Growth Opportunities with Aquila Resources

Perth-based Aquila Resources has an impressive number of projects on the go. With interests in coal, iron ore and manganese projects within Australia and South Africa, they’ve just announced their commitment to the Goonyella Abbott Point Expansion (GAPE) project in Queensland.

The Bowen Central Coal Joint Venture, equally owned and managed by Aquila and Vale Australia Pty Ltd has, following extensive negotiations with Queensland Rail (QR), been selected as foundation customers of GAPE which will see the establishment of the “missing link” railway line to connect the Bowen Basin rail infrastructure through to the Abbott Point Coal terminal.

With mining operations at Isaac Plains Coal Mine in Central Queensland, together with definitive feasibility studies underway for their West Pilbara Iron Pre Project and the Eagle Downs Hard Coking Coal Project on Queensland, the company is poised for significant growth.

In August, Aquila also signed strategic cooperation agreements with the Baosteel Group Corporation, China’s largest steel company and one of the world’s biggest steel manufacturers. The arrangement will facilitate the accelerated development of their portfolio of coal, iron ore and manganese projects.

EAGLE DOWNS PROJECT, Queensland
The $977m Eagle Downs Hard Coking Coal Project is an underground longwall metallurgical hard coking coal project located approximately 180 kilometres west of Mackay in the Bowen Basin region of Queensland and is a 50:50 joint venture between Aquila and Vale. A feasibility study was recently completed which confirmed the technical and financial viability of the project.

Subject to both owner and statutory approvals, construction of the mine could commence in 2011 with first coal mined in 2012. Installation of the first longwall is expected in 2014 followed by the second longwall in 2020.

Current Opportunities with Aquila include:

• BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, Perth
• SENIOR EXPLORATION GEOLOGIST, Perth
• CORPORATE LAWYER, Perth
• MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT, Perth
• COMMERCIAL MANAGER, Brisbane
• SENIOR EXPLORATION GEOLOGISTS x 2, Brisbane
• DATABASE GEOLOGIST, Brisbane

AUSTRALIAN PREMIUM IRON ORE PROJECT, Western Australia
Aquila Resources commenced exploring for iron ore in the Pilbara region of Western Australia in January 2004. In February 2005, an unincorporated joint venture called Australian Premium Iron Joint Venture (API) was formed with Aquila Resources holding a 50% participating interest in the venture, and based upon the iron ore mineral rights held by Aquila Resources in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The Joint Venture is managed by API Management Pty Ltd through a dedicated exploration and development team operating from Aquila's corporate office in Perth.

Since the formation of the Joint Venture, various commercial arrangements have been entered into with third parties in order to explore for and develop iron ore resources in prospective areas located in the Western Pilbara regions of Western Australia.

API intends to establish itself as independent supplier of iron ore with first pisolite ore on ship targeted for 2013.

They are currently accepting expressions of interest for Perth-based and North-west based roles covering the following disciplines:

• Geologists
• Production Metallurgists/Supervisors
• Maintenance Engineers/Planners
• Chemists/Analysts
• Sample Technicians
• Process Operators
• Process Maintainers
• Electrical Engineering
• Mining Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Civil/Structural Engineering
• Environment and Community
• Health and Safety
• Finance and Accounting
• Project Management
• Mining
• Logistics
• Marketing, administration and HR

Send your CV, indicating preferred role type/discipline to generalrecruitment@apijv.com.au.