In International Mining Project News fortnightly account of mining projects around the globe Australian company Integra Mining is making a splash with its first gold pour at the Randall’s project, while Avalon Minerals has reported another expansion at its wholly owned Viscaria project. The Swedish copper and iron project now totals 66.2 Mt of VMS and skarn mineralisation. Fellow Australian miner Venturex Resources has also received good news, ahead of a key scoping study, with an inventory increase of resources and reserves at its long life Pilbara VMS project. Sherwin Iron, formerly Batavia Mining, have investigated a maiden iron ore deposit to support its 80 – 150 Mt exploration target and are confident of realising a far greater exploration potential. So far the company is on track to achieve first production by 2012. The Pilbara region is showing its riches as Brockman Resources take another step forward towards producing iron ore at its wholly owned Marillana project with a recently completed feasibility study predicting a mine life of 25 years. Rio Tinto have invested $230 million in Dampier port expansion works to take total Pilbara capacity to 230 Mt/y by 2012.
Recent drilling has persuaded Cortona Resources to provide an update while on the cusp of finishing a DFS on its Dargues Reef project. At least five additional intercepts have been discovered, mostly within 200 m of the surface. Paladin Energy has had less luck as it is “surprised” by a recent announcement, from the Northern Territory Government, over the establishment of a uranium mine. However the company may feel that recent drilling results from its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia balances this out.
Peninsula Minerals has had a positive outcome in its dealings with the issue of an operating licence, from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, for its Moore Ranch in situ uranium recovery facility. Also in the USA Rare Element Resources have released the results of a scoping study on the rare earth resources at its Bear Lodge project, while in Mexico Creston Moly has reported assay results for recently completed diamond drill holes at its El Creston property.
Olympus Pacific Minerals has spent $7.5 million on a Malaysian JV company, responsible for the Bau gold project, to take its total ownership to over 50%. In the meantime Argent Minerals has completed its own acquisition of an Australian gold mine. In Argentina Minera IRL’s gold-silver project is on track as it releases an update on its feasibility study due in 2011. Range River Gold may expand its production at Mt Morgan’s with the confirmation of open pit mining at the Millionaire deposit increasing the project’s target mineable mineral inventory.
Guyana Goldfields has made significant progress in its attempts to get a final mining licence before the end of this year while Baja Mining’s, 70% owned, project company Minera y Metalurgica del Boleo has secured $858 million of financing for the development and immediate start of full scale construction.
Vane has decided to formalise its JV agreement with the Ruiz brothers after positive results from the first ore produced from the Colorada mine. Venture Minerals has announced its intention to raise $20 million to fund ongoing exploration and feasibility studies at its flagship tin-tungsten project in Tanzania. Belvedere Resources has reported that its recently producing nickel mine in Finland is out performing ramp up predictions.
Flinders Mines has decided to pass its non-iron ore assets into a new explorer, Flinders Exploration, with a A$7 million initial public offering . While Mongolian Mining Corp is investing $1.3 billion this year in an attempt to almost double its production of coking coal by 2011.
All this and much, much more in International Mining’s Project News….
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