Mining and Exploration

London-based engineering and project management company AMEC has been awarded the front-end engineering and design contract for development of the Cygnus field in the southern North Sea.

The £50 million contract, which was awarded by GDF SUEZ E&P UK, is a front-end engineering & design (FEED) contract, which includes the option to proceed into detailed design and procurement services.

BHP Billiton has completed its acquisition of the HWE Mining subsidiaries which provide contract mining services to its Western Australia Iron Ore operations.

The acquisition from Leighton Holdings follows a previously announced Heads of Agreement signed on 9 August 2011, relating to the mining equipment and related assets that service the Area C, Yandi and Orebody 23/25 operations which collectively account for almost 70 per cent of Western Australia Iron Ore’s total material movement.

North Atlantic Potash Inc., the Canadian subsidiary of JSC Acron, today completed the sale of eight of its potash permitted areas to Yancoal Canada Resources Co. Ltd. of China for CAD$110 million.

This sale relates to North Atlantic Potash's potash permit holdings located north of Regina, and allows the company to focus on key areas of interest within its remaining potash permits in Saskatchewan.

Tronox Incorporated and Exxaro Resources Limited today announced a definitive agreement under which Tronox will acquire Exxaro's mineral sands operations in exchange for a 38.5 per cent equity stake in Tronox.

Exxaro is a South African-based resources group with a variety of interests, including iron ore and coal. Its mineral sands operations produce the key titanium bearing ore feedstock used in the production of titanium dioxide pigment - an inorganic white pigment used in paint, coatings, plastics, paper and many other everyday products.

Ireland’s PetroNeft Resources has announced the discovery of an additional oil field within its licence at North Varyakhskaya, Russia.

The field is the seventh to be discovered in Licence 61, which is situated at Tomsk Oblast in south-western Siberia.

Tungolsky Licence 61, acquired by the company in May 2005, is located on the east side of the Ob River in the least explored oil-bearing region in the area. The licence covers 4,991 square kilometres.

Proven plus probable reserves within the licence area are estimated to be 83 million barrels.

African Underground Mining Services (AUMS) is bringing world class Australian deep mining practices to West Africa and proving itself an essential partner to some of the world’s leading gold mining companies.

Rockhopper Exploration has announced further significant oil finds in the North Falkland Basin in the South Atlantic.

The company has encountered more oil during drilling of a fifth well to a total depth of 2,696 metres within its Sea Lion prospect.

Thompson Creek Metals Company Inc, has announced a 9 percent increase in mineral reserves from 286.2 million to 312.2 million pounds of contained molybdenum at its Endako molybdenum mine located near Fraser Lake, British Columbia, extending its mine life by 20 months through 2028.

Created under intense heat and pressure, and delivered to the earth’s surface by volcanic action, diamonds are being mined in the icy reaches of northern Canada. Gay Sutton looks at the development of the Diavik Diamond Mine, the role of the luxury jewelry brand Harry Winston, and the positive legacy it intends to leave for the Aboriginal people.