The latest issue of International Mining Project News, out today, has reports on 23 prefeasibility studies, three feasibility studies, and 26 projects in development, ten new mines that have gone into production, five existing operations that are expanding, four merger and acquisition announcements, and many new appointments to new positions. The report covers 28 gold projects, 18 copper projects, nine iron ore, seven silver and six coal projects, four molybdenum projects, three on rare earths and zinc, two tin, antimony and tungsten projects, and one project each for base metals, lithium, anorthosite, iron sands, manganese, nickel, precious metals, phosphate, ferromanganese, silicomanganese, diamonds, graphite, cobalt and mineral sands. 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.
Atacana Pacifica Gold has reported that gold recoveries of up to 76% have been achieved from column percolation leach tests undertaken on 141 mm crushed gold mineralisations from its Cerro Maricunga oxide gold project in Northern Chile. The 76% non-agglomerated and 68% agglomerated were achieved from coarse crushed material grading 0.39 g/t Au from two 563 kg column tests from a surface trench cutting the Phoenix Zone.
Trans-Tasman Resources (TTR) has submitted a mining permit application under the Crown Minerals Act with New Zealand Petroleum and Minerals to extract iron sands in the South Taranaki Bight off New Zealand’s North Island’s west coast. The application covers an area of 65.76 km2 within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between 22 km and 35 km off the coast of Platea within one TTR’s existing prospecting licenses.
Thunder Mountain Gold’s underground mine development at its South Mountain, joint venture project called Owyhee Gold Trust in Idaho, US continues development at ‘excellent pace’. The underground development is focusing on enlargement of the main Sonneman level to 3.7 m by 3.7 m to accommodate future production. Mining in the drift has advanced 412 m from the portal, and the first significant historic ore zone, the Laxey zone, was encountered in May at about the 275 m mark. Planned underground drilling will commence once the Sonneman has been developed another 183 m toward the DMEA zone, estimated for mid-September. The initial underground detailed drilling will target the down dip extension of this zone.
Avalon Rare Metals has provided a progress update on its Nechalacho rare earth elements project, Thor Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. The company has been focusing on optimising the project development model outlined in its feasibility study (FS), the results of which were released on April 17, 2013. Optimisation goals include lowering capital and operating costs, reducing environmental impacts, enhancing metallurgical recoveries and improving overall operational efficiency.
Cockatoo Coal’s Baralaba expansion project has been declared by the Queensland Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning as a ‘prescribed project’ in accordance with part 5A of the Queensland State Development and Public Works Organisation Act 1971. This enables the Queensland Coordinator-General, if necessary, to intervene in approvals processes for the construction, maintenance and operation of a project to ensure timely decision making. This declaration covers the Baralaba expansion project and all supporting infrastructure.
Rio Tinto has reached a binding agreement for the sale of its 80% interest in Northparkes to China Molybdenum for $820 million. Rio Tinto CFO, Chris Lynch, said: “The sale of Northparkes represents great value for our shareholders and demonstrates our continued focus and discipline in the way we allocate capital across the Group.”