progressive rehabilitation

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, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Rare Earth Elements

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, Strategic Minerals, Lithium, Precious Metals, Gold, Base Metals, Copper, Nickel, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical)

Bioleaching transforms coal waste into safe material while producing high purity ferrous sulphate proving mine liabilities can become valuable resources

A new study has shown that bioleaching can strip more than 90% of sulphur and iron from coal waste, neutralising its acid-generating potential and creating a saleable by-product.

By Jamie Wade on October 21, 2025
Efficiency, Process Improvement, ESG, Environmental Impact Assessments, Waste Management, Reclamation Projects, Sustainable Practices, Mine Closure Planning, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Risk, Risk Mitigation, Mines & Projects, Case Studies
Australia, Queensland
Iron ore, Base Metals, Sulphur, Energy Minerals, Coal (Thermal and Metallurgical), Rare Earth Elements, Strategic Minerals

Starting tailings closure decades early could save millions, boost trust and turn mine waste into long-term assets worth talking about

What if the key to slashing tailings closure costs and winning community trust is to start the work decades before the mine shuts down? For Justin Walls, Principal Consultant (Tailings Engineering) at SRK Consulting, the best time to plan for tailings storage facility (TSF) closure is now – not when the mine is about to shut down.

By Jamie Wade on August 29, 2025
Costs, Cost Control, ESG, Waste Management, Reclamation Projects, Stakeholder Communication, Sustainable Practices, Long-term Planning, Environmental Stewardship, Mine Closure Planning, Innovation, Technology Adoption, Process Innovation, Risk, Risk Mitigation
Australia, Western Australia
Base Metals, Copper