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...

Cokal reassures market its Indonesian assets are held in accordance with laws

Australian-listed metallurgical coal group Cokal Limited (ASX:CKA) has publicly confirmed that it holds a majority direct ownership and has operational control in its five Indonesian projects.

“Cokal is a direct shareholder, via its fully owned Singapore subsidiaries, in all five Indonesian companies who hold the Indonesian exploration tenements. The 2009 Indonesian Mining Law provides for up to 100% foreign ownership of the new Indonesian mining tenements, IUPs, by way of a formal process of application and approval.

“By establishing Cokal’s direct ownership and control in the underlying exploration tenure, along with having received subsequent confirmation on Cokal’s tenure from the Indonesian Government, it is believed that Cokal is placed in the strongest possible ownership position,” the company stated.