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IOC Restarts Expansion Program
Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) reported on May 6, 2010, it had received approval from its shareholders to resume a C$435-million expansion program to increase its concentrate capacity by 4 million mt/y to 22 million mt/y by 2012. The investment is the first stage of a three-stage expansion program that could increase IOC’s concentrate capacity to 26 million mt/y. Initially approved in March 2008, the expansion program was suspended later that year as the global financial crisis impacted markets worldwide..... read
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Teck Proceeding with Aqqaluk Development
Teck Resources reports that Teck Alaska is proceeding with development of the Aqqaluk deposit at its Red Dog mine in northwest Alaska. The go-ahead decision followed discussions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concerning the status of the renewal of Red Dog’s main water discharge permit and an internal review of Teck’s operating plans for the deposit. Teck had previously announced in mid-February 2010 that.... read more
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Consolidated Thompson to Double Bloom Lake Production
Consolidated Thompson Iron Mines announced in mid-May 2010 receipt of a positive feasibility study for an increase in production capacity at its Bloom Lake iron mine in Quebec, Canada, from 8 million to 16 million mt/y of 66.5% Fe concentrate. Consolidated Thompson started production at Bloom Lake during the first quarter of 2010, and deliveries under previously signed off-take agreements were scheduled to begin in June. Based on the results of the feasibility study, Thompson’s board of directors has approved .... read
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Barrick Reports Progress at Three Latin American Projects
In its first-quarter 2010 report, Barrick Gold provided the following updates on its Pueblo Viejo, Pascua-Lama and Cerro Casale gold development projects. The Pueblo Viejo project in the Dominican Republic is advancing on schedule and in line with its $3-billion pre-production capital budget (100% basis), with overall construction nearly 20% complete and initial production anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2011. At the end of the first quarter, approximately two-thirds of the capital had been…… read
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Expomin Attracts 65,000
Expomin, a biennial event regarded as Latin America’s largest mining equipment exposition, was held in mid-April this year. More than 65,000 visitors attended the five-day trade show and conference to view the latest miningrelated products, consult with 1,200 exhibitors from 36 countries spread over an exhibit area of more than 65,000 m2, and listen to technical…. read more
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| AROUND THE
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Flying Fox Takes Off to Meet 2011 Nickel Production Target
One of the highest grade nickel deposits— and one of the lowest cost nickel mines in the world—at Forrestania, about 400 km east of Perth, Western Australia, is on track to meet a production target of 25,000 mt/y nickel next year. The project is 100% owned by Western Areas NL, an Australian-based nickel sulphide explorer and producer. Western Areas plans to develop five mines at the project from 2011, for a targeted production of about 35,000 mt/y nickel. The total mineral resources at Flying Fox…. read
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Proposed Australian Mining Tax Draws Heavy Fire
The Australian government’s proposed new tax on Australian mines and mining companies announced in early May 2010 drew continuous and heavy fire from all sectors of the nation’s mining industry and leading opposition political leaders during the two weeks following the announcement. Government spokespeople called the industry response a "scare campaign" but did not offer coherent responses to the specifics of industry criticism. On May 21, BHP Billiton reported that its representatives had met with the Resource Tax Consultation Panel…. read
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Ivanhoe Releases Updated Oyu Tolgoi Development Plan
Ivanhoe Mines has released a new, independent integrated development plan (IDP-10) for the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold project in southern Mongolia that includes two complementary development scenarios. A reserve case is based only on current proven and probable reserves, which would sustain mining for 27 years. A life-of-mine sensitivity case is based on reserves plus inferred resources and projects a mine….
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Kazakhmys, Jinchuan Sign MoU for Copper JV
Kazakh copper producer Kazakhmys and China’s Jinchuan Group have signed a memorandum of understanding that contemplates formation of a joint venture to develop Kazakhmys’ large Aktogay open-pit copper project in eastern Kazakhstan. The project is expected to produce 100,000 mt/y of copper in concentrate over a mine life of approximately 40 years. Subject to completion of an investment agreement and regulatory and other approvals, Jinchuan will purchase a 49% stake in the project for $120 million, payable in cash .…. read
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Vale Acquires Guinea Iron Ore Interest
Vale announced on April 30, 2010, it will pay $2.5 billion for a 51% interest in BSG Resources (Guinea) Ltd. (BSGR), which holds iron ore concessions in southeast Guinea. The concessions include properties that at one time formed part of Rio Tinto’s Simandou concessions but that were repossessed by the government in 2008 and sold to BSGR, a company controlled by Israeli diamond trader Beny Steinmetz. Rio Tinto has signed a memorandum of understanding …. read more
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Iamgold Advances Start-Up Date for Essakane
Iamgold reported on May 3, 2010, it expects to begin processing ore through the mill at its new Essakane gold mine in northeast Burkina Faso in June, four to six weeks ahead of the previously announced production schedule and five to six months earlier than the originally projected start-up date of year-end 2010.The operation is expected to produce more than 500,000 oz of gold from start-up through……
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Explosion Kills 66 Coal Miners in Siberia - Twin methane gas explosions claimed 66 lives and injured 129 at the Raspadskaya longwall mine in Siberia—the largest underground coal mine in Russia. The remains of another 24 miners have not been recovered. After being berated by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on national television, the mine’s director, Igor Volkov, was ousted. A special investigation committee formally charged Volkov with criminal negligence. He faces up to seven years in prison if convicted …. read more
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Chinese Coal Output Continues to Climb - According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China coal output grew 28.1% year-on-year to more than 751 million metric tons (mt) in the first quarter. Xinhua Online reported the increase indicates China has built up a large coal production capacity after a rapid growth in fixed asset investment for coal. The report estimates China total coal production capacity…. read more
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Newcastle Opens New Coal Export Terminal
- A third coal export terminal has opened in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, maintaining the city’s position as the No.1 coal port in the world. The new terminal opened three years after owner Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) won the right to construct and operate a third loader in the port. The Stage 1 terminal cost more than US$1 billion and can handle up to 30 million mt/y. Aurecon Hatch completed the pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, detailed design, engineering …. read
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Mechel Announces Progress at Elga
- Mechel OAO in making progress on developing the Elga coking coal deposit. At the beginning of February, two heavy machinery convoys had already reached the Upper Ulak railway construction site (Amur Region). The equipment will be used to develop the Elga coking coal deposit. There will be five equipment and machinery convoys in total. They are expected to deliver all necessary equipment and materials to start.…... read more
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China Becomes Net Importer, Mine Fatalities Drop
- According to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), in 2009, China imported 126 million metric tons (mt) of coal and exported 22.4 million mt, which creates a net import of 103 million mt coal for the first time. The NEA said low coal prices made imports more affordable for power plants serving China’s south coastal cities. Moreover China’s economy recovers and so does coal demand. Meanwhile, China’s State.…... read more
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Alcoa has appointed Klaus Kleinfeld chairman and CEO. He succeeds Alain Belda, who previously announced his plans to retire.
SRK Consulting recently opened an office in Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Heading up the Lubumbashi office will be Congolese Mining Engineer Susa Maleba
The School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa has appointed Professor Nielen van der Merwe as the Centennial Chair of rock engineering. Professor van der Merwe has a lifetime's experience in the mining industry, starting in deep level gold mining with Goldfields and Gencor for the first decade of his career. He then branched into coal as the founder of the rock mechanics department in Gencor's coal division, TransNatal, before becoming Gencor's assistant group rock mechanics engineer. Service with Sasol Coal and CSIR Mining Technology preceded his move into university academia, when he became head of the mining engineering department at the University of Pretoria in 2001. He takes over the Wits Centennial Chair from Professor Dick Stacey. 
Marston has promoted Dale Halley to vice president of engineering services for the company's Denver office. The company also named Carl Fessenden a consulting engineer.
Frederick (Rick) W. Firlotte , principal and past-global president and CEO of Golder Associates Corp., recently passed away. Born in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, Firlotte joined Golder's London, Ontario, office in 1978, shortly after obtaining a Master's degree in geotechnical engineering from McGill University (Montréal). In addition to working as a geotechnical engineer, his career included a number of leadership roles. In 1989, he established the Montréal office. He oversaw Golder's Canadian operations from 1996 until 1999, when he was appointed president of the global company. Firlotte served as president of Golder's global operations from 1999 to mid-2009, a time of tremendous growth and change for the company.
Joy Global Inc. announced that Eric Nielsen has been appointed executive vice president of business development with primary responsibilities for strategic planning and acquisitions
Marston has promoted Dale Halley to vice president of engineering services for the company's Denver office. The company also named Carl Fessenden a consulting engineer.
