Craig Oliver's dedication to the mining industry will again be remembered this year by the annual award named in his honour.

The nominees have been announced for the Craig Oliver Award, created in memory of Mr Oliver, who passed away on June 19, 2010 when a plane carrying the entire Sundance Resources board crashed in the Congo, killing everyone on board.

The award is given to a small to mid-cap Australian mining company which has excelled in several areas including exploration, mining, community and environmental work.

This year’s nominees are: BC Iron, Emmerson Resources, Integra Mining, Kingsgate Consolidated, Northern Star Resources, Regis Resources, Sandfire Resources and Silver Lake Resources.

Silver Lake managing director Les Davis said it was an honour to be nominated for the award as it was recognition for his company’s employees and contractors.