 28 February

Tour participants travelled by personal cars from Perth and Bunbury to Albany. The Le Grande Hotel was the venue for the welcoming dinner and a technical presentation.

The preliminary meet-and-greet session provided an opportunity for participants to make new contacts and relax after the drive to Albany.

After a pleasant dinner, Michael Everitt MAusIMM, Grange - Southdown Project Study Manager, delivered a presentation regarding Grange Resources Ltd, the Southdown Project regional geological setting, specific mineralogy, and drill-log nomenclature. Glenda Stirling, Southdown Community Liaison Manager, provided general commentary regarding social impacts and community engagement activities to progress the project. This technical session provided a useful background for the site visit the following morning.

Coincidentally, on the previous day, Grange Resources announced to the ASX the positive outcome of a feasibility study for development of the underground resource at their Savage River operation in Tasmania. This $891M (Grange ASX announcement, February 2024) self-funded expansion may impact the development schedule for the Southdown project. 

Project Development Consultant Ailan Chan (left) networking with technical representatives of Longi Magnetics Technology during the pre-dinner meet and greet session.

Michael Everitt delivering his presentation regarding the Southdown Magnetite Project. 

Thursday 29 February

The Southdown site is currently an exploration site. Access is via farm roads and communications and site-based emergency service support is not available. The site is located on a working sheep grazing property. When planning the tour, a risk study was completed by the organising committee in consultation with the Southdown project team. Risks identified included traffic accident, weather, vehicle breakdown, medical emergency, snake and insect bite, hydration and sun exposure. Appropriate mitigation was provided for all identified risks.

Weather in the Albany region can be cold, wet and can change rapidly. Fortunately for all, the weather on the day of the tour to the Southdown site was warm with a mild cool breeze and clear sky. This mitigated the sun-exposure and hydration risks.

All participants travelled by bus to the Southdown site. The agricultural and residual forest setting of the mine was apparent. We also caught glimpses of the rugged Southern coastline.

All participants were enthusiastic to view core that had been laid-out for our inspection. Viewing of the core clarified the group appreciation of the geological complexity, material properties impacting comminution, and separation plant design and efficiency. Michael Everitt and Glenda Stirling provided excellent guidance regarding the geology and mineral assemblage.

Southdown Study Manager Michael Everitt discussing drill-core features with Tronox geologist Anthea Hill MAusIMM.

Southdown Community Liaison Manager Glenda Stirling discussing core material properties with Business Development consultant Ailan Tran. 

After examining core, the group were escorted around the site. The layout of the proposed mine, waste-dumps, tailings storage and process plant were highlighted. The proposed layout takes advantage of the natural topography of the site.

Southdown tour participants standing on the orebody where it is exposed at surface. Overall strip ratio is anticipated to be relatively low.

At the completion of the site visit, Grange provided a morning tea at the nearby Wellstead village. The tour progressed to a glorious Cape Riche coastal location for lunch, then stopped at a local winery for the group to sample the local produce of this amazing region.

Study-tour participants enjoying the beach where we stopped for lunch. The proximity to pristine coastline and bushland is an attractive feature for this project. It will also demand environmental responsibility and community liaison to maintain a social licence to operate.

ESG/Investment and development presentation – Thursday evening 29 February

After arriving back at the Le Grande Hotel late in the afternoon, the group regrouped for dinner at the historic Premier hotel in York Street Albany for a pub dinner and presentation regarding environment, social and governance (ESG) standards to be addressed for project financing. This session was led by RPMGlobal Executive Consultant and AusIMM Social and Environment Society Chair Diane Dowdell FAusIMM.

One might have expected that after a long and tiring day with plenty of exposure to sun and wind, some in the group would be feeling very jaded. However, Diane’s ESG presentation was delivered with enthusiasm, competence, and insight, and the crowd’s mood was filled with intrigue. The many acronyms used by practitioners of the investment and governance disciplines, and the differences between the ostensibly overlapping ESG protocols were explained. The discussions both during and following the presentation were stimulating and insightful. This presentation was a very positive way to end a long day!

RPMGlobal Executive Consultant Diane Dowdell, lead presenter of the ESG/Investment forum in conversation with Michael Everitt (Grange/Southdown), Mark Warren FAusIMM (Snowden Optiro), and Kerrin Foster AAusIMM (Xylem Water Solutions) at the meet and greet session prior to the dinner and Southdown presentation.

STEM meeting with Albany educators - Friday 1 March

A coffee meeting was attended by two UWA Albany Campus representatives, three Albany secondary school career advisors, SW WA Branch committee members and Michael Everitt representing Grange Resources. The objective was to discuss how AusIMM could assist schools with promotion of STEM and mining related careers to high-school students. Significant outcomes included:

• The majority of Albany high-school students focus on trade apprenticeships, and hospitality, retail, tourism, health, aged-care and agricultural employment options. Only a small group aspire to university education in Perth, with few targeting STEM related professions.
• HELP (HECS) debt, and the high cost of travel and accommodation in Perth are disincentives for regional students to pursue university options.
• The UWA Albany campus would like to pursue ongoing opportunities to work with AusIMM and the local secondary schools.
• The target group for promotion of mining as an employment option are the year nine students. Older groups having already narrowed their post-school focus.
• Knowledge of mining technical, trade and professional options was low due to limited local exposure to mining in the region.
• There was potential for AusIMM and industry involvement at school career expo functions.

Return to Bunbury

At the completion of the STEM meeting, the Albany Tour was complete, with participants returning to Perth/Bunbury or staying in Albany to enjoy the Labour Day long weekend.

Outcomes

Positives

• The SW Branch excursion to Albany was a success. All participants were pleased with the program, accommodation and meeting venue, the networking and open discussion of the Southdown project by the Grange team.
• The ESG/Investment and Development component of the tour was enlightening, particularly for the discipline engineers who do not have specific involvement in project financing and governance matters.
• The STEM meeting with local high-school career advisors was enlightening regarding the general interest by regional students in STEM and mining professions and the best student group to target for promotion of mining related careers.

Negatives

• There was minimal participation by AusIMM members from the Albany region.
• There were no long-serving-member participants or recognition certificates presented.
  • Attention is required for advertising regional tours and inviting members for long-service dinners.

Acknowledgements

The organising committee of Bill Delaney MAusIMM, Diane Dowdell and Morrie Goodz FAusIMM(CP) are to be thanked for their contributions to this successful event. A special commendation to Bill for:

• Arranging the tour of the Southdown project with the Grange team.
• Leading the pre-tour risk-review and organised the various provisions identified as being required.
• Providing transport to/from Albany.
• Collecting and driving the tour bus to the Southdown site.
• Chairing two presentation sessions and the STEM meeting.
• Assisting with administrative details relating to the venue and tour.

Michael Everitt and Glenda Stirling of Grange Resources are acknowledged for hosting the tour of the Southdown site, presentation of the geology and project status and ESG issues being addressed as part of the pre-development study phase.

Diane Dowdell is acknowledged for leading the ESG/Project Financing presentation and moderating the stimulating discussions the presentation generated.