Diesel to dust

摘要

Diesel is the lifeblood of the mining industry. It powers the trucks, shovels and drills. It drives the trains that carry the ore to the ports. It fires the generators that provide electricity to the minesites. Miners have already suffered a spike in the diesel price. Drive past a petrol station and diesel is 30 cents a litre more expensive than unleaded petrol. While miners usually get benefits, such as the diesel fuel rebate, this quantum of price rise has hurt. Australia's diesel pricing uses the Singapore cost as a benchmark. The Singapore price has been heading up due to increased demand from the Asian markets.