The November 27 issue of the International Mining Project News (IMPN) newsletter, published every two weeks with updated news on progress with global mineral projects, will soon be available. This issue has 44 pages of news. Some of the highlighted projects are also available at the website im-projectnews.com. This issue contains news of 38 gold projects; 22 copper; 11 silver; four each of uranium, tin, lead coal and iron; three tungsten, two each of bauxite/alumina, rare earths, cobalt, graphite, lithium and diamonds; as well as other news of potash, phosphate, PGMs, antimony, alumina, nickel and titanium. While South America has dominated activity in recent times, there is a strong showing from Africa in project updates, from Ghana to Sierra Leone and from Senegal to Namibia; likewise much news from central Asia including Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. For subscription details contact [email protected]

Highlights of this issue include the news that Rio Tinto will expand output from one of the world’s premier bauxite deposits following approval of the A$1.9 billion Amrun project. Amrun involves the construction of a bauxite mine and associated processing and port facilities on the Cape York Peninsula in north Queensland. The planned initial output is 22.8 Mt/y, replacing production from the depleting East Weipa mine and increasing annual bauxite exports from Cape York by around 10 Mt.

Elsewhere, in early stage projects, Novo Resources Corp has provided an update of progress at its Beatons Creek gold project and an overview of its newly acquired Blue Spec gold-antimony project, both located in Western Australia. Novo is aggressively evaluating the potential economics of an open cast/gravity-recovery mining scenario for its Beatons Creek gold project. This work will form the basis for an upcoming PEA that will examine the viability of mining shallow, oxide-only resources. IMX Resources has the results of the prefeasibility study for its Chilalo graphite project located in southeast Tanzania. The company says the results of the PFS “confirm the emergence of Chilalo as a market-leading graphite project that on all objective measures compares highly favourably with other graphite projects.”

In definitive and bankable feasibility work, Polymetal International has announced the successful completion of the feasibility study for the Kyzyl gold project as well as updated Ore Reserve and Mineral Resource estimates. Polymetal is on track to start full-scale construction in Q2 2016. Processing will start in the H2 2018 with first full year of production in 2019. Armadale, the AIM-quoted investment company focused on natural resource projects in Africa, has provided an update on the ongoing development and expansion of its Mpokoto Gold Project in the DRC, with a current mineral resource of 678,000 oz and which remains on track to commence production in H1 2016. Metallurgical results to support finalisation of the Definitive Feasibility Study are targeted by year end 2015.

Projects moving ahead with development goals include Orinoco Gold, which reports “outstanding results from the initial batch of assays received from underground mine sampling at its flagship Cascavel Gold Mine in central Brazil as it advances towards initial production early next year.” Strategic Minerals has now received all required regulatory authorities for, and has commenced extraction of, a bulk sample from the proposed Tatu coal mine on the North Island of New Zealand; while Red Eagle Mining Corp has placed all process and infrastructure equipment orders necessary to complete the construction of its San Ramon gold mine in Colombia. Vast Resources has announced that the Romanian State owned company, Baita SA, has signed an agreement with Vast’s 80% owned Romanian subsidiary, African Consolidated Resources (Vast Romania) setting out the steps to be taken in order for Vast Romania to obtain the right to mine the Baita Plai polymetallic mine (BBPM).

Projects and mines going into production include Imperial Metals’ Red Chris mine in Canada. Anglo Asian Mining, the AIM listed gold, copper and silver producer focused in Azerbaijan, has provided an update on the progress of its flotation plant and the production and shipment of the first batch of copper flotation concentrate at its Gedabek gold, copper and silver mine in western Azerbaijan. The first batch of approximately 125 t (wet) of copper flotation concentrate has been produced and flotation concentrate will be sold to Industrial Minerals SA under existing off-take contract for copper concentrate produced by SART processing. The company’s gold production target for the year to end December 2015 now narrowed to between 72,000 and 74,000 oz.

Finally, expanded and turnaround projects covered include Goldplat, the AIM listed African gold producer, which has announced that the first of the 4 t elution columns acquired from DRD Gold has been successfully commissioned at Goldplat Recovery Pty Ltd (GPL) . The completion of this project, on schedule, is an important milestone in Goldplat’s turnaround strategy and will enable the company to clear the remainder of the backlog gold inventory, improve the cash position, and provide capacity for increased future production. Central Asia Metals (CAML), a copper producing company, has received the regulatory approvals required for the Stage 2 expansion program of its Kounrad SX-EW copper recovery project in Kazakhstan; while at Atalaya’s Riotinto project in Spain, an expansion project to increase processing capacity to 7.5 Mt/y is approximately 64% complete, with engineering now completed. The primary ball mill that constitutes the longest lead delivery item has been delivered to site.