The company was formed in 1986 as Pylon Mining Pty Ltd with a recent trading name change to Mini Max Mining.
1980-1987
TIN MINE
Tested and developed an alluvial cassiterite (tin) project in the Pilbara in Western Australia. We were project managers in joint venture with Jervois Sulphates (NT) LTD. (Listed) Company based in Melbourne. After completion of the test Programme we designed, built and commissioned a production plant. Early in the production cycle, Jervois Sulphates vended the project into the Tantalex NL Listing. This was untimely, in midst of world tin market collapse. The mine closed.
We built a small alluvial tin processing plant for the Comet Gold Mine Company at Marble Bar (Pilbara WA). The world Tin price collapse saw this project halt.
GOLD MINE
We found and developed a small alluvial Gold project in the Pilbara (WA) in a partnership. This developed to a successful operation then was sold into the Goldstream Mining Ltd listing in 1986.
CONSULTING WORK
We consulted to private consortiums and small listed companies. At this time we started to develop a model to mine resources on a small scale that would assure success. We relocated back to the Barossa Valley in South Australia after vending our gold interests into a newly listed company, Goldstream Mining NL.
Gold Mine
Client: Pelsart Resourced NL (Perth) Listed.
We managed a bucket drill test programme and bulk sampling of trial ore at their project near Monto in Qld.
Gold Mine
Client: Private consortium.
Location: Horseshoe Range (Via Meekatharra WA) 50 LCM per hour gold plant. We designed and installed the processing plant. We vended this project into Goldstream Mining NL listing.
Gold Mine
Client: Private consortium.
Location: Abydos – Pilbara (WA) 75 LCM per hour gold processing plant.
We designed and installed the plant and managed it for a short time.
Gold Mine
Client: Private consortium.
We located a Gold/ Chromium deposit in the Pilbara of WA. We designed and installed a processing plant which ran for a short time until it was vended into the Goldstream Mining NL float.
Gold Mine
Client: Gold & Mineral Exploration – Perth – Listed.
This company wanted to conduct bulk sampling of the Teetulpa Goldfield in SA.
We built and commissioned alluvial test plant. We managed the project including earthmoving.
The untimely share market crash caused the company to be cash stressed.
1988-1991
We continued to carry out consulting work from the Barossa Valley in South Australia.
Client: Private in Victoria.
We built a mobile primary crushing plant with a purpose built two stage mill.
Client: Private at Nillinghoo Goldfield (SA).
We built and supplied a skid mounted crushing/milling and gold extraction plant with a capacity of 15 tons per hour.
GOLD MINE
Client: Roebuck Resourced NL – Perth – Listed.
We designed and constructed a 75 LCM per hour alluvial gold process plant. This plant was installed and commissioned near Halls Creek, Kimberleys in WA. We managed the project until commissioning was complete.
The plant was complete with automatic belt detector for nugget collection that was a feature of all of our plants. The plant was built in the Barossa Valley.
Client sep 18, 2014 : Kaltimex Jaya – private Indonesian company.
We conducted sampling supervision and general consulting work on a large resource in Kalimantan (Indonesia).
1992
Client: SA Housing Trust.
Engineers: Kinhill Engineers.
Project: Contaminated site clean-up.
We tendered successfully to clean lead and PCB contamination from a skeet shooting range.
Land destined for housing in a southern Adelaide suburb was found to contain high lead levels from skeet shooting over many years. The skeet fragments were plastic “pcb” that required extraction along with the lead prior to housing being developed.
A process plant was developed and installed. The result was successful beyond specifications and budget with 21 tons of lead recovered. The process plant from the Teetulpa gold project was converted for this contract
GOLD MINE
1993 – 1994
Client: Private consortium.
Project: Gold project near Armidale NSW.
We built and supplied a gold and mineral process plant. We managed the project for 10 months
1995 – 1998
Client: Private group – Adelaide (SA).
Project: 50 tone per hour sand washing plant.
We built, installed and commissioned a 50 ton per hour single wash process plant in Barossa Valley (SA). The contract included the establishment of the sand pit including pit design.
Milling plant
Client: Private group – Adelaide (SA).
Project: Natural pigment mineral milling project.
The object was to compete with synthetically produced pigments by fine grinding naturally occurring minerals. New technology needed to be developed. This was successfully achieved and is a patentable technology. Project suspended due to lack of capital. We hold the technology.
Client: Private group (SA)
Project: Organic and mineral fertiliser project.
The object was to source suitable ore deposits and construct and install a fertiliser pelletising plant and drier. I sourced the mineral deposits and designed and constructed the process equipment. Process equipment successfully commissioned.
The project was based on the use of naturally occurring minerals being used as fertilizer and stock supplement. This was a project with large up-scale potential. The project was suspended due to lack of capital.
The project included development of stock food supplement based on natural rock ground and pelletised
1999-2000
Client: Adelaide City Council
Engineers: Thiess Environmental Services.
We had a contract to develop a process to bio-remediate 15,000 tons of carcinogenic coal tar residues discovered while developing a site in Halifax Street in Adelaide.
The material was transported to The Southern Waste Depot where we processed it. In consortium with a scientist in the USA a suitable suite of bacteria was developed to successfully remediate the material.
This led to bio remediation of other waste products using the University of SA facilities at Mawson Lakes.
2001- 2008
Client: Nauru Government
Assess the feasibility of secondary mining of phosphate rock to restore the economy of Nauru. Two trips to Nauru identified the potential for supply of Phosphate from secondary mining of previously mined areas.
The final mining phase was designed to rehabilitate the mined areas for use as habitation and agriculture.
Kanmantoo copper mine
A mineral Claim was applied for over the abandoned copper mine at Kanmantoo near Adelaide. A mining Lease was eventually granted and permitting was approved by PIRSA.
The first stage of mining was to treat a stockpile of copper oxide ore that was originally mined in 1967.
Funding for the project came from a private investor from Victoria. The project successfully produced 3 tons of copper cement per day. Copper cement is an ideal feedstock for a chemical plant at Burra north of Adelaide.
We operated the project as SA Mining Resources Pty Ltd.
A rotary copper cementation plant was developed for the process. Standard Kennecott cone technology did not work in this application.The project was sold to Hillgrove Resources for development of a large low grade sulphide resource.
Copper Mine
2009- 2011
Wasco Mining Company Pty Ltd was formed to establish a 5 ton per day copper cathode plant at the Whim Creek mine site. This mine was recently closed by Straits resources and the 25,000 ton per year cathode plant removed. The Tenements and infrastructure were purchased by Venturex Ltd. We negotiated a joint venture with Venturex to extract remnant copper from the leach heaps. 6 million tons of ore reside in the leach heaps with 79% of copper recovered at the point of mine closure by Straits resources Ltd. We expect to recover 85% of copper from the heaps.
The plant has been completed and is operating to design.
Wadnaminga Gold project
2012- Present
We were part of a group formed to establish a mining and processing operation at the Wadnaminga Goldfield in South Australia.
The project is based on reef mining followed by ore processing to extract fine gold by gravity and cyanide. Development of extraction technology based on the ore resulted in application for an R&D grant from Ausindustry.