Mining and Exploration

South African miner Exxaro has made a takeover bid for Australian miner Territory Resources for A$123 million in cash.

Territory has an iron ore operation in Australia’s Northern Territory, with an operating mine at Frances Creek positioned close to rail and port infrastructure serving the port of Darwin. The mine produces approximately 1.6 million tonnes per annum of lump and fine direct shipping ore.

Territory also owns rights to iron ore tenements in the vicinity of Frances Creek.

Lydian International is focusing all its energies on Armenia this year, where its prospects are looking better with each month that passes.

African Rainbow Minerals has recently embarked on another phase of expansion – this time mining a new commodity in a new country. Jayne Alverca takes to the copper trail.

Allan Morrison, Central Asia operations manager of BCM Group, West Africa’s longest established surface mining and civil earthworks contractor, talks to Jayne Alverca about what it takes to become the partner of choice to some of the mining industry’s biggest players.

As development at the South Deep mine in South Africa continues to advance, Gold Fields plans to ramp up production and reach full capacity by 2014. If things go according to plan, South Deep looks set to become one of the world’s most productive gold mines.

Junior exploration company Intex Resources is poised to begin developing what promises to become one of the world’s largest nickel mines, located on one of the poorest islands in the Philippines. CEO Jon Steen Petersen explains how the company has developed a unique mine plan to deliver a minimal environmental footprint and maximum benefit to the local community.

Vale, the world’s second largest mining company, has opened a new coal mine in Moatize, Mozambique.

Activities at the new coal mine in the Tete province have commenced ahead of operations at the processing plant, with production due to start in July.

The $1.658 billion mine will have a production capacity of 11 million tons per year of metallurgical and thermal coal, which will be transported 600 kilometres from Moatize via the Sena railway line to a coal terminal under construction at the Port of Beira in the Sofala province.

Aquarius Platinum is to buy the mineral rights to the southern part of Northam Platinum’s Booysendal project for R1.2 billion, it has been announced.

The mineral rights comprise several farms underlain by the UG2 and Merensky reef horizons, collectively called Booysendal South. Aquarius, which will acquire the platinum group metals and associated base metals mineral rights, said that after geological losses, the rights would increase its current resource base by approximately 24 per cent.

Abingdon, Virginia-based Alpha Natural Resources has reported a tripling of net profits to a total of $49.8 million for the first quarter of this year, up from $14 million for the same period a year ago.

Total revenues in the first quarter were $1.1 billion compared to $922.0 million in the same period of 2010. Coal revenues totalled $987.0 million—up 19 percent from $831.3 million a year ago.

London-based Kalahari Minerals has said it remains confident that its relations with Namibia’s government and its investment in the country will continue, despite proposed changes that could see all mining and mineral exploration permits issued to the state-owned mining company, Epangelo.

The proposed changes, outlined by Namibian Mines and Energy minister Isak Katali, are being considered to ensure Namibian citizens receive more benefit from the country’s mineral wealth. Namibia is the world’s fourth-largest producer of uranium.