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Portable Satellite Terminals Connect Remote Regions in Real Time
Filling the gap between the dish and hand-held devices, these units are finding new applications in exploration and operations
By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief
Miners and geologists working in remote locations often become accustomed to quiet, inaccessibility. With resources stretched thin and decisions being made in an instant , however, the ability to connect to the rest of the world is important. Internet and cellular connectivity in some cases might mean a half-day trip to an urban center. If communicating with headquarters was the sole purpose for the trip, the travel downtime could be viewed as a nuisance at best and more likely a complete waste of time……. read
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Vendors Boot Up a New Generation of Mining Software
From complete mine management down to the smallest detail of process or machine design, the latest programs are claimed to process and display data easier, faster and more accurately
By Russell A. Carter, Managing Editor
MINExpo 2008, the huge international mining trade show held September 22–24 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, offered a bonanza of information for attendees interested in the latest loading, haulage and processing "iron" and the services and ancillary machinery needed to support it. However, perhaps not as visually imposing as 400-ton-payload haul trucks and massive excavators—but still highly important to a producer’s bottom line—was a raft of new or improved mining software products introduced at the show that ranged from complete mine management suite upgrades to specialized financial modules...... read
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New Technology Set to Unlock Low-Grade Nordic Mineral Resources
Leading edge technology is bringing mineralization previously regarded as unsuitable for mining to production, extending the lives of existing mines and finding new resources
By Kyran Casteel, European Editor
The regeneration of mining as a significant contributor to the economies of Finland and Sweden continues apace with both local and foreign companies participating. At least one mid-size international mining company, Canada’s First Quantum Minerals, has recently joined the party, taking over the 5-million-mt/y nickel-copper ore open-pit mine development project at Kevitsa in Finland. Another Canadian firm, Gold-Ore Resources, has acquired a 90% stake in the polymetallic Norrliden project from the Lundin subsidiary North Atlantic Natural Resources, having already purchased the Bjorkdal gold mine in the Skellefte mining field in Sweden…...
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Innovation and Improvisation Keep Talvivaara on Track - Development of the Talvivaara Mining Co. (TMC) project, located in the Sotkamo region of eastern Finland and one of the largest known nickel sulphide deposits in Europe, has attracted a great deal of public attention in Finland and elsewhere, for a number of economic and technological reasons…. read more...
AEM Pools Canadian and Finnish Experience in Arctic Lapland - Although it has probably attracted less attention than Talvivaara, the Agnico- Eagle Mines Limited (AEM) Kittilä gold mine is nevertheless a major development for Finland and is also using mineral processing technology new to the country. Furthermore, some commentators expect the operation to be more profitable…. read more...
 Double Act: How Kemi Plans to Underpin Outokumpu’s Ferrochrome Expansion - Managers at the integrated Kemi mine, which supplies the chromium for ferrochrome and stainless steel production at the Outokumpu Tornio Works in Finland, 2008 might have expected 2008 to be a relatively uneventful year. After all, as Jyrki Salmi (manager-mining) and Heikki Pekkarinen (manager-mineral processing) explained last year…. read more...
 Established Miners Seek Economies of Scale - Although the major Nordic mining companies have generally enjoyed profitable operation through the past 12 months, not all the individual mines have performed well. And long-term, a key objective is to contain costs, at least partly by increasing the scale of operations…. read more...
 Mining Technology Suppliers Focus on High Tech Solutions - The major mining technology suppliers headquartered in the Nordic countries deliver a high proportion of their sales to foreign markets. To a considerable extent their success has been based on the advanced technology developed to meet the technical and economic challenges posed by their domestic mining industries…. read more...
 Global Mineral Processing Firms Refine Strategies - The global mineral processing and metallurgical technology suppliers based in the Nordic region continue their efforts to minimize delivery times through worldwide supply chain management, albeit not without difficulty. But they are maintaining investment in new technology development and have also been paying attention to broader business strategies…. read more...
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 The Challenges and Potential for West Africa
Despite the high logistics and operating costs involved, mining is booming in this remote region
By Antonio Ruffini, South Africa-based Editor
With virtual unanimity suppliers of mining services, minerals exploration groups and mine owners admit that operating in West Africa poses its challenges. Ralf Hennecke, general manager of international marketing for South Africa-based explosives company BME, a group that supplies five mines in West Africa, notes that for many, that region is seen as a difficult place to do business. "It is just a bit more extreme than other places," Hennecke said. "The climate, the dust, the heat, the remoteness. And, in particular, West Africa is logistically challenging.".....
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Sterling Mining Suspends Production at Sunshine Mine - During mid-September, Sterling Mining Co. announced it would suspend commercial production activities at the Sunshine mine in Idaho. Since 2003, Sterling Mining staff and employees have been engaged in rehabilitating and resuming production at the Sunshine mine. However, despite resuming production in late 2007, the company said it had encountered a series of unforeseen and unavoidable delays........ 
Braemore Completes Upgrade, PGM Production Increases
- Braemore Resources plc reported that it successfully installed a new 3.2-mw smelter at the Mintek facility in Johannesburg, South Africa. The new facility is capable of processing around 2,000 metric tons per month and producing platinum group metals (PGMs) in an iron-nickel alloy at an annualized rate of up to 70,000 oz per year depending on feed grade. The smelting facility will steadily increase production over the coming weeks to reach these targeted processing rates. Braemore said it had accelerated......
Nord Resources Proceeds with Construction at Johnson Camp
- Nord Resources, which is reactivating copper mining at the Johnson Camp heap leach mine 65 miles east of Tucson, Arizona, has been issued the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality airquality permit required to proceed with construction at the mine. Contractors were mobilizing on site as of mid-August to begin installation of the new crushing and conveying system and other equipment. The company expects to reach full production from new ore in the Spring of 2009 at an estimated rate of 26 million lb/y..... 
Coeur Continues Appeal for Original Kensington Permit
- Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. announced that, due to further substantial delay in the Environmental Assessment process triggered by a federal agency’s recent actions, it has requested the Forest Service to terminate the permitting process for a potential alternative Kensington paste tailings plan. The company continues to pursue its original tailings plan for Kensington, which is pending in the U.S. Supreme Court. A decision on the appeal is expected in the first or second quarter of 2009.... 
Farallon Starting Up G-9 Mine in Mexico - Commissioning of Farallon Resources’ G-9 zinc-copper-lead-silver-gold mine in Guerrero state, Mexico, was progressing as planned as of late August 2008. New equipment, including a third Sandvik jumbo drill, an 8-yd3 Elphinstone loader and four Kenworth trucks, had recently arrived at site, completing the mining fleet needed to meet targeted mine production of 1,500 mt/d. Haulage of concentrates by truck to the port of Manzanillo was scheduled….
Kangaroo Metals to Acquire California Creek Tin Mine - Kangaroo Metals Ltd., a diversified exploration and mining company with projects in North Queensland and Tasmania, has completed its due diligence examination of the California Creek alluvial tin mine and will progress to purchase. The California Creek alluvial mining operation is centrally placed on KML’s current California (EPM14877) and California West (EPM14357) tenements…. 
Cluff Gold Commissions Second West African Mine - Cluff Gold began commissioning the open-pit, heap-leach Kalsaka gold project in Burkina Faso in late August 2008 and expects to have it ramped up to design production capacity of 60,000 oz/y of gold by year-end. Kalsaka is Cluff’s second mine to come into production in West Africa this year. Its 40,000-oz/y Angovia gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire poured its first gold on March 14. The two projects are expected to produce a combined total of 100,000 oz in 2009…. 
Semafo Inaugurates Mana Mine
- Semafo announced that on June 30, 2008, the company hosted the official inauguration of its Mana mine in Burkina Faso. His Excellence Tertius Zongo, Prime Minister of Burkina Faso presided over the ceremony along with Semafo’s President and CEO, Benoit La Salle. Government officials from Burkina Faso and Canada along with members of the media and invited guests attended the event.……
New Inyanda Supports Exxaro’s South African Export Ambitions
- Diversified South African-based resources group Exxaro Resources commissioned its new Inyanda coal mine which is currently ramping-up to produce 1.5 million metric tons per year (mt/y) of A-grade thermal coal for the export market. The open cast mine, situated near Witbank in Mpumalanga, has been developed at a cost of R269 million and is expected to achieve its full production capacity of 1.5 million mt/y in the third quarter of 2008…... 
