| AROUND THE
WORLD - USA & CANADA |
|
|
|
Mount Polley Gets Permit for Restricted Restart
The British Columbia Ministry of Energy and Mines and Ministry of Environment issued permit amendments in early July allowing Imperial Metals to undertake a restricted restart of operations at its Mount Polley copper-gold mine in south-central British Columbia. The mine had been shut down since August 2014 as a result of a massive tailings dam failure. The new permits allow processing of a maximum of 4 million...... read
more |
|
|
New Gold Targeting Mid-2017 Production Start at Rainy River
New Gold reported on July 20 that development activity at its Rainy River project in northwestern Ontario is advancing on schedule, with first production remaining on target for mid-2017. New Gold expects the 21,000- mt/d, combined open-pit underground operation to produce an average of 325,000 oz/y of gold over its first nine years of full production at well below industry average costs. Detailed engineering for Rainy River was on schedule and 95% complete, and the temporary accommodation facility was 80% complete. First major earthworks for the processing plant site began in May and are scheduled for completion in the fourth... read more
Top
|
|
|
Western Potash Planning Pilot-scale Start at Milestone
Western Potash announced on July 2 the results of a positive preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for development of a pilot-scale solution mining operation to start potash production at its Milestone property 30 km southeast of Regina, Saskatchewan. The company initiated the PEA for a pilot-scale start when it found that financing was not available to develop the large-tonnage operation described in its 2012 Milestone feasibility study. Subsequent to announcing.... read
more
|
|
|
| AROUND THE
WORLD - Latin America |
|
|
|
Columbus Targeting 273,0000 oz/y of Gold Production at Paul Isnard
Columbus Gold reported that a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the Montagne d’Or gold deposit on its Paul Isnard project in French Guinea supports average production of 273,000 oz/y of gold over the first 10 years of operation. Life-ofmine production over a period of 13 years would total 3.05 million oz. Capital costs to develop a mine on the Montagne d’Or deposit are estimated at $366 million, including a $44 million contingency. All-in sustaining costs are estimated at $711/oz of gold produced…… read
more |
|
|
 Eldorado Gold Completes Tocantinzinho Feasibility Study
Eldorado Gold has completed a feasibility study of its open-pit Tocantinzinho gold projecin Pará state, northern Brazil. The study assumes a processing rate of 4 million mt/y through a three-stage crushing and ball mill circuit. Overall recoveries from flotation and cyanide leach circuits are expected to be 90% and 75% for primary ore and saprolite ore, respectively. Gold production in doré bullion is projected to average 165,000 oz/y over a mine life…. read more
|
|
|
|
| AROUND THE
WORLD - Australasia |
|
|
|
Atlas Returns to Mining at Mount Webber
Atlas Iron reported on July 1 that it has restarted mining of direct shipping iron ore at its Mount Webber mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Processing was scheduled to restart by mid-July. Mount Webber, which is targeting a production rate of…. read
more |
|
|
Western Areas Approves Mill Enhancement Project
The board of directors of Australian nickel producer Western Areas Ltd. has approved an A$22 million mill recovery enhancement project for its Forrestania operations in southwest Western Australia. Completion of the project will increase nickel recoveries in the mill by 3% to 5% over the life of the mine and add 1,200 mt/y of nickel in concentrate to its production. Unit cash operating cost is estimated at A$2.42/lb of nickel in concentrate. The mill enhancement project …. read
more
Top |
|
|
|
| |
|
Aureus Hits Nameplate Capacity at New Liberty Gold Project
Aureus Mining reported on July 20 that the process plant at its New Liberty gold project in Liberia had reached nameplate capacity following a successful period of commissioning. The plant underwent a 24hour period of performance testing, during which it operated at a feed rate of 152 metric tons per hour (mt/h) of run-of-mine ore at a plant availability of 96%. Aureus issued a certificate of performance test completion to the engineering, procurement, construction and management (EPCM) contractor….
read
more
|
|
Kefi Nearing Construction Start for Tulu Kapi
Kefi Minerals has reported the results of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) of its Tulu Kapi gold project, located approximately 360 km west of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study estimates total project gold production of 960,000 oz over a 13-year operating life. All-in sustaining costs are estimated at about $780/oz of gold produced. Startup capital costs are estimated at $120 million, based on use of contract mining. Kefi has been awarded…. read
more
|
|
|
| |
Hindustan Zinc Increases Metal Production
India’s Hindustan Zinc Ltd. reported quarter mined metal production of more than 232,000 metric tons (mt), a year-on-year increase of 42%. The company said its saleable zinc, lead and silver metal production was up by 35%, 27% and 33%, respectively, for the same period. “The zinc price has held up better…. read more
|
|
|
|
Recovery Improves at Vietnam Nickel Mine
Continued operational optimization by Asian Mineral Resources (AMR) at the Ban Phuc nickel project in northern Vietnam has resulted in a further increase in process plant nickel recoveries to 86.8%, above the design target of 85%. During the June quarter, the company produced 2,033 metric tons (mt) of nickel metal, 972 mt of copper metal and 66 mt of cobalt metal in concentrate at Ban Phuc from 111,218 mt of ore mined. Nickel production was up by 16% on the corresponding period of 2014 with copper ……
read more
Top
|
|
|
|
| |
Alliance CEO Offers Encouragement
Alliance Resource Partners President and CEO Joe Craft delivered a shot of encouragement to an embattled U.S. coal industry no doubt looking for any relief it can get. Speaking to analysts during a July 28 conference call to discuss the company’s second-quarter earnings—Alliance posted record coal sales …. read more
|
|
|
BHP Reports Solid FY 2015 Met Coal Production
In its latest quarterly report, which would be the final quarter for the 2015 fiscal year, BHP Billiton reported that its metallurgical coal production for FY 2015 increased by 13% to a record 43 million metric tons (mt). Record production and sales volumes in Queensland, Australia, were supported by the successful ramp-up of the Caval Ridge mine and continued productivity improvements. An increase in equipment and wash…. read more
|
|
|
WCA Calls on World Bank to Recognize Coal’s Critical Role
The World Coal Association (WCA) called on the World Bank to recognize the vital role of coal in bringing electricity to people in developing and emerging economies. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global electricity from coal is expected to grow by around 33% to 2040. Demand for coal in Southeast Asia alone is expected to increase 4.8% a year through to 2035. “The reason for this growth is that there are very real energy needs to be met,” said Benjamin Sporton, WCA chief executive. “1.3 billion people live in energy poverty. 2.7 billion people do not have clean cooking facilities and …. read more
|
|
|
|
Freeport-McMoRan Inc . named Harry M. “Red” Conger president and COO-Americas and Africa mining. In this role, he will continue to have operational responsibility for the Americas and will expand his responsibilities to include FCX’s Africa mining operations and the climax molybdenum business. Mark J. Johnson will continue in his present role as FCX’s senior operating officer responsible for Indonesian operations as president and COO–Indonesia and will continue his present responsibilities for global mine planning.
Paul Benson has been appointed president and CEO, Silver Standard Resources. President and CEO John Smith has elected to retire, but will be available as an advisor until the end of the year. Most recently, Benson was CEO of Troy Resources Ltd.
ArcelorMittal nominated Simon Wandke executive vice president and CEO. He replaces Bill Scotting. Wandke joined the company in January 2011 as chief commercial officer of and is a member of the Group Management Committee.
Asante Gold Corp. appointed Bashir Ahmed a director and vice president of production and development for the Kubi Gold project in Ghana. Ahmed, a Ghanaian national, is a mining engineer with more than 30 years of experience in mine operations, planning, production and management. This wealth of expertise gained him the position as mine manager at Obuasi.
Corvus Gold announced it has consolidated the CEO and president positions, which will be held by founder and current CEO Jeff Pontius. This consolidation results in the departure of current President Russell Myers. Mark Reischman, Nevada exploration manager, will continue to lead the North Bullfrog exploration program.
IC Potash Corp . appointed Kay Randall “Randy” Foote as president and CEO. The company also announced that Sidney Himmel, who has been with the company since June 2006, most recently as president and CEO, has stepped down.
North River Resources appointed James Beams as an executive director. He joined the company in January and will assume the role of CEO.
Dassault Systèmes announced that Raoul Jacquand has been named CEO of its GEOVIA brand. Jacquand replaces Rick Moignard, who has retired. Prior to joining the company, he was executive vice president, geomarkets sales and marketing, at CGG.
