The northern hemisphere summer has ended with an explosion of news about project activity around the world. The latest issue of this newsletter, published every two weeks with more news, is now available. This issue has some 60 pages of news. For subscription details contact [email protected]. Below are just some of the projects covered, including, shown in the picture, Randgold Resources and AngloGold Ashanti have concluded an investment agreement aimed at the formation of a joint venture to redevelop and operate AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi gold mine in Ghana:
Orinoco Gold on track for first gold production at Cascavel in Brazil. Tri-Star Resources announces that Strategic & Precious Metals Processing (SPMP) will now proceed to develop a 20,000 t/y antimony processing facility (OAR) in the Sultanate of Oman.
Hecla Mining Co expects to begin production at its San Sebastian gold and silver project in the State of Durango, Mexico, by the end of 2015.
Cleveland Mining Co reports on a number of positive recent developments at its Premier JV gold mine in central Brazil, where gold production has resumed following the completion of several key aspects of its expansion and upgrade program.
Canada’s Labrador Trough received a welcome boost with the announcement that the Wabush 3 open-pit mine project has been released from environmental assessment, clearing the way for construction. This project is an expansion of the existing Carol operation, which currently produces about 21 Mt/y of ore.
Teck Resources has received the necessary permissions from the B.C. Environmental Assessment office to expand its Fording River coal mine near the Alberta border.
Lucapa Diamond Co has secured the support of long-term investors to advance the company’s diamond mining operations and kimberlite exploration programs at the Lulo diamond project in Angola.
Wesdome Gold Mines announces production guidance and mine plan for years 2016–2019 at the Eagle River complex, consisting of the underground Eagle River mine, the open pit Mishi mine and the Eagle River mill.
Guildford Coal’s Mongolian subsidiary Terra Energy has been granted the new mining licence Khar Servegen MV- 019149 by the Minerals Resource Authority of Mongolia (MRAM).
An independent scoping study has been completed for the final underground phase of the three-stage mine development of Elementos’s Cleveland tin-tungsten-copper project, near Luina in northwest Tasmania, Australia.
Entrée Gold has received the results of an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (2015 PEA) for its 100%-owned Ann Mason copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit in Nevada.
Fission Uranium Corp has announced summary results of an NI 43-101 PEA for the high-grade uranium resource identified to date on the Triple R Uranium Deposit, at its 100% owned Patterson Lake South (PLS) property in Canada’s Athabasca Basin region.
Erdene Resource Development Corp announces positive metallurgical results for its 100%-owned Altan Nar gold-silver-lead-zinc project in southwest Mongolia.
CPC Engineering has been appointed by ASX listed Oceana Gold (New Zealand) Ltd to complete the metallurgy and process plant component of the feasibility study for the Macraes gold-tungsten project in New Zealand.
Peregrine Diamonds Ltd provides an update on its 100%-owned Chidliak diamond project, located 120 km northeast of Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, Canada.
Dominion Diamond Corp announced positive results of a PEA of the Sable kimberlite pipe deposit located within the Core Zone Joint Venture property in Canada’s Northwest Territories.
Titanium giant emerges from PFS is the tile of a research report on Neometals by Hallgarten & Co. Latest PFS upgrades the size of the Barrambie Ti-V-Fe project from “merely” normal to a potential giant in the titanium space, with the second largest known hard rock Ti deposit in the world.
Chesapeake Gold Corp has $25 million in cash and an anticipated $20.1 billion of pre-tax net operating income from its flagship project. Thus it is in an enviable position to weather the current gold uncertainty. Metates is the company’s flagship project located in Durango, Mexico.
Asiamet Resources announces recent drilling as part of the resource evaluation program in progress on the Beruang Kanan Main (BKM) copper deposit in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia has identified a second zone of higher grade copper mineralization within the BKM Resource.
Golden Arrow Resources files PEA NI 43-101 Technical Report on SEDAR for the Chinchillas silver-lead-zinc project in Jujuy Province, Argentina.
Paragon Diamonds, the AIM quoted diamond development company, has the results of two independent studies carried out by The MSA Group on the Mothae Kimberlite project, located in Lesotho.
Atrum Coal says the anthracite market continues to outperform. A scoping study at Groundhog North Mining Complex identifies new mines.
Stratex International progress update on mine construction at its 45%-owned Altintepe gold project in Turkey.
The pilot plant at SGS Mineral Services has been initiated for Alabama Graphite Corp’s flagship 100%-owned Coosa graphite project, located in Coosa County, east-central Alabama, USA.
Critical Elements Corp has signed a strategic collaboration agreement with a leading chemical company that includes take or pay off-take for all products produced from the Rose lithium-tantalum project. The feasibility study will be completed in collaboration with the strategic technical and commercial partner. The project is located in the northeast part of the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian Shield craton.
Heron Resources has provided an update on progress with the feasibility study for the company’s advanced Woodlawn zinc-copper project, which commenced immediately following the completion of Heron’s highly successful PEA in June 2015.
Poseidon Nickel is updating its position on the option to sell the rights to its wholly owned Silver Swan nickel project to Caeneus Minerals.
Abacus Mining & Exploration reports that the Environmental Assessment Application/Environmental Impact Statement for the Ajax copper-gold project located near Kamloops, B.C. has been submitted by KGHM Ajax Mining to the British Columbia Environmental Assessment Office and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency. The Ajax project is 100% owned by KGHM Ajax, a joint venture company between Abacus (20%) and KGHM Polska Miedz SA (80%).
GB Minerals has completed a new feasibility study for its Farim phosphate project located in Guinea
Compelling high-grade gold production at significantly reduced Capex provides Sabina with a viable development path.
Altona Mining has now received a Performance Guarantee from the Bank of China that affirms the $2 million deposit required under the Framework Agreement with Sichuan Railway Investment Group (SRIG) has been deposited and is reserved for payment to Altona in the event of default by SRIG. Under the terms of the Framework Agreement, SRIG agreed to contribute cash of $214.46 million with Altona contributing $38 million in cash and the Cloncurry project to form a 40% Altona, 60% SRIG incorporated joint venture.
Kaminak Gold Corp has an ongoing feasibility study at Coffee, its flagship development track Yukon gold project.
Doray Minerals provides an update on construction and development progress at its 100% owned Deflector gold project (Deflector) in the southern Murchison region of Western Australia.
Novo Resources Corp has announced it has secured an IGR 3000 gold recovery plant from Mineworx Technologies. Novo will be shipping the plant from its current location in the US to Australia over the next two months.
Beaufort Securities’ has initiated coverage on Hummingbird Resources. “Hummingbird Resources (HUM) offers low-cost near term gold production from the recently acquired Yanfolila project in Mali.
Sunridge Gold announced that the Asmara Mining Share Co (“AMSC”) has signed a Mining Agreement with the Eritrean Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and as a result three mining licenses will subsequently be issued to AMSC. These licenses will cover the four advanced projects (Emba Derho, Adi Nefas, Gupo Gold and Debarwa) that make up the Asmara copper-zinc-gold project in Eritrea.
Goldrock Mines has received the timely delivery into Argentina of the HPGR, the longest single lead time item for the Lindero project which significantly de-risks the remaining construction and development schedule.
A‐Cap Resources has applied for a mining licence and reports on technical study outcomes. The Mining Licence Application was submitted to the Botswana Department of Mines on August 18, 2015. The technical study of A‐Cap Resources’ Letlhakane uranium project highlighted the potential economic viability of the project with a rising uranium price.
Perth-based graphite developer, Kibaran Resources has announced the completion of its updated production growth strategy for its flagship projects in Tanzania.
Roxgold’s first drawdown of $30 million has been completed under the previously announced $75 million six-year senior secured project finance facility for the development of the Yaramoko gold project in Burkina Faso.
Torex Gold Resources has completed resettlement of all 102 families of the village of La Fundicion at its 100% owned Morelos gold property in Mexico.
New Gold provides an update on development progress at the company’s Rainy River project in Canada.
Saracen Mineral Holdings reports first Thunderbox gold now anticipated in June quarter 2016.
Atlatsa Resources Corp advises that it, together with its joint venture partner, Anglo American Platinum, has determined to implement a restructure plan at Bokoni Platinum Mine Proprietary Ltd.
Éléonore mine in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada is the latest Goldcorp operation.
Specialty metals development company, Wolf Minerals has commenced tungsten concentrate production from its Drakelands open pit mine constructed at the company’s worldclass Hemerdon tungsten and tin project in Devon, southwest England.
Gemfields, the world’s largest producer of coloured gemstones, has entered into binding agreements to acquire controlling interests in two emerald projects with operations and prospects located predominantly in the Boyacá state in Colombia.
Hochschild Mining has declared commercial production at its Inmaculada mine, located in southwest Peru. The first production of dore was announced on June 5 and approximately 25,000 oz of gold and 622,000 ounces of silver have been produced to date.
Kidman Resources has joined the ranks of ASX-listed gold producers with the first gold pour at its Burbanks mine near Coolgardie in Western Australia where it is currently processing ore from the underground mine.
Riotinto copper project in Spain achieved first concentrate production in July 2015. The processing plant is currently in the wet commissioning phase, with various components such as crushers, flotation cells and pumps working smoothly. Waste prestripping has already been taking place and the plant is being supplied with the mineralised material to facilitate the commissioning and fine-tuning during the ramp-up phase.
Western Lithium USA Corp and Lithium Americas Corp have completed the plan of arrangement pursuant to which Western Lithium acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Lithium Americas.
Evolution Mining has acquired La Mancha Australia from La Mancha Group International. Evolution Mining is a leading, growth-focussed Australian gold miner.
Almonty Industries has completed its acquisition of Woulfe Mining Corp building a tungsten giant.
Sandspring Resources and PNO Resources have completed the acquisition by Sandspring of PNO.
Alpha Exploration and Lakeland Resources shareholders have approved key elements of a previously announced business combination transaction.
Australia’s latest global player in the mineral sands market, Perth-based Base Resources, says it has commenced evaluating acquisition opportunities as it nears the completion of a production optimisation program for its $310 million Kwale mine in Kenya.