New South Wales is prioritising diesel and petrol deliveries to mining operations alongside other critical sectors as it manages constrained fuel supplies across the state. The policy aims to keep large open-cut and underground fleets, fixed plant and rail haulage operating, with fuel allocation coordinated through major distributors rather than ad hoc site-by-site deals. Mine operators are being asked to refine contingency plans, including reduced non-essential equipment use and tighter fuel inventory monitoring, to avoid production stoppages if supply tightens further.

Forrestania Resources has confirmed a 103,500-ounce gold resource at the Johnson Range project in Western Australia, strengthening its case to complete the acquisition from Auris Minerals. The resource upgrade, reported in ounces rather than just grade–tonnage estimates, gives clearer backing for mine planning, pit optimisation and potential toll-treatment scenarios typical for small to mid-scale WA gold operations. For geotechs and miners, the defined inventory sharpens decisions on drilling density, geotechnical pit design and whether to justify further step-out exploration along strike.

Sunrise Energy Metals has partnered with US-based pulsed-power specialist I-Pulse to trial advanced drilling technology over the Millungera Basin in north-west Queensland, targeting what the companies describe as “massive” geothermal potential. The collaboration will apply I-Pulse’s high-voltage pulsed power systems, originally developed for rock fracturing and deep resource access, to improve penetration rates and reduce drilling energy in hard basement rocks beneath the basin. For geotechnical and mining engineers, the work could de-risk deep geothermal appraisal by lowering cost per metre and enabling denser temperature-gradient and structural data.