| AROUND THE
WORLD - USA & CANADA |
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Silver Standard Acquiring Claude Resources for C$337M
Silver Standard Resources agreed in early March to acquire Claude Resources in a friendly shares-and-cash transaction that valued Claude at about C$337 million. Claude Resources owns and operates the underground Seabee gold complex in northern Saskatchewan. Silver Standard owns and operates the open-pit Marigold gold mine in Nevada and the open-pit...... read
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Pure Gold Initiates PEA at Historic Madsen Mine
Pure Gold Mining has initiated a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of its 100% owned Madsen gold project in Ontario’s Red Lake district. The PEA will provide a base-case assessment of nearterm development opportunities utilizing existing mining infrastructure, including a permitted mill and tailings facility, to develop an existing near-surface mineral resource. "The Madsen gold project is a unique Canadian-based asset with a history of high-grade production, an in-situ highgrade gold resource, mining infrastructure.... read more
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Seabridge Grows its Deep Kerr Gold-Copper Resource
Seabridge Gold has reported an updated mineral resource estimate for the Deep Kerr gold-copper deposit at its 100% owned KSM project in northwest British Columbia, Canada, that increases the deposit’s inferred resource to 1.01 billion metric tons (mt) grading 0.35 g/mt gold and 0.53% copper. Contained metals total 11.3 million oz of gold and 11.8 billion lb of copper. Seabridge discovered Deep Kerr in 2013, and the deposit is adding resources to the already huge KSM project, which currently has proven and probable reserves.... read
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| AROUND THE
WORLD - Latin America |
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Agreement Sets Funding Requirements for Samarco Dam Disaster Recovery
Samarco Mineração and its joint-venture shareholders, Vale and BHP Billiton, signed an agreement in early March with Brazil’s federal government, the Brazilian states of Espirito Santo and Minas Gerais, and certain other public authorities to fund restoration of the environment and communities affected by the disastrous Samarco tailings dam failure that occurred on November 5. The disaster killed 19 people…… read
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Lithium Americas, SQM Announce Chilean JV
Lithium Americas Corp. (formerly Western Lithium USA) announced an agreement with Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. (SQM) to enter into a 50/50 joint venture to develop the Cauchari-Olaroz lithium project in Jujuy, Argentina. The joint venture will go into effect following a contribution of $25 million by SQM in exchange for a 50% ownership stake in Minera Exar S.A., a wholly owned subsidiary of Vancouver, British Columbia- based Lithium Americas. SQM’s contribution includes $15 million to repay …. read more
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| AROUND THE
WORLD - Australasia |
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BHP Billiton Submits Strategic Document for Pilbara Asset Development
In mid-March, BHP Billiton Western Australia Iron Ore (WAIO) submitted a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of its central Pilbara iron ore assets to "contribute to the long-term environmental planning and management of its operations." The SEA, according to the company, is the fi rst of its kind in the Australian mining industry and gives an overview of the regional environmental footprint of all of the company’s current and potential future Pilbara-based iron ore operations. BHP Billiton Western Australia Iron Ore Asset…. read
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Blackham Targeting Third Quarter Startup at Matilda
Blackham Resources has begun refurbishing the Wiluna gold plant on its Matilda gold project in central Western Australia and is targeting a production startup in the third quarter of 2016. The plant has been on care and maintenance since mid-2013. Blackham acquired it in March 2014. Blackham’s plan is to optimize existing plant components and upgrade the free-milling oxide carbon-inpulp circuit to process current resources. The Matilda gold project incorporates more than 780 k 2 of tenements, including previously operated …. read
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Endeavour Acquiring True Gold
Endeavour Mining has agreed to acquire True Gold Mining in a friendly, all-share transaction that values True Gold at about C$226 million. Endeavour is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange and operates four gold mines in West Africa, one each in Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana. True Gold has a 90% interest in the Karma gold mine in Burkina Faso, which was nearing production startup as of late March. Endeavour forecasts its 2016 gold production at between 535,000 and 560,000 ounces….
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Ivanhoe Reports Positive PFS for Kamoa Copper
Ivanhoe Mines has reported positive fi ndings from an independent prefeasibility study (PFS) for the first phase of development of the Kamoa copper project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The project is a joint venture between Ivanhoe and Zijin Mining Group. The Kamoa PFS focused on the initial phase of project development, describing construction and operation of a 3-millionmetric- ton-per-year (mt/y) underground mine, concentrator, and associated infrastructure. The first phase of mining would…. read
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India Set to Auction 12 Copper Reserves in 2016
The Indian government will, for the first time, auction 12 copper reserves over the next year to enable backward integration of the domestic industry. Currently, government-owned and operated Hindustan Copper Ltd. (HCL) is the country’s sole integrated copper producer with its own captive mines. All other producers are dependent on imported copper concentrates for conversion to copper cathodes and rods. According to an offi cial in India’s Ministry of Mines, the government…. read more
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Altech Raises Funds to Advance Malaysian Alumina Plant Design
Western Australia-based Altech Chemicals will use A$1.2 million raised in a placement to fi nalize the detailed design of a proposed high-purity alumina (HPA) plant to be located at Johor, Malaysia. Apart from the design work for the 4,000-mt/y plant, funds will be used for completion of debt fi nancing and for general working capital. The company said the Malaysian plant forms an integral part of its plan to become a significant supplier of 99.99% high-purity alumina—a high-value product that is the critical ingredient required……
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Former Massey Energy CEO Sentenced to Prison
Four months after his conviction and almost six years to the day after the explosion that launched his criminal investigation, ex-Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship has been sentenced in federal court to one year in prison and a $250,000 fi ne. Blankenship’s sentencing hearing was scheduled for 10 a.m. April 6 in Charleston, West Virginia, and reports of the verdict—which was the maximum penalty for his misdemeanor conspiracy conviction—by U.S. District Judge Irene Berger were made public by noon …. read more
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Queensland Approves Carmichael Lease
Queensland State Mines Minister Anthony Lynham has given approval to three mining leases for Adani’s planned Carmichael coal project in Australia’s Galilee Basin. The clearing of the leases is considered a signifi cant step ahead for the project, work for which is projected to begin next year at a cost of $21.7 billion. Carmichael’s formal environmental assessments fi rst began in 2010. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told ABC News Australia that the planned mine and rail complex had been under "extensive government and community…. read more
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Peabody Lays Off PRB Miners
As it continues to consider its next financial move after warning of potential bankruptcy, Peabody Energy confi rmed March 31 that it will cut 235 positions from its payroll at one of the nation’s largest mines, the North Antelope Rochelle (NAR) operation in Wyoming. Offi cials, who cited an alignment of the Powder River Basin (PRB) mine’s workforce with customer needs for the decision, said the impacted employees are both hourly and salaried. While the company did not indicate whether the layoffs would be permanent, it did note…. read
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Rio Tinto Chief Executive Sam Walsh will retire from the business on July 1 and will be succeeded by Copper and Coal Chief Executive Jean-Sèbastien Jacques. To ensure a smooth transition, Jacques, will join the board and become deputy chief executive with immediate effect. During more than three years on Rio Tinto’s executive committee, he has brought greater focus to the copper and the coal businesses. 
Barrick Gold appointed Rob Krcmarov, currently senior vice president, global exploration, to the position of executive vice president, exploration and growth, and will become a member of the executive committee. For the past 10 years, he has led a global team of geoscientists and exploration professionals at Barrick who are responsible for the discovery of a number of the largest gold deposits in recent decades, including Lagunas Norte and Goldrush, in addition to Alturas, an equally promising new discovery in Chile. Barrick also announced that Shaun Usmar, senior executive vice president and CFO, will be leaving Barrick and intends to lead a new venture in Toronto backed by Elliott Management. Catherine Raw, currently executive vice president, business performance, will succeed Usmar as CFO.
AuRico Metals announced that CFO Robert Chausse has resigned to become the CFO of another company.
Stillwater Mining announced that Mick McMullen, president and CEO, has agreed to a new contract that extends McMullen’s employment until December 31, 2018.
Hatch announced that Fred Cummings will now lead the company’s infrastructure division in western North America. Cummings’ previous industry experience includes senior roles with TransLink where he was responsible for infrastructure management and engineering, and as president and general manager, BC Rapid Transit.
Tony Troutman has joined FLSmidthto take on the position of vice president of process technology in the company’s minerals division. His responsibilities will include oversight of all process engineering, process optimization opportunities and leveraging of the capabilities of FLSmidth’s Minerals Testing Center, located in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Alan Berger has been appointed senior vice president, technology, at Volvo Construction Equipmen.
Continental Commercial Specialty Tires has appointed Shawn Rasey as new global business development manager earthmover.
