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...

SouthGobi attracts Chinese and Singapore funds for its Mongolian coal fields development

Canada-listed coal miner SouthGobi Energy Resources has secured Asia's top sovereign wealth funds, China's China Investment Corp and Singapore's Temasek, as cornerstone investors in its planned $400-million Hong Kong IPO this month, a source told Reuters. Each will buy $50-million worth of shares, said the source, who has direct knowledge of the deal but declined to be named due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

SouthGobi will kick off a marketing road show on Jan. 11, aiming to list on 29 January under the symbol "1878". The expected cash infusion follows a $500-million investment from CIC announced in October.

SouthGobi is expected to boost its coal production by more than sixfold to 8 million metric tons by 2012 at the Ovoot Tolgoi mine, about 950 km south of the capital Ulan Bator.  SouthGobi is 79% owned by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd.