In the latest edition of International Mining Project News Vale/ARM have launched the Konkola North development in Zambia. The JV has begun a 28 year production journey at a potential 100,000 t/y copper. In the Philippines Indophil has released a market update in conjunction with a $40 million placement. The, Xstrata run, Tampakan deposit has a global resource of 2,400 Mt and, despite almost $290 million already spent on exploration, still has potential to increase beyond the known deposit. While Potash One’s recently completed feasibility study has predicted a low risk, long life Legacy project with an annual production of 2.8 Mt.

Rio Tinto has added further fuel to expansion plans on its iron ore infrastructure in the Pilbara region with a $3.1 billion investment. This investment, and others yet to be approved over the next 12 months, will be used to drive the overall iron ore capacity to 283 Mt/y during 2013.

Westgold Resources has completed a scoping study on its 1 Moz gold-copper project that confirms further underground development proposals. The company is continuing its drilling campaign at the Rover 1 deposit, located in a newly discovered copper-gold region in the Northern Territory, and has already begun exploring another prospect nearby.

Australian gold explorer Integra Mining is moving towards its long term production ambitions with the official opening of the $64 million Randalls project aimed at cashing in on the highest gold prices in history. With the recent high grade results from surrounding deposits Integra will be quickly using its new cash flow to reap the rewards from open pit and underground resources.

Southern Cross is starting to discover the true potential of its strategic gold deposits, with a substantial 44% increase in JORC resource estimates at its Battler deposit. The deposit is just part of the company’s portfolio in the Parker Range project area which has total resources of 7.236 Mt at 1.9 g/t. Breakaway Resources has revealed a number of positive developments at the Eloise copper mine, on care and maintenance since 2008, which could lead to the mine being reopened before the end of 2010.

Marengo Mining has made an important step in securing the future of its Yandera project thanks to the signing of a MOU with a leading Chinese construction and engineering group. The MOU clears the way for more formal agreements on financing, construction and off take for the copper-molybdenum-gold project which is predicted to have a 25 – 50 Mt/y ore production rate.

Determined to keep momentum Avalon Minerals is storming ahead with a BFS on its Viscaria project, in Sweden, after PFS results indicated a robust and long life copper and iron ore concentrate project. The PFS estimated a $160 million investment will be needed to fully develop the 66.6 Mt resource.

Azumah Resources has raised $30 million for its 1.2 Moz project in Ghana’s emerging north-west gold province. The raising lifts the company’s trading halt and will be used in a drilling blitz, targeting prospects and extensions, that the company hopes will support mine plans of 70, 000 oz/y upwards.

Aquila Resources and HudBay Minerals have released an updated NI 43-101resource estimate on the JV Back Forty project. Manas Resources has expanded its scoping study after finding broad ore grade intercepts from its gold project in the Kyrgyz Republic. In Algeria Terramin Australia has completed a DFS on its JV project that confirms the feasibility of running the lead-zinc project as the world’s first block-cave zinc mine.

As Mali’s worst rainy season for 30 years comes to an end Robex Resources is getting ready to begin a RC drilling campaign at Nampala gold project, with an eye on starting a feasibility study in early 2011. Eurasian Natural Resources is busy expanding its Brazilian iron ore resource base with acquisitions and deals worth up to a combined $304 million.

All this and much, much more in International Mining’s Project News….

To receive the full 30+ page report, subscriptions to this service can be registered and paid for on-line (SUBSCRIBE TO IM PROJECT NEWS BUTTON), or contact: mailto:[email protected]/t_blank for a free trial copy.