Australia and NZ

The Australian dollar is so strong that it is beginning to be looked at internationally as a reserve currency.

Whatever the reason it can’t be simply because it has been talked up by Julia Gillard. In February the Prime Minister predicted: “Our dollar is likely to remain relatively high for years to come.”

The Pilbara’s red earth, splendid scenery and vast extent combine to create the image of Australia that has caught the imagination of generations. The top-left corner of Western Australia is home to a population that has inhabited it continuously for over 40,000 years; to them it is a very precious landscape. However, today there is another dimension to that value, because the region is rich in the most useful mineral to mankind—iron.

Against a backdrop of low, weathered mountains and the scorched desert of north Western Australia lies the Pilbara, the closest sizeable reserve of iron ore to the rapidly expanding Chinese and Indian markets. It is here amidst some of the oldest rocks found on Earth that Rio Tinto is mining some of the planet’s largest iron ore deposits.

It is expected that this time-saving functionality will enable users to gain a rapid interpretation of mineral’s properties while actually in the field, this eliminating the need for geologists to wait for lab results to verify what they are working with.

XRF machines are portable geochemical analysers designed specifically for in-field mining and exploration use. By scanning a sample, an XRF machine provides users with an immediate analysis of elements.

In the present century alone Brisbane’s population has grown from 3.5 million to more than 4.5 million. That is projected to double by 2031 requiring at least 156,000 additional dwellings to be built. With this growth comes an inevitable increase in traffic congestion. A recent report found that 340 kilometres of Brisbane’s roads are at or above or capacity, and estimates this will jump to 720 kilometres by 2031. 

Barrick Gold’s Granny Smith property in the Western Australian outback is a hotbed of mining industry best practice, technical innovation and community initiatives: with more gold defined annually it has turned into a long term asset.

As a diversified manufacturer of chemicals and a major tank terminal operator, Coogee Chemicals enters 2013 with the clear aim of continuing the work that has made it one of the sector’s biggest success stories.

While a final decision on the alliance is not expected to be made until March, 2013, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have stated that the benefits of the tie-up would far outweigh any reduction in competition. Such benefits include the ability to co-ordinate ticket prices and schedules.

From buildings and bridges to clean energy and clean water, Bentley Systems has been sustaining some of the world’s most significant infrastructure projects for close to 30 years.

When we think of infrastructure we tend to think about the hardware involved, be it the materials used or the equipment and tools to bring structures and buildings to life. What we tend to take for granted are the software solutions involved and how crucial they are to the entire process.

PetroChina will pay $1.63 billion for BHP’s 8.3 percent stake in the East Browse and its 20 percent holding in the West Browse joint venture. If approved, it will be the latest in a series of investments by Chinese oil and gas firms this year, the biggest of those being CNOOC’s takeover of Canada’s Nexen for $15.1 billion.