We are excited to announce the opening of a new dedicated exploration facility in Port Hedland, Pilbara, strategically located to bring our analytical expertise even closer to client operations. This reduces the need for long distance sample transportation, enabling faster turnaround times reducing costs and supporting more sustainable testing regimes for clients, as well as our client’s sustainability goals.
To delve deeper into how this new geochemistry analysis facility will benefit mining operations in the Pilbara region we interviewed Katie Donnelly, SGS Laboratory Manager:
What services and capabilities will the Port Hedland facility offer?
This facility provides specialised sample preparation services, including sorting, drying, crushing, splitting and pulverization. In 2025, as demand grows, we will also introduce field analytical services and testing (FAST), which will offer pXRF, FTIR and NIR, as a value-add screening service to meet our clients’ evolving needs, ensuring seamless on-the-ground analytical support for every stage of the mining value chain.
How does this facility fit into SGS’s broader offering to the minerals sector in Australia?
The Port Hedland facility is a vital component of SGS’s comprehensive, client-focused service model in Australia’s minerals sector. Operating as a strategic feeder laboratory, the Port Hedland facility brings essential sample preparation facilities closer to mining sites, allowing producers to access the required services on their doorstep. When sample preparation is conducted close to the mine site, the overall analysis process is streamlined by only shipping reduced sample weights to our commercial labs for analysis. This approach not only improves turnaround times but also helps minimise environmental impact, aligning with our sustainability goals.
How have the demands of the minerals sector changed, and how has SGS adapted?
Over the years, the minerals sector has experienced a rising demand for faster data turnaround and more streamlined logistics to keep up with evolving operational needs. Simultaneously, environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns have emerged as a key risk to the mining industry. With ESG standards tightening, the sector is under increasing pressure to manage its environmental impacts and assess emissions throughout the mining supply chain.
In response, we have upgraded our technology and refined our services. We've expanded our hub and bespoke laboratory model, establishing facilities closer to client operations to increase speed of analysis for more agile decision making. This model significantly reduces the sample size required to be transported to a commercial lab, reducing the volume of deliveries and the associated transport emissions. Furthermore, we are investing in more environmentally friendly analytical methods, such as PhotonAssay, at our labs across Australia, to better support our clients' sustainability goals.
Following these improvements, through our FAST initiative, clients can access rapid preliminary data, empowering them to make informed decisions while comprehensive analyses are underway at our commercial laboratories. We are also advancing with AI-driven safety solutions, hands-free wearable devices for real-time data and remote assistance, and real-time reporting through QR code dashboards. Additionally, we have semi-automated pXRF, reducing labour costs and making this solution more accessible to process a higher volume of samples. By combining cutting-edge technology with strategically located services, we enhance efficiency and responsiveness, supporting clients as they navigate an increasingly competitive environment.
As the industry evolves, we are committed to partnering with clients to deliver innovative, sustainable, and customised analysis solutions to enable enhanced decision making, whatever the challenges.
For more information about our Port Hedland exploration facility, contact us.
About SGS
SGS is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company. We operate a network of over 2,700 laboratories and business facilities across 119 countries, supported by a team of 99,250 dedicated professionals. With over 145 years of service excellence, we combine the precision and accuracy that define Swiss companies to help organizations achieve the highest standards of quality, safety and compliance.
Our brand promise – when you need to be sure – underscores our commitment to trust, integrity and sustainability, enabling businesses to thrive with confidence. We proudly deliver our expert services through the SGS name and trusted specialized brands, including Brightsight, Bluesign, Maine Pointe and Nutrasource.
SGS is publicly traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange under the ticker symbol SGSN (ISIN CH0002497458, Reuters SGSN.S, Bloomberg SGSN:SW).
