31/07/09
BHP Billiton moves away from annual contracts
BHP Billiton is bringing change to the iron-ore pricing system with its announcement this week that it will sell 30% of its Australian iron ore on a mix of quarterly negotiated pricing, the spot market and index-based pricing, rather than an annual benchmark price. Full story...Zhonghui secures Zambian copper for US$3.6 billion
A Chinese firm has agreed to invest as much as US$3.6 billion to develop copper projects in Zambia, allaying earlier concerns that the dominant metals consumer was shying away from investing in Africa Full story...Freeport workers face charges for shootings
Two Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc employees have been implicated in the recent spate of shootings near the company’s massive Grasberg mine in Papua, Indonesia, it has been revealed Full story...Protestors take Pebble fight to court
Residents of Bristol Bay in Alaska have stepped up their efforts to prevent the development of the Pebble project a 50:50 joint-venture between Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd and Anglo American plc, and have filed a civil law suit against the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Full story...Health and safety move up the agenda
Employee health and safety is increasing being recognised as a key driver of production and profitability, says Mike McWilliams, chief of the exploration and mining division at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Full story...Kamoto joint venture signed
KATANGA Mining Ltd has signed the definitive joint-venture agreement for the Kamoto copper project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with state-owned mining company Gécamines. Full story...
Production and Markets
BHP Billiton moves away from annual contracts
BHP Billiton is bringing change to the iron-ore pricing system with its announcement this week that it will sell 30% of its Australian iron ore on a mix of quarterly negotiated pricing, the spot market and index-based pricing, rather than an annual benchmark price. Full story...
Zhonghui secures Zambian copper for US$3.6 billion
A Chinese firm has agreed to invest as much as US$3.6 billion to develop copper projects in Zambia, allaying earlier concerns that the dominant metals consumer was shying away from investing in Africa Full story...Minmetals investigating Avebury re-opening
China Minmetals Corp is studying the potential to re-open the closed Avebury nickel mine in Tasmania, part of a portfolio of mining assets acquired from Oz Minerals Ltd in June. Full story...Zimbabwe drops ownership bill
Zimbabwe’s new coalition government has withdrawn a controversial bill from parliament, which would have seen foreign companies forego a 51% interest in their mines to local parties Full story...BHPB to expand NSW coal mine and port
BHP Billiton will increase open-pit output at its Mt Arthur thermal-coal mine in New South Wales from 11.5Mt/y to 15Mt/y, at a cost of US$260 million Full story...Angloplat bites bullet on closures and funding
ANGLO Platinum Ltd, having recorded a 95% drop in headline earnings, has “bitten the bullet”, analysts said, and finally made plans to put some of its highest-cost operations on hold. Full story...Freeport workers face charges for shootings
Two Freeport McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc employees have been implicated in the recent spate of shootings near the company’s massive Grasberg mine in Papua, Indonesia, it has been revealed Full story...Health and safety move up the agenda
Employee health and safety is increasing being recognised as a key driver of production and profitability, says Mike McWilliams, chief of the exploration and mining division at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Full story...Doe Run deadlock
Renco Group Ltd Inc and the Peruvian government are at loggerheads over the future of the Doe Run smelter, with the owners announcing this week that the government is not willing to reach an accord Full story...Minor metals variability continues
The inconsistency of the various minor metal markets continued throughout July. Full story...Chamber, unions reach wage deal
Strikes have been averted in South Africa as the Chamber of Mines (CoM) and mineworkers unions have this week reached an agreement over wage increases Full story...De Beers increasing production as conditions improve
De Beers will continue to increase output during the remainder of 2009 after cutting production by 91% during the first three months of the year. Full story...Xstrata ups production
Xstrata plc plans to reduce jobs at two of its coking-coal mines in Australia, and has announced June half year increases in the production of copper, thermal coal, mined nickel and zinc compared with the same period in 2008 Full story...Mongolia puts Boroo back on track, partially
Mongolia’s Minerals Resources Authority has issued a decree reinstating the mining licence for Centerra Gold Inc’s Boroo gold mine, although a suspension for the heap leach facility remains in place Full story...Harmony fatality
A worker at Harmony Gold Mining Co Ltd’s Evander 2 shaft in Mpumalanga, South Africa, died following a fall-of-ground accident a week ago Full story...Strikers prolong Sudbury shutdown
CONTINUING industrial action at Vale SA’s Sudbury nickel operations in Canada has forced the complex to remain shut despite earlier indications that it would open this week following an eight-week planned shutdown. Full story...Silver Lake extensions
Silver Lake Resources Ltd said recent drilling has potentially identified three new ore sources near its Daisy Milano gold mine in Western Australia Full story...Exploration & Development
Anglogold progresses Tropicana to feasibility
ANGLOGOLD Ashanti Ltd and its joint-venture partner Independence Group NL said they will proceed with a feasibility study at the Tropicana gold project in Western Australia following completion of a prefeasibility study at the project. Full story...
Randalls a 75,000oz/y operation for Integra
A feasibility study of Integra Mining Ltd’s Randalls gold project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia has outlined the potential for a 75,000oz/y mining operation Full story...Chinese to invest US$3.6 billion in Zambia
A Chinese firm has agreed to invest as much as US$3.6 billion to develop copper projects in Zambia, allaying earlier concerns that the dominant metals consumer was shying away from investing in Africa Full story...New board drives Duketon revision
A REVIEW of the Duketon gold project in Western Australia has been completed, reducing capital costs and throughput. Full story...Ramu construction halted
Construction of the Ramu nickel and cobalt project in Papua New Guinea has been halted following an order from the chief inspector of mines. Full story...Protestors take Pebble fight to court
Residents of Bristol Bay in Alaska have stepped up their efforts to prevent the development of the Pebble project a 50:50 joint-venture between Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd and Anglo American plc, and have filed a civil law suit against the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Full story...Bannerman study extended
Bannerman Resources Ltd says it has delayed the release of a preliminary feasibility study on its Etango uranium project in Namibia as it wants to incorporate recent information from favourable test results. Full story...Apollo signs MOU
Apollo Minerals Limited says it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sinom Holdings Co. Ltd, to consider and advise on the cooperative development of Apollo’s Mt Oscar Iron Ore Project by a Chinese partner. Full story...Gindalbie's Karara appeal successful
THE Environment Minister of Western Australia (WA), Donna Faragher, has upheld appeals by Gindalbie Minerals Ltd against recommendations and conditions imposed by WA’s Environmental Protection Agency upon the company’s joint-venture Karara iron-ore project in the state. Full story...FMG finds 1.2Gt at Glacier Valley
An initial inferred resource estimate by Fortescue Metals Group Ltd has outlined 1,230Mt (1.23Gt) of magnetite iron ore at the joint-venture Glacier Valley propeorty in Western Australia. Full story...Hammond Reef up to 5.2Moz of gold
Brett Resources Inc has upgraded the inferred resource at its Hammond Reef gold deposit in Ontario to 5.2Moz, up from an initial 4.8Moz resources outlined in October 2008 Full story...Adriana signs deals for development
Adriana Resources Inc has signed two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with a Chinese steel group to develop the company’s existing iron-ore project in Canada, as well as develop new interests in Brazil Full story...Quadra confident at Sierra Gorda
Paul Blythe, president and chief executive of Quadra Mining Corp, said the company planned to spend US$40 million on prefeasibility and feasibility studies for development of its Sierra Gorda copper-molybdenum project in Chile, after the successful completion of a scoping study. Full story...Paboase South results
Red Back Mining Inc's drilling programme at its Chirano gold mine in Ghana has discovered that it desribed as a significant high-grade extension to the Paboase South deposit. Full story...Turgeon intercpets
Puma Exploration Inc reports persistent copper-zinc mineralisation has been intersected with holes at its Turgeon property in New Brunswick. Full story...Kamoto joint venture signed
KATANGA Mining Ltd has signed the definitive joint-venture agreement for the Kamoto copper project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with state-owned mining company Gécamines. Full story...Pardoo boost
Atlas Iron Ltd has increased iron-ore resources and reserves at its direct-shipping projects in Western Australia’s Pilbara region Full story...Santa Rita costs rise
MIRABELA Nickel Ltd has reassessed the capital cost for its Santa Rita nickel sulphide development in Brazil, raising the total by US$28.1 million to US$462 million. Full story...Kamoto joint venture signed
KATANGA Mining Ltd has signed the definitive joint-venture agreement for the Kamoto copper project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with state-owned mining company Gécamines. Full story...Ayanfuri viability confirmed for Perseus
Perseus Mining Ltd has received the independent feasibility study for development of its Ayanfuri gold project in Ghana. Full story...El Quevar results
Golden Minerals Co's drilling programme at the 65%-owned Quevar silver propoerty in northwest Argentina has returned infill intercepts at the Yaxtche zone. Full story...Svetloye assays
Fortress Minerals Corp reports that the latest six drillholes at the Amy gold-silver prospect, part of its Svetloye property in Russia, have intersected further gold mineralisation. Full story...Wild Cattle Creek assays
Anchor Resources Ltd has received assay results from the first three holes of a resource-expansion drilling programme at its Wild Cattle Creek antimony-tungsten-gold deposit, part of the Bielsdown property in New South Wales. Full story...Silver Lake extensions
Silver Lake Resources Ltd said recent drilling has potentially identified three new ore sources near its Daisy Milano gold mine in Western Australia. Full story...Finance
Strike poised for Apurimac control
STRIKE Resources Ltd has settled all disputes regarding ownership of the Apurimac iron-ore project in Peru Full story...
Randgold taps market for new mines
RANDGOLD Resources plc expects to raise US$325 million to help fund two new gold projects in its pipeline. Full story...ATW funds
ATW Gold Corp has announced a new funding agreement with investment fund Red Kite whereby Red Kite will loan ATW US$50 million to allow the company to develop its gold projects in Western Australia Full story...Dwyka extension
Dwyka Resources Ltd has confirmed that acceptances of its offer for Minerva Resources plc have been received from around 87% of the existing issued ordinary share capital of Minerva, and that it has extended the offer until August 11 Full story...URAS withdraws
URSA Major Minerals Inc has withdrawn its offer for Canadian Arrow Mines Ltd, saying that it has not been able to reach an agreement with Canadian Arrow on certain matters Full story...Grupo Mexico sweetens Asarco offer
Grupo Mexico SAB has tweaked its payment options to creditors of Asarco LLC, in an attempt to win favour for its bid for the company over two competing offers Full story...Northgate and Dioro discussions fail
NORTHGATE Minerals Corp has pulled out of discussions with Western Australian gold producer Dioro NL, as Avoca Resources Ltd, a rival bidder for Dioro, gained 21.61% of the company. Full story...Minera Andes raising
Minera Andes Inc has signed a C$20,025,000 (US$18.5 million) bought-deal financing with a syndicate of underwriters Full story...Selkirk/Imperial merger
Selkirk Metals Corp and Imperial Metals Corp have planned a merger Full story...Fifth Column
Think big and take risks
EIKE Batista has bought 9.5% of Ventana Gold Corp, a junior exploration company that listed in Vancouver as recently as November last year, for about C$40 million (US$36.8 million). Full story...Reports
Czech Republic: mining heart of Europe
Strategically located in central Europe, the Czech Republic has a long mining tradition which has been reformed to modern standards Full story...People and Appointments
Sandstorm appoints VP corporate development
David Awram, a director at Sandstorm Resources Ltd, has been appointed vice president of corporate development. Full story...OZ Minerals appoint Dowd to board
OZ Minerals Ltd has appointed mining engineer, Paul Dowd as a non-executive director. Full story...New non-exec at Bannerman
Ronnie Beevor has been appointed as a non-executive director at Bannerman Resources Ltd as well as the chairman of the company’s audit committee. Full story...Arch Coal names Hartley as CIO
Arch Coal Inc has appointed David Hartley as chief information officer. Full story...New president and CEO at Ventana
Stephen Orr has been appointed as president and chief executive officer of Ventana Gold Corp effective September 1. Full story...Trans-Siberian appoints Khilov as deputy CEO
Dmitry Khilov, managing director of the private equity division of UFG Asset Management, has been appointed as deputy chief executive officer of Trans-Siberian Gold plc. Full story...Harmony, ARM financial director retires
Hannes Meyer has been appointed as the new financial director of Harmony Gold Mining Ltd following the early retirement announcement of Frank Abbott. Full story...Equinox loses chief operating officer
Harry Michael, vice president, operations and chief operating officer of Equinox Minerals Ltd, intends to leave the company effective December 2009. Full story...Journal Team Diary
Randgold no one man band
Mark Bristow, chief executive of Randgold Resources, says his recent 48-day motorcycle trip from Cape Town to Cairo in what turned out to be one of his company’s busiest quarters, proved the depth within the business. Full story...Site Search
Log inIssue: 31/07/09
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