SA

The start of a new year often means job seekers are at their most active – keen for fresh challenges and a potential new job.  As you embark on your job search, here are a few less obvious tips for you to think about.  It’s often the smaller details we overlook, yet can determine our job search success.

Australia’s gas production – for domestic and export markets – continues to increase every year.  But petroleum liquids production is still failing.  In 2000-01 Australia produced 272.4 million barrels (MMbbl) of petroleum liquids.  By 2010-11 this had fallen to 183.7MMbbl.  This ongoing decline is dramatically increasing the nation’s trade deficit.

Contrary to the norm, my journey started well before I actually worked for a miner. I left high school in 1989 not knowing what I wanted to do. Mining didn’t even rate a mention in those days as it wasn’t the media focus it is now. University wasn’t an option for me as I’d had enough of studying. Besides, I don’t think my TE score would have got me into any university! I eventually joined the Navy after nothing else took my fancy.

This scholarship allows the winner to spend a week of work experience with Atlas Copco in Australia, followed by two weeks with Atlas Copco in Sweden. It is open to all student members of The AusIMM who are in their penultimate or final year of a recognised minerals-related course. For one week with Atlas Copco in Australia, the winner of the scholarship will gain some practical experience using Atlas Copco's mining equipment and will also understand how Atlas Copco works with the Australian mining industry.

Jody Elliott, Director of The Resource Channel speaks to ABC Radio's Babs McHugh about the increasing challenge of securing new resource sector workers as other countries ramp up their own operations and projects, demanding some 250,000 new entrants.

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rural/resource/201201/r882802_8761919.mp3

Named after the classical Greek word for fish, the Ichthys Project is expected to produce 12.8 trillion cubic feet of gas and 527 million barrels of high value condensate over its 40-year life.

INPEX and joint venture partner Total achieved the Final Investment Decision (FID) for this US$34 billion project on the 13th of January 2012. INPEX Chairman Naoki Kuroda made the announcement in Darwin.

Up to 100 construction and 160 operational jobs will be created with the recent approval of South Australia’s 19th major mine.

IronClad Mining Limited has been given the green light for its Wilcherry Hill iron ore project on the Eyre Peninsula generating more than $340m in investment in the region.

Wilcherry Hill, about 40 kilometres north of Kimba, is just the latest addition to South Australia’s growing mineral resources sector.  This project now brings the number of approved major mines in South Australia to 19 from four in 2002.

When China was first touted as the anticipated future superpower some ten years ago by a handful of Australian resource company executives, many couldn’t see past the strong trade reliance with the US. Cut to 2011, and Australia's economic ties with the US are night and day from those with China.

Having just acquired Equinox Minerals in the largest Australian merger and acquisition transaction to date in 2011, Barrick has expanded its global operating sites to 26.

The acquisition of Equinox adds two additional copper assets to the Australian Pacific Region. With seven operating gold mines in Australia and the Porgera mine in Papua New Guinea, the Equinox sites expand the Australian Pacific Regional Business Unit area of operations from Western Australia, New South Wales and Papua New Guinea to Zambia and Saudi Arabia.