Page 98 - pd296-August21-mag-web

LeFtFIeLD
fMG takes part

in study to benefit Pilbara nutrients

ortescue Metals Group Ltd has teamed ceived from the Aus-
Fup with the University of Western Aus- tralian Government to
tralia, Curtin University and the Coopera- support the research.
tive Research Centre for Transformations Fortescue principal
in Mining Economies (CRC TiME) to im- of mine closure Kirsty
prove the rehabilitation process for soil Beckett acknowledged
disrupted by mining. the hurdle towards
Using UWA’s glasshouse – with micro- fulfilling ESG goals
biology expertise provided by Curtin – the posed by difficult top-
12-month study will experiment on sam- soil rehabilitation.
ples taken from Fortescue’s Pilbara Chich- “This project is ad-
ester Hub mine site. The project seeks dressing a critical is-
to boost plant nutrients found in iron ore sue for the mining
waste, which will greatly benefit the Pil- industry as available
bara’s very thin layer of topsoil, essential topsoil is a key limiting The Pilbara’s topsoil layer is very thin, making it especially sensitive
for plant growth after the completion of factor in the rehabilita- to disruption after the mining process
mining projects. tion of large tracts of
The study will ultimately formulate a mining affected land,” she said. over heavily altered landscapes construct-
process using plant-microbe systems to “These areas can cover up to half of ed from mineral waste,” he said.
increase the nutrients – such as nitrogen some of Fortescue’s mine sites.” “Effectively and efficiently converting
– found in mineral waste (waste rock and CRC TiME chief executive Guy Boggs these landscapes into self-sustaining eco-
tailings) and stockpiled soils (subsoils and echoed Beckett’s outlook. systems delivers both environmental and
topsoil). “Post-mining landscapes require the es- financial benefits and provides more cer-
CRC TiME will use grant funding re- tablishment of self-sustaining ecosystems tainty on ecosystem resilience.”

InDeX Dragon Mountain 96 Latrobe 93 Prospect 27
Liontown
9
Eagle 94 Lucapa 42-43 Red River 6
29Metals 37 EcoGraf 26 Renascor 96
92 Energy 96
Emerald 91 Mako 74-75 Resolute 22, 62, 65, 96
Emmerson 95 Marvel 72-73 Riedel 96
Adavale 26, 64-65, 96 Equatorial 54 Metalicity 94 Rimfire 96
Alicanto 96 Evolution Energy 72-73 Metro 96 Rio 92, 96
AngloGold 20, 22, 52, 62, Evolution Mining 20-21, 24 Mincor 84-85 RiversGold 96
70, 96 Mount Burgess 96 Rumble 78-79
Arrow 96 Fe 92 MRG 77
Askari 94-95 Fin 96 Sandfire 34, 36-37
Australian Rare Earths 16 Firefinch 20-25, 27, 73, 96 Newcrest 93, 96 Sayona 11
Auteco 89 Fortescue 27, 54, 86-88 New Century 6 South32 78, 96
Avenira 96 Nickel Mines 84-85 Southern Gold 96
AVZ 27, 46-48 Galena 81, 96 North Stawell 96 Stavely 95
Gascoyne 6 Northern Minerals 12-15 Syrah 73
Bellevue 94 Genmin 54-55 Northern Star 20-21, 24
Berkeley 52 Golden Rim 70 Nusantara 91 Talga 30
BHP 30, 65, 85-87, 92, 96 Greenland 52 Talisman 96
BlackEarth 56 Gulf 96 Oklo 72 Tietto 60, 75
Black Rock 26, 58
Orecorp 26, 64 Trek 96
Heron 6 Oz 96
Canyon 76 Highfield 90 Variscan 96
Cauldron 92 Hot Chili 88 Paladin 52 Vulcan 92
Caspin 85 Hyperion 96 Panoramic 30, 65, 96
Centaurus 95 Paterson 93 Walkabout 26-27, 44-45, 73
Chalice 85 IGO 79, 84-85, 96 Peak Resources 32 West African 21, 27, 40-41,
Chesser 62-63 Iluka 93, 96 PepinNini 96 60, 63, 75
Core 8-10 ioneer 96 Perseus 20, 63, 74 Western Areas 84-85
Cyclone 54 Ionic 93 Piedmont 11
Cygnus 96
Pilbara Minerals 24
Kaiser 96 Polymetals 70
Deep Yellow 52 KGL 96 Predictive 66-68, 70
Desert 96

Page 98 aUgUST 2021 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT