The latest issue of International Mining Project News, out today, has reports on 20 Prefeasibility Studies, nine Feasibility studies, 24 projects in development, three new mines that have gone into production, six existing mines that are expanding, six merger and acquisition announcements, and many new appointments to new positions. The report covers 26 gold projects, 11 copper, 10 silver, eight iron ore projects, four projects on rare earths, zinc, and coal, three mineral sands projects, two projects covering manganese, nickel, lead, and diamonds, and one project each on magnetite, tungsten, fluorspar, phosphate, vanadium, titanium, alumina, potash, uranium and graphite. 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.
Horizonte Minerals has completed a metallurgical test program at the company’s 100% owned Araguaia nickel project located south of the Carajas mining district in northern Brazil. The metallurgical test work has confirmed the suitability of the conventional Rotary Kiln Electric Furnace for the treatment of the Araguaia Nickel ore to produce ferronickel. A market study has also been undertaken by CRU Strategies and confirmed that the targeted grade of 15-17%.
High-grade gold surface sample results have been attained at the Ulupong gold discovery, at the Lobo prospect at Red Mountain Mining’s Batangas gold project, located 120 km south of Manila in the Philippines. The results include 6.63 g/t Au and 67.4 g/t Ag from sub-cropping quartz-sulphide boulders in the Bigaan-Ulupong area. The channel sampling results, combined with new soil sampling geochemistry has defined a greater than 1 km long corridor of mineralisation at the south-western end of the >2 km long Ulupong structure.
SilverCrest Mines has updated reserve and resource estimations for its Santa Elena mine in Sonora, Mexico. The updated Probable reserves (underground, open pit and leach pad) are estimated at 8.2 Mt grading 74.9 g/t Ag and 1.24 g/t Au containing 19.7 Moz of silver and 327,430 oz of gold, representing 103% increase in contained silver and 50% increase in contained gold over previous Probable reserves.
Sunkar Resources has also updated ore reserves for the Chilisai phosphate project in Kazakhstan. This ore reserve estimate, as with the mineral resource update has been prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the JORC code. Wardell Armstrong has produced the ore reserve estimate, with the application of a 99.5% mining recovery and 11% grade dilution over the entire license area.
A Mining Lease for the Norra Karr heavy rare earth element project in Sweden for Tasman Metals has been granted. The mining lease gives the company full mineral rights for the Norra Karr project for an initial period of 25 years. Which is then automatically renewed in10 year increments if the mine is in operation. The lease was granted by Swedish Mining Inspectorate after extensive stakeholder consultation.
Big North Graphite has commenced a program of test mining/bulk sampling at the Nuevo San Pedro amorphous graphite project in Sonora, Mexico. The program aims to test existing, active and inactive workings. The cost of this program is estimated at approximately $200,000.
Resources Appalaches has started its second week of dewatering operations and more importantly has filed for production permit approval to restart the gold mining activities within the coming months. The production permit application is the only remaining pending permit requirement in order to resume gold production at Dufferin mine. Concurrently, rehabilitation of underground galleries and the launching of the final stage of the mill refurbishment works have begun.
Guildford Coal has stated that production activities at its SouthGobi open cut coking coal mine in Mongolia has commence with GUF’s principal contractor, GrandPower, for overburden removal. Coal mining will proceed once surface infrastructure is in place and conformance of mining operations and facilities with submitted plans is verified.
An Environment Permit has been granted for Amara Mining’s Sega gold project in Burkina Faso, 20 km to the north of its Kalsaka gold mine. This is a major achievement in the integration of Kalsaka and Sega, which is expected to ensure that Amara continues production in Burkina Faso until at least 2015.
Affero Mining and International Mining & Infrastructure Corp (IMIC)have agreed terms in-principal, for the proposed acquisition of Affero by IMIC, which Affero’s Board intends to recommend to its shareholders, subject to the completion of relevant documentation including satisfactory final financing arrangements, and the receipt of a fairness opinion from its financial advisers as to its terms of the proposed offer. Under the agreed terms, IMIC will offer for each share of Affero 80p in cash and a two year convertible loan note of which principle value of 40p.