Algae and mining: A new frontier in sustainable site rehabilitation

Algae might seem an unlikely candidate to help transform Australia’s post-mining landscapes, but a new CSIRO -led project suggests these tiny aquatic organisms could provide sustainable futures for mine sites, surrounding ecosystems, and local communities. Looking down the microscope at the microalgae Nannochloropsis Australia’s mining sector is approaching a crossroads—where economic legacy and environmental responsibility must find common ground. A new CSIRO -led study, supported by the Cooperative Research Centre for Transformations in Mining Economies (CRC TiME), suggests that one of the most promising bridges between these imperatives may come from an unexpected source: algae. Though small in stature, algae are emerging as giants in their potential to transform post-mining landscapes. The study, developed in partnership with the University of Queensland and Murdoch University , proposes that algae-based technologies could reduce mining’s environmental footprint while seeding new...

Hillgrove prepares drills for Sumba gold project

Australian-listed Hillgrove Resources has announced the final results for its 2009 trench sampling program at Pahandanjal Prospect on the island of Sumba in Indonesia's Nusa Tenggara Barat province. The program confirmed the presence of large zones of low grade gold mineralisation enveloping multiple vein sets of medium to high grade gold mineralisation.

Many of the earlier trenches had to be extended further into the andesitic host rock and some are still not closed off due to the depth of the intermittent scree cover. Broad low to medium grade gold anomalism has been identified in trench results from the Western Vein system including 34m at 2.07g/t Gold and 3.85g/t Silver(FT5EXT), 7m at 1.05g/t Gold and 1.93g/t Silver (FT6EXT), 17m at 1.16g/t Gold and 1.79g/t Silver (FT7EXT).

Other broad low grade mineralisation identified in trench results from the Eastern Vein System including 78m at 0.8g/t gold and 4.27g/t Silver (FT21A), 52m at 0.51g/t Gold and 5.23g/t Silver (FT20) and 24m at 1.06g/t Gold and 3.82g/t Silver (FT23). Additional low grade mineralisation discovered further east including 70m at 0.53g/t Gold and 3.49g/t Silver (FT24).

The discovery of broad zones of low grade mineralisation along with narrower high grade shoots confirms just how prospective Pahandanjal is and Hillgrove has commenced preparations for drill testing which is expected to occur in March/ April.