The conference will be one of two halves, with Oceana Gold in expansion and acquisition mode on the back of strong cashflows, while the country's ailing coal industry, represented by in-administration Solid Energy and Bathurst Resources, will be under blowtorch scrutiny.
Bathurst has pared operations back to the bone as it awaits an upswing in global coking coal prices. And state-owned enterprise Solid Energy is being sold off under statutory administration, staggering under its $320million debt load.
Aside from pre and post conference mine and geology visits around Central Otago and Southland, the three-day AusIMM conference begins next Monday.
Organisers have more than 250 confirmations so far and are confident the target of about 280 delegates can be achieved, with spaces available for some field trips and all short courses, plus space for more exhibitors.
Organising committee chairman Rene Sterk, of Dunedin-based RSC Consulting, was contacted and said while there had been a slump in mining during the past year, both the negatives and positives of the industry would be canvassed.
The global spot price of gold is still wavering below the crucial break-even point of $US1200 ($NZ1807) per ounce for large-scale producers.
Mr Sterk said the recent arrival in New Zealand of Evolution Mining, which is looking at the Puhipuhi gold-silver prospect in Northland, and Newcrest Mining's interest in Karanghake would give
insights into regional exploration.
The conference theme was of ''new standards'' including health and safety issues, and a technical focus on geology and mining, Mr Sterk said.
Of 12 student poster presentations, seven are from the University of Otago, looking at geological features and structures across the South Island, including western and Central Otago and the West Coast.
The Minister of Energy and Resources, Simon Bridges, is scheduled to address delegates, followed by updates on Solid Energy, Oceana Gold and Bathurst.
Next, and of high interest, will be an update on the $18million project of Waikaia Gold Ltd by managing director Warren Batt.
The update should chart the progress of the privately owned company, which formally opened in November 2013 and is operating a floating recovery plant for alluvial gold across paddocks next to the Waikaia River in northern Southland.
The area has a background of gold mining from the 1860s to the 1900s.
Following on from the annual Diggers and Dealers conference in Kalgoorlie this month, which attracted more than 1700 delegates, Oceana Gold could update the market about plans for tungsten mining, with potential to extend the Macraes mine life beyond 2017.
Oceana Gold chief executive Mick Wilkes said in Kalgoorlie a study on mining tungsten at Macraes was advancing, noting Macraes was historically a tungsten deposit with gold, NZResources reported.
Mr Wilkes said Oceana had proved it was able to recover tungsten if it milled the ore differently, and the company's pre-feasibility study had demonstrated it was attractive economically.
''It would require a new plant and move the plant to unlock about 1.2million oz of gold that sits underneath the current facility,'' Mr Wilkes told NZResources.
