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The Partners:John Taylor - LL.B
Sharon Smith - BEc/LL.B HonsCraig Worsley - LL.B
Greg Carroll
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS Mining Accidents Work Accidents Motor Vehicle Accidents Insurance/TPD Claims
CONVEYANCING ESTATE LAW COMMERCIAL LAW
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Monday July 20, 2015 196th Edition
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CONTENTSShift Miner Magazine
11
09
08
11
12
NEWS 04 BMA’s 60 day
accounts
08 Too fat to function?
10 Worst behind us?
11 Mega Truck out of fuel
REGULARS15 Frank the Tank
15 Mad Mumzie
16 Wharts & All
17 Miners Traders
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Published by Fitzroy Publishing Pty Ltd A.B.N 72122739879 PO Box 1440, Rockhampton Q 4700www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 3
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
4 20th July 2015
News
A decision by mining giant BMA to double the time it takes to pay its bills has Central Queensland businesses outraged and banks fearful it could be the last straw for vulnerable customers.
In a shock announcement, BMA has advised local suppliers that it will be moving its terms from 30 to 60 days as it tries to manage cash flows during the current mining downturn.
Paget-based suppliers had a crisis meeting recently where they raised concerns with BMA representatives.
Topping that list was genuine fear the move could push a whole range of businesses already struggling with low to negligible margins to the wall.
Contractors who supply labour-based
services to mining companies are expected to be hardest hit because they will not be able to pass on the payment terms to their suppliers - or in their case, employees.
One business owner, who preferred not to be named, estimated labour hire businesses would now need up to two million dollars in working capital just to stay afloat.
However BMA have made one concession. All businesses registered with their local buying program will be insulated from the changes. That means businesses with fewer than 25 full time staff in the towns of Blackwater, Capella, Dysart, Emerald, Moranbah, Nebo and some Mackay businesses servicing Hay Point will continue to enjoy their existing
terms. Currently, there are 641 local businesses registered under the program of which about 260 are based in Mackay.
While the concession has been welcomed, all of the region’s biggest employers, and a whole suit of small and medium businesses based in Gladstone, Rockhampton, Townsville or Mackay will miss out.
There is also widespread concern that 60-day terms will, in reality, mean many firms are not paid for up to 90 days when the usual business delays and hiccups are applied.
It is also feared that as the new terms are passed down the food chain, the move will force many small, family-run businesses - without access to large amounts of capital - out the back door.
Operations manager for the Mackay based Resource Industry Network (RIN) Rodger Doudney said the decision had been bitterly disappointing for local business.
However, he said there was no hope it would be reversed and firms were now focussing on how they could manage the new reality.
“It is clearly not ideal,” Mr Doudney told Shift Miner.
“There are a number of businesses that are currently stressed in the region, and this will simply just stress them more.
“I know that the NAB, who has a lot of business in the Mackay area, is very concerned and is analysing what steps they can take.”
However, Mr Doudney said he believed BMA had listened to local concerns at the crisis meeting.
“While they are not going to reverse the decision, they have agreed to sit down and talk to concerned businesses, to see if they can work something out,” he said.
“So BMA’s door is still open, and that is a good thing.”
According to Mr Doudney the new 60-day terms were forced on BMA by its parent company BHP, which was looking for ways to manage its thin coal mining profits and continue to operate and re-invest in the region.
Mr Doudney stressed it was going to be more important than ever for local business to get on top of book-keeping.
“Going forward, BMA have said you can negotiate terms in any new contracts, but business owners will need to be vigilant about invoicing,” he said.
“You need to make sure all your invoices are sent on time, because 60 days could very quickly turn into 90 days if there is any type of delay.”
However BMA have made some concessions on the new terms after
BMA decision could be killer blow
Underground not immune
THE Mackay mining support sector is in shock following the announcement that mining support business, SDV Longwall, has been put in administration.
Receivers Grant Thornton have listed the business for sale in metropolitan papers around the country.
While the impact of the downturn on the mining sector has been well-documented, it had generally been assumed the underground support sector had been somewhat immune to the worst impacts because of the strict guidelines for maintenance in an underground environment.
SDV Longwall is based in Mackay, but also has operations in the Illawarra region in New South Wales.
The business had turnover of $31 million last year and was a finalist in two categories of the Resource Industry Network (RIN) awards in Mackay two
months ago.Former chairman of the Mackay Area
Industry Network (now RIN), Peter Van Lersel, is employed in the business and has family connections with the owners.
Shift Miner has not yet been able to obtain a comment from the business owners or administrators regarding the future of the company’s employees.
Current chairman of RIN, Tony Caruso, said he expected the new financial year will finally see the region’s surviving mining support businesses get some reward for their perseverance and creativity over the last two years.
“Look, it has certainly been a tough year for a lot of our members - a year of significant change - and all of us have had to adapt to the current pricing environment,” he told Shift Miner.
“I think the businesses that were well set up with the right cost structures, who have innovated and done the right things to adapt their business, are now in a viable position.
“However, I think it [2015FY] has been a turning point, and a lot of the opportunistic businesses that came in at the height of the boom and were not set up to operate in this part of the production cycle have ceased operating.
“For the other businesses that have adjusted and responded to the current price environment, they are now ready to go for next year.”
QUEENSLAND’s largest private coal company, Qcoal, says it will push ahead with its plans for 20 million tonnes of coal by 2020.
Speaking in Mackay recently, Qcoal group general manager, Danny McCarthy, said the company expected to start construction of its $1.7 billion Byerwen mine near Glenden as early as the end of this year.
The high-voltage infrastructure works tender was released last week and the rail package is expected shortly.
“The rail and electrical work packages are expected to be out in the next couple of weeks,” he said in June.
““I think it will be great for the industry, the Glenden community and the wider region to see a flagship project like Byerwen coming out of the ground.
“It instills a lot of confidence back into the area at a time when there’s a lot of negativity; it will be good to develop a world-class project amongst that.”
Qcoal is forecasting the Byerwen project will export first coal in about 12 months’ time and, at full production, will produce around 10 million tonnes of coal annually, employing around 350 people.
This will add further export
tonnages to Qcoal’s existing Sonoma, Cows and Drake mines which share processing infrastructure south of Collinsville in an area known as the northern hub.
“It has enabled us to share resources – both plant and people – seamlessly across the operations,” Mr McCarthy said of the northern hub.
“That was always the strategy for the northern hub and as testament to that, we are continuing to operate and don’t have any plans to reduce that.”
In late 2014, Mr McCarthy launched a withering attack on a costly culture in Central Queensland mining that he said could push the thermal coal industry to extinction if not addressed.
“If you have a look at productivity stats over the last 10 years, our productivity has decreased by 10 per cent,” Mr McCarthy said at the time.
“We see that first hand.“We have a tonne of ultra class
equipment running around; yet, our tonnes per person produced is less than what we were doing 10 years ago.”
“There are operations at the moment which struggle to get 6000 hours out of some of the largest, most expensive, most economic, most efficient mining equipment in the world, and we are just not utilising it well enough.”
Qcoal tendering and ready to build
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 5
News
WORKFORCELIVING
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*Pool and bar available at selected Civeo Villages
WAGES in the Queensland coal sector have fallen between 8 and 16 per cent in the last 12 months, with mine general managers among the hardest hit according to the latest Stellar Recruitment salary guide.
However, for those that still have a job, it remains a lucrative industry with most roles having an upper wage range of more than $110,000 a year.
Upper management positions remain the highest paid employee bracket in Central Queensland.
The general manager of a mine can earn between $250,000 and $320,000 per annum (pa), although this a significant fall from the $300,000 to $380,000 wage range reported 12 months ago.
Interestingly, the low-end wage of mine project managers, and engineers with five years experience have gone up between 4 and 8 per cent in the last 12 months.
A project manager’s wage range now starts at $230,000 a year and an experienced engineers starts at $140,000 a year - although it should be noted the high end of this wages bracket has moderated.
Generally speaking, engineering jobs have been hard to come by in the coal sector for several years, and as a consequence salaries have wound back for some underground jobs.
A mining engineer with between three
to five years experience can now expect to earn between $120,000-$150,000 pa in an underground coal mine in Queensland, compared to $145,000 -170,000 pa in 2014.
In the trades and operator categories, there have been falls across the board, with operators the hardest hit.
While boiler-makers were asking between $115,000 and $120,000 pa 12 months ago, they are now fetching between $110,000 and $120,000.
Diesel fitters can earn between $115,000 and $130,000 pa. This represents a roughly 8 per cent fall in the starting wages of both those roles.
Dump truck operators are now earning between $85, 000 to $90,000 a year, which is down 15 per cent on last year.
Despite the falls, Stellar managing director Shaun McCambridge says as projects move from construction into operation there are some maintenance roles that are getting premium wages.
“Companies are running their equipment harder than ever with machine hours getting higher, but they are still wanting to maintain or increase production targets,” Mr McCambridge said. “Ultimately this is driving a need for high level diagnostic personnel and this area remains one of the few that can hope for boom-time wages.”
Still a quid in mining Stellar’S 2015 wageS in qld mining
Job Open cutClient
Open cutContractor
UndergroundClient
UndergroundContractor
General manager 250-320 250-320
Senior mining engineer (5 years+) 150-180 150-170 150-180 150-170
Mining engineer (3-5 years) 120-150 110-140 120-150 100-140
Registered mine surveyor 140-170 140-170 140-170
Production superintendent 170-210 170-210 170-210
Diesel fitter - coal 115-130 115-130 115-130 115-130
Diesel fitter - hard rock 110-120 110-120 110-120 110-120
Dump truck operator - coal 85 -90 85 -90
Boiler maker 110-120 110-120 110-120 110-120
Excavator operator - coal 125-140 120-130
*Remuneration above is for taxable income, which typically includes base and superannuation
Stellar’S 2015 wageS in qld Oil & gaS
Job Client Contractor
Project manager 170 - 240 160 - 220
Senior pipeline engineer (8 years+) 150-220 150-210
Petroleum Engineer 120-180 135-175
Wellsite Supervisor 160-240 160-240
Planning Manager 190 - 250 190-240
Safety Advisor 90 - 110 80 - 110
Maintenance Supervisor 150 - 200 150 - 175
*Remuneration above is for taxable income, which typically includes base and superannuation
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
6 20th July 2015 Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.
Around Town
Girls enjoy a Cocktails night in Blackwater (Pictures courtesy of Jeanette Fletcher)CANAPES & COCKTAILS AT JAG’S RESTAURANT IN BLACKWATER
Denise Busk and Elaine Walker Ellie Beak and Laura Francis Julie Fox and Cilla Callanan
Cilla Callanan and Julie Fox Pat Ohl and Cassie Richards Maddison Hatton and Hanna Vagg
Deb and Zoe
Shaylee Burke and Tanya Olive Kayelyn Friske and Katie Schiffman
(L-R) Kerry Vesey, Bianca Mayfield and Kerrie Ferguson (L-R) Kacey Booker, Justine Fletcher and Bec Broom
Jane and Letitia Kerenne and Angela
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 7
News
MORRIS Corporation has been awarded a three year $250 million contract by Origin Energy to provide catering, facilities management and maintenance services to Origin’s Surat Basin operations.
Under the deal, Morris will cater, manage and maintain six accommodation villages and a suite of other operational sites such as offices, workshops and sewerage treatment plants.
The services to be provided include catering, cleaning, grounds management, security,
health and recreation management, as well as asset management and maintenance.
Fiona Berkin, Morris Corporation’s CEO said being awarded the contract was just the start of the journey.
“We are delighted to secure this contract with a major blue chip client like Origin Energy - Integrated Gas after an extensive tender process,” she said
“The resources market has changed significantly over the last few years, and we have had to adapt and change to the
needs of the clients to deliver cost savings and efficiencies on an ongoing basis.
“While our team has done a fantastic job to date to win the contract, we know that this is only the beginning of the journey with Origin, and we need to work hand in glove with them over the next few years to continue to improve our service offering and lower total costs.”
The contract covers three years, with options for further extensions.
The announcement sends a strong signal to the financial markets about the medium term future of Origin Energy in the Surat Basin.
There has been speculation that Origin’s LNG off take agreement for gas from the soon-to-be commissioned APLNG project in Gladstone was being revisited by Chinese partner Sinopec.
Under the current contract, Sinopec is expected to take 7.6 million tonnes of LNG per year for the next 20 years from APLNG, which is just under 90 per cent of total output from the Gladstone plant.
However, the decrease in economic activity in China means Sinopec is looking increasingly likely to be oversupplied and there are media reports that they have started looking at options to get rid of the excess gas, including renegotiating their supply contract with APLNG and looking to on-sell it to third parties.
$250 million gasfields contract awarded Dysart drilling workshop savedDRILLING firm Mitchell Services has purchased the 25 drilling rigs and associated drilling assets of the recently bankrupt Nitro Group for just over $16.1 million.
Back in March, Shift Miner reported that the Dysart-based Nitro Group was in receivership after the group’s six separate companies, in everything from freight to drilling, were unable to meet their debts due to the prolonged mining downturn.
On the face of it, the purchase price seems a bargain with the most recent replacement valuation of Nitro’s drilling assets being around $84 million - around five times more than they paid for it.
In a statement to investors, Mitchell Services said there were compelling reasons to buy the drilling business.
“The current tier 1 rig fleet is operating at near full utilisation (87.5per cent) and with the strong tender pipeline, the Nitro acquisition creates the rig capacity to execute on the pipeline,” Mitchell Services said.
(FRONT left to right) Craig Kingston (Origin, Manager - Non Production Facilities), Fiona Berkin (Morris, CEO)
(BACK left to right) Robert McVicker Jnr (Morris, Director) Aurora Scarborough (Origin Camp Service Lead) John Story (Morris, Chairman) Andrew Coventry (Morris, Director).
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
8 20th July 2015
News
A CENTRAL Queensland miner who was so fat he was deemed a risk to himself and other miners by several doctors - won’t be compensated for the “psychiatric injury” he says he suffered when he was sacked.
Miner Jamie Bray had been on paid leave from his $160,000 per year supervisory role on a BMA mine for nearly two years, on the basis of medical certificates he provided saying he was not fit for work.
During that time, BHP paid for $40,000 worth of costs associated with ongoing mental and physical assessments and back-filled his role help to try and get Mr Bray back to work.
In a final medical assessment, a doctor advised BHP he thought the miner would be unlikely to fulfil his role safely.
“Tasks that require Mr Bray to undertake repeated kneeling, squatting or climbing ladders pose a significant and foreseeable risk of the aggravation of the underlying degenerative condition affecting his knees,” the doctor’s statement said.
“His frame is likely to have considerable difficulty fitting into a light vehicle with the dimensions and ergonomics described in your referral, without significant and foreseeable impact on safely controlling the vehicle, and Mr Bray’s obesity places him at a significant and foreseeable risk of slips, trips and falls.”
At the same time an assessment by a psychiatrist indicated Mr Bray’s mental
issues were improving, however Mr Bray continued to provide medical certificates from a Mackay doctor saying he was under stress and unfit for work.
Despite telling BMA he wanted to return to work, Mr Bray also took steps to make a claim for Permanent and Total Disability (PTD) through Shine Lawyers.
At this point, BMA started to question Mr Bray’s stated desire to return to work, since he was attempting to make a PTD claim and had lost little weight in nearly two years.
Following more meetings in Mackay, Mr Bray made a further claim for a bonus and requested a “safer” office-based role at Peak Downs mine.
BHP said there were no roles available, and said the options available were either to take steps to return to work or for there to be a mutual separation.
At the request of Mr Bray, BHP valued the severance package at around $300,000.
However, with more time passing, and Mr Bray not willing to accept the severance package or showing any signs of slimming down, BHP resolved to end his employment.
They called for another meeting with Mr Bray advising him to bring a support person, although didn’t explicitly tell him he was to be sacked.
It was this failure to forewarn Mr Bray of their intentions to sack him that was the essence of Mr Bray’s now failed claim for compensation.
Fat miner unfit for work
THE long awaited decision on who will build one of Queensland’s biggest infrastructure projects has been made.
The federal government has announced the Nexus consortium had been chosen as the preferred tenderer to deliver the $1.6 billion Toowoomba Second Range Crossing project (TSRCP).
Given the construction downturn across the Bowen and Surat Basins, the TSRCP has been keenly awaited by civil and construction engineering businesses across the state.
The key features of the Nexus proposal include a four lane highway (two lanes each way), a 30 metre cutting at the top of the range, and a 800 metre viaduct over the existing railway line.
The project is expected to generate around 1800 jobs over
three and a half years.Federal Member for Groom Ian
Macfarlane said the project was a great example of the Australian and Queensland governments working with the private sector to deliver a world-class asset.
“The preferred open-cut solution will accommodate over-dimension trucks and all classes of dangerous goods vehicles, which will remove a significant number of heavy vehicles from the streets of Toowoomba,” Mr Macfarlane said.
The Toowoomba Second Range Crossing will be a toll road with tolling arrangements to be finalised closer to the road’s official opening, which is expected in late 2018.
The Nexus consortium will now work with the Queensland government to finalise contractual documentation and construction is expected to begin in late 2015.
The Australian government has committed up to $1.285 billion and the Queensland government $321 million to fund the project.
The Nexus consortium comprises the Plenary Group, Acciona Infrastructure Australia, Ferrovial Agroman (Australia), Cintra Infraestructuras SA, Acciona Concesiones and Transfield Services (Australia).
STANMORE Coal is continuing to explore and invest in the future of the local coal sector with two key announcements that have seen its share price increase 60 per cent.
The most notable announcement was regarding its decision to buy the Wotonga coal deposit (WCD), just east of Moranbah, from US coal giant Peabody for around $7 million.
While Stanmore will take at least 12 months to develop a current JORC statement about the WCD, a lot is already known about the resource.
The deposit was previously held by BMA, and 13 years ago that company released a statement which estimated 14.5 Mt of open cut indicated resource to a 90m depth cutoff, based on the applicable JORC code at that time.
According to Stanmore, whilst the close centred historical drilling provides considerable geological certainty about the deposit, the drilling occurred without the now-accepted practice of complementary geophysical logging, and as such it is not possible for a competent person to establish a JORC resource or reserve within the project under current 2012 JORC standards.
The resource is located in the middle of an already well established coal mining area, just seven kilometres from existing rail infrastructure to either the Hay Point or the Abbot Point coal terminals, which Stanmore’s managing director Nick Jorss says makes the project very attractive.
“The acquisition of the Wotonga deposit
provides Stanmore with a high quality coking coal development asset with near term production opportunities,” he said.
“Wotonga is very well located in the heart of the Bowen Basin coal district of Moranbah with eight significant operating coking coal mines within a 20km radius.
We are assessing a number of infrastructure options for Wotonga which may provide for fast-tracked development of the deposit, and Wotonga fits well with our strategic direction as we seek to grow into a significant independent coal producer focussed on exporting high quality, low emission coal.”
Meanwhile, in the Surat Basin, Stanmore have released the maiden JORC statement for its Clifford thermal coal project.
The statement says there are 80 million tonnes of indicated, and 270 million tonnes of inferred thermal coal in the deposit with an average strip ratio of 6.5 to 1.
However, unlike its newest acquisition, the Clifford coal is, to some extent, stranded until such time as a new rail line is built connecting it to a coal port.
Nonetheless, Stanmore says it plans to do further drilling at the site.
“The maiden JORC Resource at both the Grange and Liberty areas of the Clifford project is the result of diligent greenfield exploration by the company supported by our Japanese government funding partners at JOGMEC,” Mr Jorss said.
Coal company shows faith in coalPort expansion on scheduleTHE Queensland government says it will choose a contractor to undertake major dredging and related work at the Abbot Point Coal Terminal by the end of this year.
Recently, the government started calling for expressions of interest from businesses interested in undertaking the work, which is critical to getting the port “construction ready” for future expansions.
Later stages of development will be undertaken by the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation subject to environmental approvals and financial commitments by the ports end users.
The successful contractor is expected to provide all temporary works associated with the dredging and make adequate allowance in the contract for risks arising in carrying it out.
Minister for State Development Anthony Lynham said construction and dredging works at the port would generate up to 155 jobs for about six months.
The proposed expansion will increase capacity to cater for additional coal from the Galilee basin, including Adani’s proposed Carmichael Mine, which if it goes ahead would see 40 million tonnes of extra coal a year delivered to the port.
$1.6 billion tender awarded
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 9
News
Gold worth dying for
A CLOUD of scepticism surrounds Adani’s announcement of plans to acquire 55 super large Komatsu dump trucks worth millions of dollars for its proposed Galilee coal mine.
In a brief statement - made initially in Japan by Komatsu - it was revealed that Adani had ordered from Komatsu “a total of 55 units of 960E-2 and 930E - 4SE super large dump trucks” for use at the proposed Carmichael mine in late 2016.
However, enquiries by Shift Miner to both Komatsu and Adani have failed to shed anymore light on the details of what agreement has been reached.
In a direct question from Shift Miner asking whether the order to Komatsu was binding, Adani Australia COO, Samir Vora, said, “An integral component of the success of the mine will be using the most innovative, efficient, reliable and cost-effective equipment,
in partnering with Komatsu; we are confident that we have chosen the right solution.”
The fact that there has been so little detail offered, has led some spectators to suggest that this is just another announcement with no substance to give the illusion that Adani is on track to deliver the Carmichael mine by 2017.
Back in December, Adani made a similar announcement when they declared their intention to use Downer EDI to build and operate the mine.
However, closer inspection of that deal revealed that in reality, no contracts were signed or binding.
While Adani is under no obligation to reveal the details of their deals, announcements like this could be giving false hope to a range of Central Queensland mining businesses suffering through a major downturn.
DESPITE the possible mortal danger, gold prospectors Mario and Joyce Valenti, have sought to renew mining leases they have on the notorious Palmerville station on Cape York, where a gold miner disappeared - presumed murdered - in 2012.
The couple successfully applied to the land court to determine a fair value of landholder compensation for their four gold mining leases, after attempts to negotiate directly with owners Stephen Struber and Diane Wilson-Struber failed.
Under Queensland law, you need to have either a signed agreement with the landholder or a court imposed compensation agreement in place to lodge a mining lease, so the court decision clears the way for them to undertake further mining activity in the area.
The Strubers, who own the land over which the mining lease will apply, have become infamous in gold mining circles after they were charged late last year with the murder of a gold prospector, Bruce Schuler, in 2012.
At a committal hearing, it was alleged they killed Mr Schuler while he was on a gold prospecting trip on Palmerville Station where the accused couple live.
Fellow gold prospector, Daniel Bidner, told a packed court he saw what he assumed was a woman get out of a car near where Mr Schuler was prospecting and “pull a gun out”.
“She had her eye on Bruce,” he said.He then told the court he heard one shot,
then about 15 minutes later a second shot.Another prospector, Tremain
Anderson, recounted his panic at seeing the car approach the area in which the men were searching for gold.
“Straight away I panicked because I knew it would be Struber,” he said.
The court heard one of the men had found gold in the area the day before the alleged murder.
Despite the use of Aboriginal trackers, helicopters, and motorised police and SES, the body of Mr Schuler has never been recovered.
Mr Struber is notorious for deterring fossickers and tourists from his cattle property over the years according to Palmer River goldfields expert, George Mayer.
“Steve Struber has been on a permanent war footing with miners, prospectors and four-wheel-drive enthusiasts for years,” he told local media.
“He has locked the gates and dug trenches in the road.”
The Palmer River goldfields is harsh Cape York country is littered with old mine shafts from its original gold rush in the 1870’s.
More than 35,000 people once occupied the remote pocket of the cape, and more than 1.3 million ounces of mostly alluvial gold was extracted from the region.
55 new trucks a tease
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
10 20th July 2015
News
CHAIRMAN of the Mackay based Resource Industry Network, Tony Caruso, expects the new financial year will finally see the region’s surviving mining support businesses get some reward for their perseverance and creativity over the last two years.
While there is a tendency for people to overestimate the number of people employed directly by mining, there is also a tendency for people to underestimate the significance of the sector for the broader economy.
In Central Queensland, there have been closures and receiverships in everything from car retail to pubs and cafes, with the mining downturn the common thread among the reasons for business failure.
However, the most acute pain has been felt
by many mining supply businesses who have had to do the heavy lifting when it comes to slashing costs and reducing margins.
However, Mr Caruso says the “shake out” of the local economy has left business in a strong position to capitalise when the coal sector finally improves next financial year.
“Look, it has certainly been a tough year for a lot of our members - a year of significant change - and all of us have had to adapt to the current pricing environment,” he told Shift Miner.
“I think the businesses that were well set up with the right cost structures, who have innovated and done the right things to adapt their business, are now in a viable position.
“However, I think it [2015FY] has
been a turning point, and a lot of the opportunistic businesses that came in at the height of the boom and were not set up to operate in this part of the production cycle have ceased operating.
“For the other businesses that have adjusted and responded to the current price environment, they are now ready to go for next year.”
Mr Caruso is not expecting that there will be a fast recovery in the coal price, but he believes Australian coal miners are winning the battle to get market share, thanks to the lower Australian dollar and some of the natural cost advantages the region has.
He also thinks a new era of collaboration, along the whole supply chain, is meaning there are continued opportunities for innovation to lower the cost of coal mining in Queensland.
“When the industry first turned and we moved away from the construction cycle, there was a lot of fat across the entire industry,” he said.
“It was pretty brutal initially, but as we got closer to a realistic cost structure, there was a lot more collaboration between suppliers, companies and businesses.
“ I think that as we move forward it’s going to be less about brutal cost cutting and more about being smarter about how we can cut costs.”
Caruso: “worst behind us”DESPITE all the bad news coming out of Greece and China, it seems investors might be regaining an appetite for coal investments.
A number of modest recent announcements by small mining companies have been relatively well received by share market investors - a major turnaround on the last two years.
Most notably, Central Queensland coal explorer Stanmore Coal, has enjoyed a 60 per cent increase in its share price following their decision to buy the Wotonga coking coal deposit near Moranbah from Peabody for around $7 million.
While the rise has been off a low base of $0.05, Bizzell Capital Partners analyst Peter Wright said the Stanmore experience was a sign that investors felt the future was brighter for the mining sector.
“From an equities perspective, however subtle, there are some encouraging signs for the resources sector,” he told Shift Miner.
“It’s important to note that companies are making announcements and getting traction, or a reaction from the market.
“A case in point is Stanmore, they bought the asset recently - admittedly not a massive acquisition - but all the same they have seen their share price go from $0.05 to be around $0.08.
“When you look at the small resources index, it had a horrendous run falling from around 7000 in 2011, to 1373 a year ago, that is a massive fall, but the fact that it hasn’t lost ground in seven months is a positive sign.”
A bounce off the bottom?
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 11
News
Mega haulage business bankrupt
QUEENSLAND based mining transport business, Heavy Haulage Australia (HHA), has been put into administration.
The Brisbane based company has branches in Toowoomba and Chinchilla where it provided lifting and transport solutions for super heavy equipment used in the resources sector.
In an announcement, Ferrier Hodgson said the business was yet another victim of the mining downturn.
“This is indicative of the downturn we are seeing in the resources sector and the knock-on effect it has and will continue to have on the transport industry,” the head of Ferrier Hodgson’s logistics practice, Brendan Richards, said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, HHA has a very high cost base and when revenues are challenged, it was left with little room in which to manoeuvre.”
According to the administrators, the
business will continue to operate as usual while they look for a new buyer for the company’s 55 prime movers, 120 heavy haulage trailers, 15 cranes and 45 pilot cars and light commercials.
The administration has had knock-on effects for McAleese Transport who has a half share in the business.
In a statement to the stock exchange, McAleese said it was expecting the administration will cost it around $17 million with loans and other costs racked up by HHA unlikely to ever be repaid.
McAleese has itself been under extreme financial stress this year because of the temporary closure of Atlas iron in Western Australia, where it had a major haulage contract renegotiated.
HHA was established in 1999, and became a well known Queensland business through its involvement with the television series Mega Truckers.
CHIEF Executive of the Queensland Resources Council has made an impassioned plea to local business to think carefully about who they listen to on the future of the Galilee basin.
While he acknowledged that no one knows for sure whether the mega mines being proposed will ever get off the ground, he said it would not be because the proponents were not genuine about making it happen.
“I was in the Adani office, and they are on three floors; and there are people coming and going from their office, doing deals, day in day out,” he said.
“Is that going to translate into a project? “I don’t know; I am not Mr Adani.“I am not here to give you an iron-clad
guarantee about any project, because those decisions are made by people above my pay grade.
“However, for people who are worried about whether the project will happen or
not, its not going to be for want of trying by the Adani team; they are working day and night to make this project a reality.” Most concerning to Mr Roche is the growing number of activist voices being passed off as experts.
In particular, he said Central Queenslanders need to be very careful about how they interpret the debate playing out in the media and what the agenda is from the various parties involved.
“You have got to understand that the Galilee basin is the battleground for anti-coal activists,” he said.
“The global anti-coal activists have targeted the Galilee basin as really the crunch point for their campaign to drive coal out of business, and that is why you see so much negativity.
“You have faux analysts like Tim Buckley - he is not an analyst, he is an activist - but he gets continued media exposure as some sort
of media analyst on the economics of projects.“I don’t rely on John Hewson or
Tim Buckley or the Guardian for my information on the Galilee Basin.
“You know what I rely on? “I rely on Mr Adani.“He is the one who has already put
billions of dollars into this project.”Underpinning Mr Roche’s belief in
the Galilee is what he sees as a real and growing demand for coal from India.
He challenged theories that this demand would be met by India’s own coal miners, saying that India did not have the type of coal required to meet their local needs.
“What I am saying is that the demand for high quality thermal coal from countries like India - but not just India - is a given despite what Four Corners might say,” he said.
“That doesn’t mean the market is automatically ours; it’s not and I am not saying that.
“We have got to win that market and then you have got to supply that market, and yes the Galilee basin is a huge undertaking in terms of expansion of the port , a greenfields railway and of course a mine designed initially for 40 million tonnes.
“We have never seen a mine of that scale in Queensland, and of course all of that requires a lot of capital.
“And yes they have got to raise the capital, and it’s a big undertaking.”
QRC slams Galilee nay sayers FIFO inquiryThe Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has called on the parliamentary committee presiding over the FIFO enquiry, to keep a broad perspective when assessing work practices in Queensland mining.
Chief Executive of the QRC, Michael Roche told the the enquiry last week at its final round of hearings in Brisbane, that the growth in FIFO was a symptom of a massive construction boom.
However, with that construction phase now over, Mr Roche says FIFO numbers have fallen by 35 per cent. He also challenged the theory that the BMA growth projects most often criticised in the FIFO debate, precluded locals from working on them.
“Central to this committee’s inquiry would appear to be the approvals granted in 2011 for FIFO operational workforces at two BMA coal mines in the Bowen Basin – Daunia and Caval Ridge,” he said.
“I’d be the first to acknowledge that many central Queensland communities are hurting right now, but not because of 950 FIFO workers at two of the state’s 56 operating coal mines; but because of the loss of over 9,000 coal industry jobs over the past three years in the face of some of the toughest market conditions in 20 years.”
“There is no such thing as a 100 percent FIFO mine in the Bowen Basin, as records confirm there are around 1,000 local worker and contractor visits per month to these two mines to support operations.”
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
12 20th July 2015
Jobs safe in Moranbah
Incitec Pivot (IPL) has ruled out job losses at its Moranbah Ammonium Nitrate plant, despite gas shortages expected to cut production, and reduce profits by around $20 million.
Last week, IPL announced they were expecting significant losses after their gas supplier Arrow advised them they were anticipating shortages.
“The Moranbah plant is supplied pursuant to a gas supply agreement with the Moranbah Gas Project joint venture which is operated by Arrow,” IPL said.
“Arrow has advised that, based on what they can reasonably predict at this time, the supply reduction could extend into 2016 and be in the order of 10-20 per cent.
“While noting the uncertainty as to the extent of the supply reduction and its
impacts, if there were to be a sustained and consistent 20 per cent reduction in gas supply over a 12 month period, IPL estimates that the impact on the group’s net profit after tax (NPAT) would be in the order of $22 million.”
The Moranbah Gas Project is located 170km west of Mackay and is one of the largest coal seam gas fields in Australia by area.
The gas project supplies the Moranbah and Townsville power stations as well as IPL’s ammonium nitrate plant in Moranbah.
It is so far unclear the reason for the gas shortage; although, it is understood to relate to a scaling back of gas field development in the Bowen Basin by Arrow as it weathers the downturn in the commodities sector.
News
BMA has appointed its third Asset President in Central Queensland in as many years, as the challenging coal environment continues to take its toll on upper management.
American born Ragg Udd, will replace previous Asset President Lucas Dow who left the company suddenly last month after 17 years, amid speculation of a “culture clash” between he and BHP’s global coal president Mike Henry.
Mr Udd started with BHP in America, but was most recently in charge of BHP’s logistics and infrastructure in Western Australia.
In a meeting in Moranbah last week with Bowen Basin businesses and community representatives, Mr Udd indicated there would be no major changes to operations in the foreseeable future.
There has been persistent speculation
among Dysart locals for most of this year, that a reopening of the Norwich Park mine in some capacity was scheduled to happen in the current financial year.
However despite a continuous flow of people on and off the site, one Dysart local told Shift Miner the reopening had yet to materialise.
“Things have gone very quiet out there, I mean there is still a constant flow of contractors coming, looking and leaving, but nothing seems to be happening at the moment,” he said.
“The only change I have noticed is that just last night I was driving past and noticed they had turned off all the lights, but that may have just been a temporary thing.”
In April this year Shift Miner was told by two locals, that 350 rooms had been booked from July 1 to accommodate a workforce, and another business providing services to the mine said they were working towards that date as well.
However in a statement at the time, BMA told Shift Miner “there would be no restart of Norwich Park in the immediate future” although at the start of the year BHP did confirm that it was exploring opportunities for the site.
New BMA Asset president, but nothing new at Norwich Park
How low would you go?QGC are hoping the hyper-competitive contractor environment in the resources sector will be the key that unlocks its planned Surat North CSG development project.
The project involves the construction of around 400 new CSG wells, three compressor stations and significant pipeline work in an area about 20 kilometres west of Wandoan.
The gas contained in the area is a vital part of QGC’s plan to increase the amount of gas it exports through its recently commissioned LNG plant at Gladstone.
However, like Arrow Energy about 500 kilometers to the north, current gas prices do not support the costs of expanding their proposed operations.
Unless of course that price has significantly fallen over the last twelve months because of increased competition for work.
QGC has employed two primary contractors - CBI Downer and Leighton’s - to undertake what it calls an early contractor involvement phase.
During this time, it intends to get a better handle on what it will cost to build the Surat North CSG development.
QGC has begun exporting LNG out of its second production train at the QCLNG plant in Gladstone this week.
The China-bound Maran Gas Posidonia is the 28th ship to export gas from Queensland, after QCLNG became the first Queensland gas exporter from their first LNG production train in late December 2014.
Chief executive of QCLNG’s owner the BG Group, Helge Lund, said they were proud to be the first exporter in Queensland.
“The completion of our upstream infrastructure and the two LNG trains are achievements of which BG Group, particularly our team in Australia, can be proud,” he said.
“We have already shipped more than 1.5 million tonnes of LNG from Queensland, and Train 2 will
add significant further volumes and flexibility to our LNG shipping and marketing portfolio.”
In about six months’ time, it is expected that the QCLNG facility will have the capacity to produce enough gas to fill 10 ships a month and export around eight million tonnes a year.
Meanwhile, a short distance away at the APLNG plant, police have been called in to investigate a suspected case of industrial sabotage.
The glass facings of eight pressure indicators and two visual inspection ports were smashed sometime over the weekend.
General manager of Bechtel, Kevin Berg, has told media it will not delay their plans to start flaring gas in the next month as the project moves closer to completion.
Another LNG milestone at Gladstone
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 13
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14 20th July 2015 Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.
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20th July 2015 15
Dear Frank,I am very keen on this girl who comes from a big rugby league family in my hometown of Blackwater. However the problem is, I am more of a book worm, and if truth be known more interested in the arts than the State of Origin.But can the truth be known? I have a strong feeling that her family will turn off me if I tell them what I really like, and since she loves her family, it might be enough to put her off me as well.Looking forward to some help.
Jensen , Blackwater
Dear Jensen,You can’t be helped. My advice is, give yourself an uppercut
and just keep doing it until the next State of Origin starts. If this doesn’t give you a new found appreciation of rugby league, you will at least resemble rugby league great, Ray Price (pictured).
Of course you probably have no idea who Ray Price is (which quite frankly is embarrassing for you) but my hope is that if you start to look like a great rugby
league player, perhaps you might start to think like one as well.
No seriously, all jokes aside….you are sick and you need to get help.
Before I deal with why you should like rugby league, I am going to look at why you shouldn’t like the arts.
The problem with the arts generally, is that it has failed to keep up with the times.
For example, do you know what theatre would be if you added sound and audio to it?
It would be cinema, and clearly the medium that brought us Independence Day and all the Police Academy films is a great thing.
I have only ever been to the theatre once and I saw Shakespeare. By the second hour it was clear to me that it’s really only for the depressed and mentally unhinged.
Back in history when the theatre was really popular, life must have been bloody dull and painful for it to be considered entertainment.
I always thought the short life
expectancy of those times was due to the poor sanitary conditions, but lord knows I thought about ending it a few times before and after the intermission.
As for other arts, well I think as a species we nailed drawn art when we worked out how to draw art that if you looked at it long enough you could see another picture in it. That quite frankly is spookily clever and we should have just stopped there.
But I am getting off the track.What needs to happen for you to get
your girl, is you need to be totally honest about how you feel and what you are interested in. But first we have to change what you are interested in.
Here are some tricks I picked up from a North Korean manual titled. (How to think good and avoid death by crushing).
•Shock treatment - It’s an oldy but a goody. Every time you see something artistic and you sense a feeling of happiness or curiosity, just give yourself a quick lick of hot AC.
•Subliminal Advertising - for not much money you can download some software that will allow you to inject tiny little advertisements when you are watching a smart TV. Each of these ads should have a picture of a great rugby league moment, like Ray Price in every game he played, Hopoate and his
clever two digit tackling technique, Les Boyd using his elbows and who could forget old Warriors prop Russell Packer goating himself on the field. Over a few weeks you will not only love the game, but will have an encyclopaedic knowledge of some of the more fruity moments of rugby league folklore.
•Just keep going with the uppercuts
Before you know it, the family will embrace you as one of their own, and her heart will be yours.
Frank the tank’s “Streakin” good love advice
JENSEN,
Why even worry about it?
Surely love is the most important
thing, and despite what Frank says,
you can’t change who you are.
Not everything might be as it
seems either, perhaps not everyone
in her family loves rugby league as
much as you think they do, or they
might have other interests as well.
My advice is be yourself, and let
her decide what she is looking for.. Susan
sensIBLe sUsan
I have worked as an operator in gold and coal mines for over a decade now, sometimes carting dirt and rock, and sometimes coal, gold or copper.
I am a miner, but am I a real miner?
My partner is a real miner, just ask him and he’ll tell you!
I used to think we were all real miners, what’s the difference? You work in a mine and you’re a real miner.
Then I met my partner, an underground miner and he started calling me a “gravel scratcher”.
You gravellies “are all the same” he would say. This was a new term to me, but quite well known apparently, a bit like when I first heard the endearing term of “boneheads”.
Even if I spend all day grading on the loader, or driving a truck in the black stuff, I am still only a gravel scratcher - not a real miner - in his opinion.
As our time together increases I learn more of this strange new world of underground mining.
He never used to say much except “i8work!”. Personally I have rarely hated work, choosing instead to have bad days here and there, but I’m a little bit mad!
The first time he came to visit me on his pyjama day, I got him some crib from my mess. I usually don’t eat much, so didn’t feel guilty taking extra pies and
sandwiches for him to toast on his night shift. This opened my eyes about working underground.
He thanked me for my effort, but let it slip about eating cold pies for crib. I told him not to be silly, just put them in the pie warmer when you get to work and they will be hot by first crib. Geez it’s not rocket science! The sandwiches will be yummy in the toasted sandwich maker with a cuppa too. See how I look after you?
That was when I first heard him say we are real miners, we don’t have all that.
“What not even a kettle?,” I said.“No” “Why not? They should let you,
that’s so mean.”Turns out it is because of the “boom” factor. Not as in a boom and bust cycle
meaning they can’t afford new appliances, but boom as in it might create a spark.
Makes sense really, but gee, not even a kettle? Now that is real mining.
Turns out they have a few tricks up their sleeve, such as putting things on the transformer to warm them up.
They are in the black stuff all the time,
and most need to have a shower before leaving work, because they are real miners and get dirty. Even after a shower many look cool and mysterious with their eyeliner on! I must admit I have worn my work jeans a couple of days in a row because they are still fresh and clean, but don’t tell him that!
Do the differences between temps, contractors, old timers, clean skins or traineeships make you any more of a real miner?
In my view we’re all real miners, working long hours away from family and friends, in dangerous conditions with uncertain times ahead.
What is your view? Are you a real miner, or like me? Go to www.madmumzie.com where I delve deeper into this issueor like me on Facebook for all the good, bad and the ugly comments.
Mad Mumzie XGoogle “Madmumzie” to go to my website.
MadMumzie.com
What makeS a real miner
Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
16 20th July 2015
Off Shift
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About the author: Tom started work at Moura mine around 1962, and has since held official positions with the unions as well as leadership roles for various mining companies. In 1999 he took a voluntary redundancy from his role as a process coordinator, but re-entered the industry in 2001 as a dragline supervisor and then later as an Open Cut Examiner. He has worked at mines across the Bowen Basin.
by CQ mining stalwart Tom WharTon
ChaPTEr 1: When I lived in a tent next to Jeff Thiess.
WHEN we look at what the Central Queensland mining industry looks like today, it’s easy to forget just how short a history it has.
In 1962 I worked for the Thiess Brothers at a small mine near Moura called Kianga. I lived in a tent next to Jeff Thiess whose father Les kicked off what we know today as the very large mine contracting business Thiess.
After work, Jeff and I used to talk about the operation, and although he never gave away the company secrets
I probably had a better idea than most about what the thinking was.
But to understand the history of the coal industry today, you need to understand the thinking of those times.
I can’t give specific dates, but will try and keep as near as possible so things maintain their order.
From as early as the 1920s, the empire of Japan knew that to modernise and become a powerful economy, it needed access to lots of raw materials which it didn’t have at home. These ambitions led to skirmishes with China and Russia, and eventually its involvement in the Second World War.
While Japan, of course, was crushed
by that war, it wasn’t long after that - with the aid of America - its dreams of becoming an economic powerhouse were revived.
Even as late as the 1960s Germany and Japan were still not the flavour of the month in Australia because of the war but it was here that Les Thiess was ahead of his time in the way he thought about the future.
Les had read very deeply about Japan and was convinced that there was going to be big opportunities in Australia from what happened in that country.
It is funny how history repeats itself because what we see in China today is very similar to what was happening in
Japan in the 1960s.In those days, Les didn’t have access to
much capital, but despite this he decided to visit the country. That trip really changed the face of Central Queensland.
When he came back to Australia, he had a letter of understanding from Mitsui to purchase a small amount of coking coal.
While it wasn’t a hard contract, it was enough for Les Thiess to open a small mine near Moura and start exporting coal to his newly found Japanese customers.
Today that mine is known as the Anglo American owned Moura mine - or Dawson complex - if you want to be exact about it, and Japan up until about a year ago was Australia’s biggest coal customer.
MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE
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BIKE TRAILER
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1969 HOLDEN MONARO
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2009 TOYOTA HILUX UTE SR5 DUAL CAB TURBO
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$ 31,000Call: 0409 679 330
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2012 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 76 SERIES WAGON
This tidy vehicle has many extras including: Bull Bar, Side Steps and Rails Extra Child seat in rear. Seating for 6 (with Compliance) Can be removed if required. Mean Mother Winch 3.5t Towing SetupLong Range Fuel Tank.
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2012 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER UTE
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1996 TOYOTA LANDCRUISER 4.2 LITRE DIESEL
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$ 16,900
Call: 0429 891 234
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TOYOTA LANDCRUISER UTE
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$ 20,000Call: 0437 300 488
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40+ YEARS ICONIC BUSINESS FOR SALE
Sail-Inn Takeaway in Blackwater is For Sale has been trading for over 40yrs. Successfully operated by current owners as sole income for over 10yrs. Large cold room, commercial kitchen, all chattels, building 137sq, refurbished, high growth potential. large customer base.
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INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT FOR SALE
SELWOOD 6INCH PUMP
Used 6 inch water pump, fully enclosed and mine spec. Diesel engine with bunded fuel tank.
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EARTHMOVING EQUIP. FOR SALE
JOHN DEERE 315D BACKHOE
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2007 SEASWIRL 2101 WALK AROUND
This boat is for sale with all the fishing, maintenance and ski gear. Selling in anticipation of international relocation.
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CASE CX27 TRACKED-EXCAV
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EARTHMOVING EQUIP. FOR SALEBOAT FOR SALE
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AMERICAN STAFFY TO GOOD HOME ONLY
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BEAT NIGHT SHIFT FATIGUE
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FULL STAINLESS STEEL CAMPER TRAILER
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Shift Miner Magazine www.shiftminer.com
20th July 2015 19
Off Shift
IN YEPPOON - Adrian from Secret Spot Bait & Tackle in Yeppoon says the biggest thing at the moment is the volume of bait fish around like Yellowtail, Pike, Herring, and Ribbon Fish. In response, anglers have been out harvesting bait fish for later use. Off the beaches there are some big Whiting, Flathead, Bream and Salmon around. The Offshore fishing has been patchy however. That said there are some good catches of Grunter off Finlays and even a few Sweetlip off Conacle Rock. For those who enjoy some fresh squid, there are plenty of those around as well.
IN MACKAY - Nathan at Tackle World Mackay says the weather has finally been a bit more consistent allowing fishermen to get out. The winter weather is causing the big winter Whiting to school up in the estuaries, while Queenfish and Trevally are being caught on lures in the river. like everywhere else, crabs and Barramundi are hard to find. In the deeper water, soft plastics are attracting some nice Snapper and the Spanish Mackerel are starting to school up in all the usual haunts.
IN GLADSTONE - Liam at the Compleat Angler in Gladstone says the cool weather is
affecting fishing in different ways. On the good side, the Bream are starting to school up in the harbour, with some great catches reported. Salmon, Grunter and Black Jew are also about, but not in quite the same numbers. The down side is the Crabs have slowed right down and there are very few Barramundi about. For those heading into the Blue water, the closer grounds have been good for Nannygai and Red Emperor.
If you have a good photo or fishing yarn
send it through to our resident bait chucker- [email protected]
Sent in by Ian at The Secret Spot in Yeppoon is Robbie with a “horse” of a Spanish Mackerel and a bit of light gear action up on the beaches.
BaIt shop Banter
Shift MinerHandy Cross blank grid.pdf©Lovatts Publications 5/03/09artist – mb
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ACROSS 1. Worrying problem 5. Held for trial, on ... 9. Jumped for joy 10. One by one 12. Social events 13. Join up 14. Shortly 16. Colourful garden annual 19. Porch 21. Candle string 24. Untruthful people 25. Wandered leisurely 27. Of family group 28. Middle Easterner 29. Awaits with horror 30. Sit astride
DOWN 1. Bombed base, Pearl ... 2. Pitiful 3. Corrosive substances 4. Country dance 6. Person suffering convulsions 7. Enraging 8. Launder with spirit (3-5) 11. Pronto (1,1,1,1) 15. Magazine booth 17. Adored 18. Fiery 20. Root vegetables 21. Feeblest 22. Buddy 23. Hold fast (to) 26. Tense situation
SHIFT MINERHandy Cross 1884 - (15A grid)ShiftMinerHandy101s. pdf© Lovatts Publications 27/10/2010
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20 20th July 2015 Holding a social event you want photographed? Call the Shift Miner office on 4921 4333 to let us know. You can also give our office a bell if you’d like a copy of any of the photos in this edition.
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