Great Western Minerals’ REE progress, Hastings REE expands, massive Dumont nickel advances, Spain’s Salave gold mine proceeds, and much more…

salave.jpgThe latest issue of International Mining Project News is now available. 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. Contact [email protected] for more details and a free trial. The following are just some of the projects covered in this edition. At the Steenkampskraal rare earths project in the Northern Cape, Great Western Minerals Group’s (GWMG) wholly-owned South African subsidiary, Rare Earth Extraction Co (Rareco) has contracted with DRA Mineral Projects to review and complete the remaining work relating to the decline shaft refurbishment and hoisting equipment commissioning.Hastings Rare Metals has increased its exploration footprint surrounding the company’s wholly owned Hastings heavy rare earth project following the acquisition of 50 km2 of tenements which are contiguous with the heavy rare earths project, which provides rare earths exploration potential and importantly flexibility for infrastructure. Alastair Metcalf, CEO, said that the acquisition is another step towards the development of the project. “The resource has been delineated, the metallurgy determined and now we are starting to put in place the components needed to advance the project towards development.”

Royal Nickel Corp (RNC) has filed the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the mammoth Dumont nickel project with the relevant provincial and federal authorities for review. When in production, it is expected to rank as the fourth-largest nickel sulphide operation in the world by annual production – only the mining operations at Norilsk (Russia), Sudbury (Ontario, Canada) and Jinchuan (China) will be larger.

The Commission for Environmental Affairs of the Principality of Asturias (CAMA) has issued a positive Environmental Impact Statement for Astur Gold’s mine development at the Salave gold project in Asturias, Spain. The EIS approves the majority of the elements in the Environmental Impact Assessment the company submitted on May 17, 2012, including the construction of the underground mine, 2.7 km decline, an underground crushing plant, ventilation shafts, waste dumps, and surface stockpiles, as well as ancillary facilities associated with the planned mine such as access, the power line, and the concrete plant.

Mick Wilkes, Managing Director & CEO, OceanaGold announced: “We have commenced milling at Didipio [The Philippines]. In June 2011, we set a goal to commence commissioning the Didipio project in the fourth quarter of 2012 and we have met that objective. Over the next week we will bring the flotation circuit on line and start to introduce ore to the plant. We expect to be producing copper-gold concentrate in the coming weeks. 

Expansion of Kenmare’s Moma titanium minerals mine is on track to commence commissioning by the end of this year. The new dredge has been mechanically complete for some time and filling of the new mine pond with water will commence in December, which will allow the start of the commissioning of both the dredge and new Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP B). The Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separation Plant and the Auxiliary Ilmenite Plant will start their commissioning process in December.

Hana Mining released the most recent assay results received from Zone 5 infill drilling activity at the Ghanzi sediment hosted copper-silver project in Botswana. In June 2012, Hana published an NI 43-101 compliant Technical Report which described Zone 5 with an Inferred mineral resource estimate of 520 Mlb  copper grading 1.47% and 6.8 Moz of silver grading 13.2 g/t at a 0.40% Cu cutoff. After the new results, President and CEO, Marek Kreczmer commented, “These and the previously announced deep drill results suggest that Zone 5 could become a standalone mining operation.”

Petaquilla Minerals has completed the expansion of its Molejon gold plant in Panama. As part of the strategy to increase gold production at Molejon mine, a fourth ball mill has been installed, along with two additional LIX tanks, two additional CIP tanks, a third thickener, another liner screen, and a second EW circuit. Petaquilla anticipates the commissioning of this new equipment will enhance plant throughput capacity at Molejon by 1,100 t/d and increase production capacity by approximately 30%.

Central Rand Gold has executed an agreement with the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority (TCTA). Signature of the agreement will give effect to the donation of the pumps, previously purchased from international technology group, Andritz Ritz, to TCTA for the planned construction of the new High Density Sludge Treatment Plant for the Central Basin, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Construction of the treatment plant is scheduled to commence in January 2013. The pumps, together with the treatment plant, will provide the means to contain the rising water table below the Environmental Critical Level of 186 m below surface, as measured at the South West Vertical Shaft.

Gold Fields Ltd is creating a new South African gold mining company through the proposed unbundling of its 100% owned subsidiary, Sibanye Gold, formerly known as GFI Mining South Africa Proprietary Ltd (GFIMSA), which holds the KDC and Beatrix gold mines as well as various service companies.

Focus Minerals’ shareholders have overwhelmingly supported the company’s plan to raise approximately A$225 million through the placement of new shares with Shandong Gold International Mining Corp. Under the terms of the placement, Shandong Gold, a subsidiary of one of China’s three largest gold producers by production, will acquire 51% of Focus (on a fully diluted basis).

Australian gold-copper resources company, Mutiny Gold has signed an agreement with GR Engineering Services to enter an Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) contract for the Deflector project in Western Australia’s Mid-West Region. The agreement also facilitates GR Engineering’s commencement of phase 1 of the design and engineering process for the Deflector project’s processing facility, with Mutiny targeting a production start-up for the plant by the last quarter 2013, subject to the date for site mobilisation and timing to project funding.

Sundance Resources advises that the Government of Cameroon has officially paved the way for development of the company’s Mbalam Iron Ore Project by signing the Mbalam Convention. The Convention also means that Sundance has taken another significant step towards completion of its Scheme Implementation Agreement with Hanlong Mining.