The latest issue of International Mining Project News, out today, has reports on 24 prefeasibility studies, 16 feasibility studies, 30 projects in development, three new mines that have gone into production, five mines that are expanding, two merger and acquisition announcements, and many new appointments to new positions.
The report covers 37 gold projects, 15 copper projects, 11 silver, eight iron ore, four coal, five uranium, five on rare earth elements, three on nickel, three on potash, two on tin and two on zinc and one project on chrome, tantalum, niobium and tantalum. This fortnightly project watch is a great way of keeping up to date with your peers – other mining companies, other consultants or other engineering companies. These issues build into a global mine project overview. If you are a supplier – it is full of potential sales leads.
Cougar Energy has recently obtained its maiden JORC Inferred resource estimate for its 100% owned Mackenzie PCI coal project, located approximately 25 km northeast of Blackwater in the Bowen Basin, Central Queensland, Australia. Rob Neil, CEO & Managing Director said “The Phase 1 exploration program at Mackenzie has exceeded our expectations with 70% of the deposit modelled and has successfully generated significant discovery of PCI coal. This … gives us great confidence now to progress our scoping study for the project.”
Tasman Metals’ wholly owned subsidiary, Tasman Metals AB, has been selected as a key mining industry partner in the recently launched EURARE project with emphasis on rare earths. EURARE is a research project co-funded by the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Program of the European Community for Research, Technological Development and Demonstration Activities.
In Peru, the aggregate amount of investment in mining increased by 20% over the first four months of 2013 against the same period in the previous year, reaching $2,626 billion, Minister of Energy and Mining (MEM) Jorge Merino recently announced. The company investing the highest amount was Xstrata Las Bambas, which assigned $540 million to the execution of the megaproject of the same name located in the province of Cotabambas.
Big North Graphite announced that it has mined and stockpiled approximately 160 t of amorphous graphite at its Nuevo San Pedro project in Mexico. Big North initiated test manning/bulk sampling program, as recommended by the company’s NI 43-101 Technical Report titled Mexico graphite project: Aki Wiki and Nuevo San Pedro Concessions, to test the existing active and inactive workings. The company will continue its mining operations and stockpiling as sales options are being reviewed.
SilverCrest Mines has entered into a three year $40 million secured corporate credit facility with The Bank of Nova Scotia. The credit limit available under the Facility will reduce by £10 million on each of July 11, 2014 and July 11, 2015 and will mature on July 11, 2016, subject to a one year extension of these dates by mutual agreement. The facility will be used for general corporate purposes and to complete the Santa Elena mine expansion which will release operational cash flow for other corporate purposes.
