The latest issue of International Mining Project News, out today, has reports on 31 prefeasibility studies, nine feasibility studies, and 23 projects in development, one new mine that has gone into production, six existing operations that are expanding and one merger and acquisition announcement, and many new appointments to new positions. The report covers 29 gold projects, 21 copper projects, 7 silver projects, five iron ore and zinc, four uranium, coal, and nickel, three potash, lead, rare earth, two chromium and one bauxite, graphite, tungsten, platinum, manganese, tin and limonite. 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.
Metallica Minerals has announced that an Environmental Authority has been issued by the Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection for the company’s Mining Lease Application over the Urquhart Point zircon-rutile HMS project. The project is located 3 km southwest of Weipa on the western coast of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland.
The giant Kibali gold project, owned by Randgold, in the Democratic Republic of Congo has officially poured its first bar of gold in a ceremony attended by Congolese officials including representatives from the Provincial Government and various ministries and the offices of the President and Prime Minister, traditional leaders as well as executives of the parastatal SOKIMO and the joint venture partners Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti.
Rio Tinto has completed the first phase of the major expansion of its integrated iron ore operations in the Pilbara, celebrating the milestone with a ceremony at Cape Lambert. The Premier of Western Australia, the Hon. Colin Barnett MLA, officially opened Cape Lambert wharf B (CLB) which will help bring the overall capacity of Rio Tinto’s Pilbara iron ore operations to 290 Mt/y, the largest iron ore operation in Australia and the second largest in the world. Rio Tinto Iron Ore chief executive Andrew Harding said “The 290 expansion, the largest integrated mining project in Australia, has created the opportunity for Rio Tinto to deliver superior value to shareholders and customers. It is testament to our focus on value-driven growth at our low-cost operations.
Lundin Mining has provided a progress update on the continued development of the high grade Eagle nickel/copper mine located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Paul Conibear, President and CEO commented: “We are pleased to see the rapid progress being made at Eagle and the ongoing high level of community support as this new major investment advances in the Upper Peninsula. Our efforts to ramp up the project quickly have gone well and we remain confident in our ability to deliver the project on or ahead of schedule and budget. The Company’s focus remains on ensuring that all development activities continue to meet or exceed all targets, resulting in a new high quality mining operation producing significant levels of metal production and revenue by the end of next year.”
Mindoro Resources has renegotiated an option to acquire an additional 25% interest in the Agata project from its Philippine partner, Minimax Mineral Exploration Corp. Mindoro currently has a 75% interest in the Agata project, located in Northern Mindanao, Philippines, and has granted TVI Pacific the option to earn a 60% interest. Assuming exercise of all options by TVI and Mindoro, Mindoro will hold a 40% interest in the Agata project. Mindoro is to be advanced to production by TVI, who is also the operator of the project.