Archive for the ‘BHP Billiton’ Category

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Leave uranium in the ground, says Indian visitor to Roxby Downs

April 28, 2013

“Please leave the uranium underground” , Roxby Downs Sun  April 4, 2013,  Indian national Bhargavi Dilipkumar has a message for BHP Billiton; to leave uranium underground for it has done more than enough damage to the environment.

Bhargavi visited Roxby Downs this week with Friends of the Earth Australia to receive a first hand experience of what uranium mining was all about and be the voice of India protesting the uranium trade between the two countries.

She said she had been part of the people’s movement that is strongly opposing the building of an atomic power plant to be built at the southern part of India.

Bhargavi is an anti nuclear activitist from India who strongly believes that BHP Billiton should shelve its uranium export program and be responsible for the safety of the environment and million of lives back home.

She visited the Olympic Dam mine and tried to persuade BHP Billiton management to have a heart for the people of India who will suffer long term consequences if the atomic power plant was allowed to go ahead.

“Please leave the uranium underground,” she said.

“Don’t mine it because its destroying lives.”

Similar sentiments were expressed by German nationals Danda Petter and Miriam Ribbeck who had been part of a nation-wide protest to stop the construction of a nuclear plant at Freiburg.

They said the consequences of having a nuclear plant would definitely affect both Germany and France.

Vietnamese national Hai Levan said having seen the damage caused in Japan he would “fight to the death” to stop the building of a nuclear energy plant in South Central Vietnam.

“We can’t continue chopping down trees because it will cause flooding and harm our environment,” he said .http://www.roxbydownssun.com.au/story/1408776/please-leave-the-uranium-underground/?cs=1503

Posted in BHP Billiton, opposition to u-mining, Roxby Downs | Leave a Comment »

Australia’s uranium industry future – not looking too good

February 11, 2013

recent steps by BHP to cuts of its uranium program — from the delay of the uranium production expansion plan at the Olympic Dam project to the selling of a large Yeelirrie deposit located in Western Australia.

Recent Ranger and Olympic Dam issues along with various problems related to notable Australian uranium projects like Angela/Pamela, Kintyre, Oban, Wiluna and Koongarra, amongst others, have also caused concerns about the future development dynamics of the local uranium industry.

Australia’s uranium industry hits turbulence Mining.com, Vladimir Basov | February 8, 2013 Recent news from Australia raises serious concerns about the future development of its domestic uranium industry. While established players are exiting the market, others are lining up to explore new areas and have made some positive moves.

Open-pit mining operations at Ranger mine were terminated at the end of November 2012. To this date, Ranger mine was one of the largest uranium production centres worldwide with a total cumulative output of more than 100,000 tonnes of uranium oxide.

On Dec. 7, 2012, the operator of Ranger mine, Energy Resources of Australia Ltd. (ERA), announced that work on backfilling the pit had already started, with the first phase to be completed by the end of 2014. (more…)

Posted in Angela Pamela, BHP Billiton, Cameco, economics, ERA, Olympic Dam, Ranger, Yeelirrie | Leave a Comment »

BHP chucks in the towel on uranium mining, will focus on copper at Olympic Dam mine

December 28, 2012

BHP is now looking at less capital-intensive options for the mine, focusing on copper.

BHP shuts uranium arm; nuclear-fuel prospects dim
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bhp-shuts-uranium-arm-nuclear-fuel-prospects-dim-2012-12-06  By Robb M. Stewart MELBOURNE, 6 Dec 12, –BHP Billiton Ltd. BHP +0.19%  has shut its uranium division, responsible for its Olympic Dam copper-and-uranium mine, in a reflection of dimmed prospects for the nuclear fuel.

The South Australia mine has been folded into its base metals division, the company said in a statement Thursday. (more…)

Posted in BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam, economics | Leave a Comment »

Protests against uranium mining, at BHP Billiton’s AGM

December 28, 2012

Uranium, LNG protests mar BHP AGM,    http://m.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/uranium-lng-protests-mar-bhp-agm/story-e6frg9df-1226526641056   SARAH-JANE TASKER, November 29, 2012

BHP Billiton’s annual general meeting in Sydney today was the scene of vocal protests against the uranium assets of the world’s largest miner.

Four abseilers managed to scale Sydney’s Convention Centre and hang two banners, one with the message, ‘Australian uranium fuelled Fukushima,’ in reference to Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster. The other banner read, ‘BHP, Dirty Deeds’.

Police riot squad and rescue officers attended the scene in Darling Harbour, where about 40 people gathered to protest against the miner. Various groups were concerned by uranium, coal seam gas and James Price Point, the $40 billion LNG joint venture project which BHP has a minority interest in.

At the start of the meeting, attended by around 600 shareholders, a vocal protester shouted her protests against uranium from the back of the room, following an address by chief executive Marius Kloppers.

Police at the scene today told AAP they expected to charge the abseilers.

A Friends of the Earth spokeswoman said the first pair of activists had been brought down by a police rescue team and taken to Surry Hills police station. The last two had climbed back onto the roof voluntarily and had not yet been detained, she said.

One of the groups was distributing an alternative annual report, Dirty Deeds, which was distributed to shareholders. The report focuses on the uranium and copper mine at Olympic Dam, South Australia, and the James Price Point project in Western Australia.

Posted in opposition to u-mining, BHP Billiton | Leave a Comment »

South Australian Greens defeated in effort to prevent extension of BHP’s Olympic Dam agreement

December 28, 2012

29 Nov 12,  A motion in State Parliament moved by Mark Parnell MLC, Greens Parliamentary Leader, to block the four year extension to the controversial Olympic Dam Expansion Indenture has been defeated.

Ex-Treasurer Kevin Foley had also called publicly for the extension to be refused and former Premier, Mike Rann, said as recently as August:

         ‘We don’t believe there is a basis for an extension of the indenture arrangements’

“It’s not often I agree with Kevin Foley, but he is dead right on this one,” said Mark Parnell.

“We shouldn’t be extending the enormously generous concessions granted to the world’s richest resource company when it is abundantly clear BHP Billiton has no intention to start the Olympic Dam expansion for years.

“It’s in South Australia’s best interests to negotiate a better deal if and when the project gets resurrected,” he said.

In Parliament tonight, Labor combined with the Liberal party to defeat the Motion and ratify the 4 year extension.

On one of the most radioactive days in State Parliament for some time, the Greens also moved a motion calling on the Government to prevent the transport of uranium from Western Australia through our State.  Adelaide-based Toro Energy Ltd is proposing to mine uranium in WA and ship the material to either Port Adelaide or Darwin through South Australia.

“It’s bad enough that SA uranium is being exported to facilities such as the crippled Fukushima reactor in Japan and hence into the broader environment through contamination.  We shouldn’t be the conduit for WA uranium either.  In both States, it’s best left in the ground”, concluded Mark  Parnell

Posted in politics, BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam | Leave a Comment »

Great Olympic Dam uranium dream stalled by high Costs

December 28, 2012

High costs stall Olympic Dam BY: SARAH MARTIN, SA POLITICAL REPORTER  : The Australian November 14, 2012   BHP Billiton chief executive Marius Kloppers says the Olympic Dam mine will not be expanded until the high-cost environment in Australia improves, with the resources industry overheated by too much demand.

The South Australian Labor government yesterday granted the miner an extension until October 2016 to its existing indenture agreement for the shelved mine expansion, in line with the project’s environmental approvals…..   subscription only  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/high-costs-stall-olympic-dam/story-e6frg9df-1226516169013

Posted in BHP Billiton, Olympic Dam, economics | Leave a Comment »

Heap leaching for uranium mining would require a new Environmental Impact Statement

December 28, 2012

“No approval is sought to implement these initiatives at this stage” [original EIS] ”

“He has given environmental approval for one type of mining process, and has now said he will allow that approval to stand for a completely different processing technique using a novel technology that has yet to be invented, without any further assessment”. “It is simply outrageous that BHP Billiton is not being asked to seek further approvals for this completely different mining method. “

The Greens will move today to disallow the extension of the Olympic Dam Indenture approval until October 2016. 

New Roxby method needs a new Roxby EIS     Greens Parliamentary Leader Mark Parnell has questioned whether Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis has the capacity to do his job, and has demanded a new Environmental Impact  Statement (EIS) assessment of the proposed brand new processing option of ‘acid heap leaching’ at Olympic Dam be conducted before the project is allowed to commence. (more…)

Posted in in-situ leach, BHP Billiton | Leave a Comment »

Greens try to stop any extension of BHP’s South Australia agreement – Indenture Act

December 28, 2012

BHP: Jump!   SA Govt: How High?  …..for 4 more years   13 Nov 12 The Greens will move in Parliament to stop any extension of the Olympic Dam Expansion Indenture Agreement.

The Weatherill Government has agreed to an extension of the starting date for the project in the controversial contract until October 2016.

“The Indenture was a dud deal for South Australia when we debated this in Parliament last year, and will still be a dud deal in 4 years’ time,” said Greens Parliamentary Leader Mark Parnell.

“Instead of again meekly accepting whatever the world’s richest resource company wants, the Government should seize the opportunity to start renegotiating terms to expand local procurement, increase royalty returns and improve environmental outcomes.

“The project appears years away.  Yet, the Government has recklessly locked in last century environmental outcomes decades into the future.

“BHP Billiton appears to be moving further and further away from job-rich local processing, and yet has still managed to lock in a feeble ‘production based’ royalty rate for 45 years.

“Surely it would be better to finalise the Olympic Dam Expansion contract with BHP Billiton when the project is actually guaranteed to begin?

“That will ensure royalty rates, local processing and procurement targets and environmental conditions are based on the expectations, rules and operating conditions of the day, not locked in years ahead,” he said.

Posted in politics, BHP Billiton | Leave a Comment »

The crummy economic forecast for uranium does not bother Queensland’s Premier Newman

November 4, 2012

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s Dave Sweeney called on Mr Newman to back up his claim that uranium exports will earn Queensland tens of billions of dollars over the next two decades, providing
thousands of jobs.
 ”Development plans have been shelved at Yeelirrie and Kintyre, the two largest deposits in Western Australia.
“Kakadu uranium miner Energy Resources of Australia has lost more than $180 million and BHP Billiton has walked away from its long-held plan for a massive expansion of the Olympic Dam mine in South Australia.”

Activists slam ‘Yellowcake’ Newman http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/newman-names-qld-uranium-committee/story-e6frf7kf-1226506654419  AAP October 30, 2012 QUEENSLAND activists say Premier “Yellowcake” Campbell Newman’s new uranium committee is a stunt to fast-track mining of the “toxic” substance.

Mr Newman on Tuesday named members of the committee, which will establish a framework for the resumption of uranium mining in the state. It will be chaired by Central Highlands councillor Paul Bell, who has just retired as the president of the Local Government Association of Queensland, the government’s chief scientist Geoff Garrett and industry representatives.

Mr Newman said former ALP national president and indigenous leader Warren Mundine had been invited to serve on the committee and he hoped he would agree. (more…)

Posted in BHP Billiton, ERA | Leave a Comment »

Actually sendng uranium from Australia to India – a distant dream

November 4, 2012

 the glacial pace of nuclear power plant construction and activation in India in the face of anti-nuclear campaigns;

Indian uranium deals a long way off  GEOFF HISCOCK   The Australian October 29, 2012 AUSTRALIA’S new willingness to sell uranium to India is more about snuggling up to Asia’s third largest economy than any actual nuclear
commerce. It is highly unlikely that Australian uranium will be powering Indian nuclear reactors in this decade.

India’s 20 operating reactors, spread across six sites, have an installed capacity of 4.8 gigawatts (GW) and consume about 1000 tonnes of uranium a year. With New Delhi setting revised goals of boosting nuclear output to 14.4 GW
by 2020 and between 27.5 and 63 GW by 2032, the decision by the Gillard government to allow uranium sales to India seemingly presents an opportunity for Australian producers BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Heathgate Resources and Uranium1. (more…)

Posted in BHP Billiton, Heathgate resources, politics, Rio Tinto, Uranium One | Leave a Comment »

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