Goldcorp and Xstrata Queensland ("Xstrata") sign a letter of intent (LOI) with Yamana Gold (Yamana) in which Minera Alumbrera (MAA) will have an option with respect to acquisition of Yamana's Agua Rica project in Alumbrera mine in the Catamarca province, northwest Argentina.
By Joel Scanlon
9 Mar 2011
Metalline Mining Company ("Metalline") has begun a drilling program and airborne geophysical survey at Sierra Mojada project in Coahuila, Mexico.
Eagle Plains Resources executes letter of intent (LOI) with Minerals and Metals Group (“MMG”) through which MMG has the option to buy 60% interest in Eagle Plains' Findlay, Greenland Creek properties (the “Project”) in south-eastern B.C.
New Millennium Capital Corp. of Canada and Tata Steel Ltd. of India have decided to develop the large scale iron ore reserves in Labrador and Quebec. This is the latest bid by a global steel making company on Canada’s resources to secure raw material for manufacturing steel.
By Joel Scanlon
8 Mar 2011
Capstone Mining is ready to spend Canadian $1 billion to acquire new copper assets as it wishes to double its copper output. The Vice President of the company Brad Mercer said on Monday that the company was scouting for new acquisitions to increase its size and scale of copper production.
Resolute Mining (ASX:RSG) hopes to increase its gold output to 450,000 ounces by 2012. As its current assets are 'maxed out' so the company is looking forward to new acquisitions to enhance its gold production. The Chief Executive Officer of Resolute Mining, Peter Sullivan was speaking in an interview before the Prospectors and Developers Conference in Toronto.
The Fraser Institute has released its latest Survey of Mining Companies last week. This international survey is conducted annually by the Toronto based institute. It assesses the attractiveness of a particular region to mine investors and operators. The ranking of South Africa fell this year amongst the 79 major mining regions to position 67.
By Joel Scanlon
8 Mar 2011
The Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) brought together the who’s who of the mining fraternity at the world’s largest mining convention as over 22,000 delegates attended the event. PDAC executive director Tony Andrews said that mining was a cyclic business and that it was currently on a major upswing thanks to the rise in commodity prices.
By Joel Scanlon
7 Mar 2011
The Premier of New South Wales Kristina Keneally is on a road trip in Hunter Valley gathering votes in what was once a Labor stronghold. In Newcastle she said that the new state based tax on mining profits being proposed by the Shadow Treasurer Mike Baird would result in a loss of jobs.
By Joel Scanlon
7 Mar 2011
The Australian Treasury Secretary Ken Henry gave his final speech on March 4 in which he said that the main obstacle to economic reforms was complacency. He added that the hardest part of his job had been to encourage the nation to make tough decisions.
By Joel Scanlon
7 Mar 2011
The African National Congress Youth League President hopes to gain 60% of the Anglo American mining company in South Africa. Julius Malema said that what Anglo American did with the other 40% was their own business at a gala dinner on Friday in Nelspruit. He also responded to the query about nationalization of mines in the nation by saying that it would happen in his lifetime.
A $600 million coal mine has been rejected by the New South Wales government. The South Korean state owned mining firm Kores hoped to get the permits for a mine in a key Central Coast electorate. However their plans of extracting 5 million tonnes of coal annually from Wallarah mine near Wyong may now come to nothing.
By Joel Scanlon
7 Mar 2011
David Peever, the managing director of Rio Tinto in Australia, has decried the proposed carbon tax as potentially disastrous. He said that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) of Kevin Rudd was not an appropriate starting point for discussions in 2011 as he apprised the Julia Gillard government on the demand for more generous compensation and industry protection.
A decision of a South African court to allow miners suffering from lung disease to sue their employers may spell millions of dollars in damages to the mining industry. A recent ruling of the Supreme Court ordered a mining firm in Johannesburg to pay compensation to the family of a dead miner. This overturns a law which prohibited mine workers with lung diseases from claiming compensation.
By Joel Scanlon
7 Mar 2011
De Beers has spent $43.4 million in 2010 exploring for diamonds. The company, of which Anglo American owns 45%, produces more than one third of the world’s rough diamonds is looking for new resources to expand output and replace old mines. It had spent $44.8 million on exploration purposes in 2009.