| AROUND THE
WORLD - USA & CANADA |
|
|
|
McClean Lake Approved to Increase U3O8 Production
Areva Resources Canada has obtained approval from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission to increase U3O8 production at the McClean Lake mill in northern Saskatchewan from 13 million to 24 million lb/y. The mill is owned by Areva (70%), Denison Mines (22.5%), and OURD Canada (7.5%). Areva is the operator. Since 2013, the mill has been through an upgrade and expansion.... read
more |
|
|
Stornoway Commissioning Renard Processing Plant
Stornoway Diamond Corp. began commissioning the processing plant at its Renard diamond project in the James Bay region of north-central Quebec in late June. The commissioning process is expected to take several weeks and will include operation of the plant’s crushers, vibrating screens, conveyors, pumps, diamond recovery circuits, and processed kimberlite management systems, first with water and then with ore. First ore is scheduled to be delivered to the plant at the end of September, and commercial production.... read more
Top
|
|
|
Energy Fuels Buys Mesteña Uranium
Energy Fuels has acquired Mesteña Uranium and its Alta Mesa in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium production facility in Brooks and Jim Hogg counties, south Texas. Alta Mesa operations are currently on standby but could be ramped up to commercial production levels within approximately six months of a positive production decision by Energy Fuels, with only minimal capital requirements. The all-share transaction valued Mesteña at about $11.4 million. The transaction includes a land package of 195,501 contiguous acres, including 4,575 acres.... read
more
|
|
|
| AROUND THE
WORLD - Latin America |
|
|
|
NGEx Plans to Spin Out Filo del Sol
NGEx Resources has announced plans to spin out its cross-border Chile-Argentina Filo del Sol property into a wholly owned subsidiary to be called Filo Mining Corp. NGEx will retain and focus on advancing its 60% owned, cross-border Constellation project, which is developing the Los Helados property in Chile and the Josemaría property in Argentina. Filo del Sol is adjacent to these two properties. NGEx shareholders will be entitled to receive one common. . . . read
more |
|
|
Avino Attains Production at Namesake Mexico Property
Avino Silver & Gold Mines reported that it has reached commercial production at a second mine—the Avino mine—on its Avino silver-gold-copper property in Durango state, Mexico. The company has operated the 250-mt/d San Gonzalo mine on the property since 2012. The two mines feed a conventional flotation mill that has three separate circuits and a capacity of 1,500 mt/d. Commercial production was declared at the Avino mine following a 19-month test period that established mineral recoveries at, or above. . . . read more
|
|
|
|
| AROUND THE
WORLD - Australasia |
|
|
|
Sandfire Commissions Massive Solar Power Facility in WA
Sandfire Resources announced that the new solar power facility at its DeGrussa copper-gold mine in Western Australia has achieved full generation capacity after successfully attaining key milestones during commissioning. The facility is currently generating approximately 7 megawatts (MW) of power, which is in line with seasonal expectations. Solar generating . . . . read
more
Top
|
|
|
Mincor Advancing Kambalda District Gold Strategy
Mincor Resources reported progress on a gold-development strategy initiated in early 2016 on properties it holds south of Kambalda, Western Australia. Mincor is better known as a nickel miner but suspended production at its two Kambalda district nickel mines and placed them on care and maintenance in January due to low nickel prices. Mincor is currently investigating the potential for developing relatively small, near-surface gold mining operations on these properties, and in early June reported that its gold mineral resource inventory. . . . read
more
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Nevsun Adds Zinc Concentrator at Bisha
Nevsun Resources has completed construction of the new zinc concentrator at its Bisha operations in Eritrea and began commissioning the plant in early June. The company has previously produced copper concentrates from the Bisha deposit’s copper-enriched supergene zone, which overlies a primary sulphide zone containing both zinc and copper. The new zinc fl otation plant adds to existing copper flotation, and Nevsun now expects to produce both zinc and copper concentrates. . . .
read
more
Top
|
|
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
more
|
|
|
| |
Finders Strips First Copper at Expanded Wetar Operations
Finders Resources announced in mid-June that it has plated and stripped the first copper at the recently commissioned, 25,000-metric-ton-per-year (mt/y) copper cathode solvent extraction/ electrowinning (SX-EW) plant at its Wetar copper project on Wetar Island, Indonesia. Production from the new plant will add to production of an already-operating, 3,000-mt/y SX/EW plant at the project, increasing project capacity to 28,000 mt/y of cathode copper. Mine life is estimated at. . . . read more
Top
|
|
|
|
Oyu Tolgoi Moves Toward Restart of Underground Mine Development
Turquoise Hill Resources reported in early June that Oyu Tolgoi LLC has drawn down approximately $4 billion of a project finance facility signed in December 2015 for development of block cave underground mining at the Oyu Tolgoi copper- gold-silver mining complex in southern Mongolia. The boards of Oyu Tolgoi LLC, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto approved the restart of underground development at Oyu Tolgoi in early May The project finance facility is being provided by a syndicate. . . .
read more
|
|
|
|
| |
SUEK’s Daltransugol Hits Milestone
Russia’s largest coal terminal, SUEK’s Daltransugol in the Khabarovsk Territory, announced July 1 it had achieved a record of 10 million metric tons (mt) of coal handled since the beginning of the year. Officials cited terminal equipment updates for the positive results, as well as the introduction of new high-efficiency technology. Daltransugol, the largest sea coal terminal in the Far East transshipping. . . . read more
|
|
|
|
MEC to Lay Off Up to 4,400 Workers
Ohio, USA-based Murray Energy Corp. (MEC) confirmed just hours before the start of the Independence Day holiday weekend that it has issued potential layoff notices to its workforce in six states, stating that up to 4,400 miners—about 80% of its total front-line payroll—could be without a job by September. The cuts are expected to be taken in Ohio as well as Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois and Utah. Officials did not indicate which specific mines could see cuts, or the number of impacted workers. . . . read more
Top
|
|
|
|
Alpha Turns Coal Reserves Over to Environmentalists
In the midst of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, Alpha Natural Resources has donated more than 53 million tons of reserves in Pennsylvania to a collection of environmental groups including the Sierra Club and will also pay millions for site restoration in Appalachia. The turnover is part of a settlement the producer agreed to with it and the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition and Appalachian Mountain Advocates. The reserves in Westmoreland. . . . read
more |
|
|
|
Anglo American appointed Bruce Cleaver as CEO of the De Beers Group following Philippe Mellier’s decision to step down after five years. Duncan Wanblad, CEO of Anglo American’s Base Metals business, will add the Strategy & Business Development portfolio of Anglo American to his responsibilities. Cleaver served as De Beers’ executive director responsible for strategy and commercial relationships until 2015, and served as co-acting CEO for a year prior to Mellier’s appointment. 
Kirkland Lake Gold Inc. announced that George Ogilvie has resigned and has appointed Anthony (Tony) P. Makuch as CEO. Most recently, he was president of Canadian Operations, Tahoe Resources Inc. Following Makuch’s departure, Ron Clayton, Tahoe’s president and COO, will assume day-to-day management of the Lake Shore Gold Division. Makuch joined Tahoe in April following the acquisition of Lake Shore Gold, where he had served as president and CEO.
Monarques Gold Corp. announced that Donald Trudel has been appointed chief geologist for the Croinor gold project. Most recently, Trudel was a senior reserve and resource estimation geologist in West Africa..
Magellan Gold Corp. appointed W. Pierce Carson as president and CEO and a member of the board of directors. Previously, he was president of Gulf & Western Industries Inc. John C. Power, formerly president of Magellan, will continue in the roles of CFO and director.
Pilbara Minerals Ltd. appointed corporate finance executive Brian Lynn as the CFO. Most recently, he was CFO at Atlas Iron.
LeadFX Inc. announced that Robert Scargill, the current managing director of LeadFX, has been appointed as president and CEO. The former president and CEO, Wayne Richardson, is stepping down to focus on the development of Enirgi Group’s projects, LeadFX’s affiliate, but will continue to serve as a member of the LeadFX board..
Wellgreen Platinum Ltd. announced that Diane R. Garrett has joined the company as president and CEO and a member of the board of directors. Most recently, Garrett was president, CEO and director of Romarco Minerals Inc.
Dr. Daniel Kontak , full professor in the department of earth sciences at Laurentian University, has been named the 2016 winner of the Duncan R. Derry Medal, awarded by the Geological Association of Canada. The medal is awarded annually by the association’s mineral deposits division to the outstanding economic geologist who has made significant contributions to the science of economic geology in Canada.
