Cowcowing Gypsum Mine

The Dukin-Lake Cowcowing operation sits within the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, characterised by flat to gently undulating paleolake terrain typical of ancient evaporite basins. The low-relief topography minimises overburden stripping ratios, reducing earthmoving cycle times significantly. Shallow water tables and seasonally inundated lake beds demand precise site drainage engineering. The flat terrain, however, facilitates efficient haul road layouts and streamlines bulk material movement across the extraction footprint.

As an operating asset, Dukin-Lake Cowcowing sustains continuous procurement cycles across:

• Diesel fuel supply for mobile fleet (scrapers, graders, front-end loaders)
• Bulk haulage contracting for gypsum transport to agricultural and industrial end-users
• Maintenance consumables: tyres, hydraulic fluids, wear parts
• Water management services for dust suppression and site dewatering
• Weighbridge and load-out infrastructure servicing

Operations are DIDO-based, relying on Kalannie and Wyalkatchem as primary logistics nodes.

Gypsum extraction at Lake Cowcowing employs shallow open-cut methodology, with mechanical ripping and scraper-based bulk removal replacing conventional drill-and-blast. Key engineering requirements include:

• Primary crushing and particle size classification for agricultural-grade gypsum (soil amendment)
• Screening circuits to segregate coarse, medium, and fine fractions
• Stockpile management for moisture-sensitive evaporite product
• Mobile plant maintenance under high-dust, high-UV environmental conditions

No flotation circuit is required; product purity is managed through selective mining and mechanical screening alone.

Agricultural gypsum inherently supports ESG-aligned supply chains by improving soil carbon sequestration capacity and reducing synthetic fertiliser dependency across Wheatbelt farming operations. Operational sustainability priorities include:

• Diesel consumption reduction via optimised haul cycle planning and fleet right-sizing
• Progressive land rehabilitation of extracted lake-bed areas per WA DMP requirements
• Dust suppression protocols to protect local biodiversity corridors
• Potential integration of solar-assisted site power for auxiliary equipment

Formal ESG reporting frameworks have not been publicly disclosed by current operators.