Astral Resources

The base case is zero. The reality is 20 per cent over. Mining’s most expensive assumption isn’t going away.

Will Kendall has a line that lands with the quiet force of something everyone in the room already knew but hadn’t quite said out loud: "Base case is cost overruns of over 20 per cent," Will says, "That’s your base case.

By Jamie Wade on August 27, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Rare Earth Elements, Strategic Minerals, Precious Metals, Lithium

The contractor recovery has a forward visibility problem, and the JV model is quietly rewriting how junior projects get built

There are two stories inside Grant Thornton's latest mining contractors report, and the one getting most of the attention is the wrong one.

By Jamie Wade on April 28, 2026
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Contract Management, Procurement Efficiency, ESG, Reclamation Projects, Regulatory Adherence, Long-term Planning, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages
Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, North America, Canada
Iron ore, Gold, Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Strategic Minerals, Precious Metals, Lithium

Gold project digs deeper into value with big ounces, fast payback and bold plans to reshape the map in WA’s high-grade heartland

A pre-feasibility study expected within weeks is poised to confirm the scale, low-cost profile, and near-term development potential of a Western Australian gold project with a consolidated landholding in one of the world’s most productive gold provinces.

By Jamie Wade on May 24, 2025
Efficiency, Production Optimisation, Mineral Processing, Costs, Financial Planning, Cost Control, Contract Management, Extraction, Mineral Extraction, Reserve Estimation, Mines & Projects, Project Overviews, Development Stages, Key Contacts, Case Studies, Exploration, Geological exploration and resource modelling
Australia, Western Australia, Goldfields-Esperance
Gold, Precious Metals