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OceanaGold Studying Underground Mine to Complement Haile Open Pit
OceanaGold has announced the results of a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of a potential underground mining operation at its Haile gold mine in Lancaster County, South Carolina. Open-pit mining operations at Haile are currently nearing startup, with fi rst ore to be delivered to the mill at the end of 2016. “The Haile underground PEA demonstrates the technical viability of an underground operation with strong economics that.... read
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ITH Downsizes Development Plan for Livengood Gold Project
International Tower Hill Mines (ITH) has reported the results of a prefeasibility study (PFS) of an optimized configuration for its Livengood gold project 70 miles northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska. Engineering optimization studies incorporated in the PFS evaluated several scenarios, ultimately selecting a project that will process 52,600 st/d and produce a total of 6.8 million oz of gold over a 23-year mine life. The new Livengood development plan is significantly downsized from a 100,000st/d project considered in a 2013 feasibility study, which.... read more
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Sinkhole Drains Stack Pond at Florida Fertilizer Plant
On September 15, fertilizer producer Mosaic Co. announced that a 45-ft-wide sinkhole had mostly drained a phosphogypsum stack pond into a regional aquifer system which underlies an area of about 100,000 mi2 (260,000 km2) in the southeastern United States. However, the plume was contained to the New Wales facility’s property, near the central Florida city of Mulberry, and the damage.... read
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Study Supports Restart of Aurizona Mine in Brazil
Luna Gold Corp. has reported the results of a prefeasibility study (PFS) of a potential restart of operations at its Aurizona gold mine in northeast Brazil. The mine has been on care and maintenance since August 2015. The PFS mine plan would continue mining in the existing Piaba open pit, deepening the pit and mining harder rock types that will be amenable to treatment in an upgraded processing plant following installation of. . . . read
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Iamgold to Add Resources in Suriname
Iamgold has signed an agreement with the government of Suriname to acquire an interest in the Saramacca property approximately 30 km southwest of the company’s Rosebel gold mine and mill in the country. The terms of the acquisition included an initial payment of $200,000, allowing Rosebel’s exploration team access to the property and to data from previous exploration activity. Provided Iamgold is satisfied. . . . read more
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| AROUND THE
WORLD - Australasia |
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Red River Refurbishing Thalanga Processing Plant
Red River Resources has begun early-stage refurbishment work on the processing plant at its Thalanga zinc redevelopment project in Queensland, Australia. The project is located approximately 60 km west of Charters Towers in central Queensland and 200 km southwest of the port of Townsville. The plant has been on care and maintenance since 2012. Red River acquired the project from Kagara Ltd., which was . . . . read
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Clean TeQ Considering NSW Scandium
Clean TeQ Holdings reported that a feasibility study of its Syerston scandium project 370 km west of Sydney, New South Wales, indicates the potential to produce 49.2 mt/y of scandium oxide (Sc2O3) over an initial mine life of 20 years. The current global supply of Sc2O3 is 10 to 15 mt/y at prices ranging from $2,000 to $3,000/kg. Steady-state cash operating costs for the Syerston project are estimated at $444/kg. Clean TeQ anticipates that wider availability. . . . read
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Nevsun Ships First Zinc Concentrate From Bisha
Nevsun Resources sold and shipped the first zinc concentrate from its Bisha mine in Eritrea in early September. The 10,000-metric-ton (mt) lot was loaded at the Port of Massawa and sailed on September 7. The concentrate was sold on the spot market, attracting multiple offers and highly competitive treatment charges, according to the company. Nevsun completed construction of the new zinc concentrator at Bisha operations and began commissioning. . . .
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Ivanhoe Supplying Hydropower to DRC Grid
An Ivanhoe Mines project to upgrade power supply to the national grid in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) began supplying an initial 11 MW from the Mwadingusha hydropower plant in mid-September. Work at Mwadingusha is part of a program planned to eventually overhaul and boost output from three hydropower plants— Koni and Nzilo 1 in addition to Mwadingusha. The program is being conducted by Ivanhoe Mines…. read
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Alacer Contemplates 2-Stage Development for Gediktepe
Alacer Gold has reported positive results for a prefeasibility study of its 50% owned Gediktepe polymetallic project 190 km south of Istanbul, Turkey. Alacer will own Gediktepe on a 50/50 basis with its joint-venture partner, Lidya Mining, upon completion of a claw-back right exercised by Alacer. Lidya Mining is the operator. Gediktepe is a polymetallic orebody that contains economic values for gold, silver, copper, and zinc. A sulphide deposit overlain by oxide ore. . . . read more
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Philippine Audit Suggests Suspension for 20 Mines
Almost 75% of the mining industry in the Philippines has been found deficient after an environmental audit, with 20 mines recommended for suspension unless they can respond to shortcomings within days. If the additional mines recommended for suspension are halted, it would bring to 30 the number closed, 18 of them nickel producers. Most of the operations cited are nickel mines. Environment Undersecretary Leo Jasareno told reporters at a briefing in Manila that the nickel mines already closed, together with. . . .
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Universal Commissions Second Mine in South Africa
Universal Coal announced that the first phase of its New Clydesdale Colliery (NCC) has been successfully commissioned. In 2014, the company opened the 2.8-million-metric-ton-per-year (mt/y) Kangala coal mine. The second mine positions Universal as multimine coal operator producing both domestic and export coal for South Africa. IchorCoal NV holds a 30% interest in Universal. Located in the Witbank basin, NCC. . . . read more
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Arch Emerges From Chapter 11
After eight months, Arch Coal has completed its financial restructuring and has emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The producer has claimed $300 million of cash on its balance sheet as it begins again, along with debt of $363 million, consisting of a new term loan and capital leases. Officials noted that its total debt is only 7% of what it was pre-restructure. Arch, which continued to operate throughout the bankruptcy process, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange once again October 5 under the ticker symbol ARCH. “This marks the beginning of a new era for Arch Coal. . . . read more
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Ramaco’s Brook Operation Moving Forward
The Wyoming Environmental Quality Council (EQC) has voted unanimously to permit Kentucky-based Ramaco to develop its Brook mine north of Sheridan, Wyoming, despite objections to the plan. Company CEO Randall Atkins told the Associated Press that the mine should begin production early next year and that it will be moving quickly with the remainder of Brook mine’s permitting. “We’re very pleased that the EQC agreed with our conclusions there were not any substantial damages to the surface owners,” he said. The planned operation has met some pushback from landowners. . . . read
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Barrick Gold Corp. appointed George Bee as senior vice president for Lama and Frontera district development. After leaving Barrick, he became president and CEO of Andina Minerals, before moving on to become CEO at Jaguar Mining. Mark Hill was also appointed as chief investment officer. He will join the company’s Executive Committee, as well as its Growth Group, and will oversee an evaluations team, who will independently scrutinize proposed expenditures before they go to the Investment Committee. He rejoins Barrick after four years at Waterton Global Resource Management, where he is currently a partner and head of mining. 
McEwen Mining Inc. appointed Xavier Ochoa as COO. He replaces COO William Faust . Ochoa joins McEwen having previously held senior executive positions with other multinational mining companies. Most recently, he held the position of mine general manager at Goldcorp’s Cerro Negro operation in Santa Cruz, Argentina.
Anglo American appointed Stephen Pearce as finance director, following René Médori’s decision to retire. Pearce will join Anglo American and its Group Management Committee on January 30, prior to joining the board as an executive director and taking over as finance director on April 24. Pearce has been CFO of Fortescue Metals Group Ltd. since 2010.
Dominion Diamond Corp. appointed Matthew Quinlan as CFO. Most recently, Quinlan was managing director and co-head of global mining investment banking at CIBC World Markets.
Vena Resources Inc. appointed Bill Williams, a recently elected director, as CEO. Martin Walter will continue in the position of president. Williams is a former CEO and president of Orvana Minerals Corp.
David Massola has rejoined Fortune Minerals as vice president of finance and CFO.
Wellgreen Platinum Ltd. Goldgroup Mining Inc. appointed Anthony Balic as the CFO and corporate secretary. Sam Wong, the previous CFO and corporate secretary, will take on the position of director of finance during a transition period. Balic was previously the director of finance of Goldgroup.
Paul Neufeld , joined Gensource Potash Corp. as a project manager with overall responsibility for executing the feasibility study for the first small-scale project at the company’s Vanguard area.
