查看更多>>摘要：My reference last issue to the Asian Journal of Mining's 15th anniversary and the potpourri review of the issues we have covered since 1986 brought a stream of letters from readers. It was a pleasure to hear from friends and colleagues and to receive their own reminiscences of this tumultuous period for the Asian mining industry.I agree with the majority of opinions that the current down scaling of exploration and lack of investor interest in new mining operations is a short-term phenomena. Asia is, after all, remarkably prospective and mostly unexplored.
查看更多>>摘要：According to Metals Economics Group's recent edition of Corporate Exploration Strategies, worldwide allocations for commercial precious and nonferrous metals exploration peaked at about 5.2 billion dollars in 1997. Since that time, the total amount allocated to this sector has declined for four years in a row to an estimated 2.2 billion dollars in 2001, a drop of almost 15 percent since 2000 and almost 58 percent since 1997.MEG estimates this year's analysis of 679 companies' exploration budgets (using a 100,000 dollars cutoff) totaling 2 billion dollars covers an estimated 90 percent of worldwide expenditures; therefore total 2001 expenditures are estimated at about 2.2 billion dollars.
查看更多>>摘要：Attractive geology is not enough to guarantee mining investment, according to mining executives surveyed in the fifth Annual Survey of Mining Companies, released Dec 18 by The Fraser Institute, Canada (www.fraserinstitute.ca). Companies accounting for a total of 782 million dollars in international exploration (in 2000) rated the policy attractiveness and mineral attractiveness of North American state and provincial mining jurisdictions and various nations in other parts of the world."Jurisdictions like Australia, Chile and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec, that have both attractive policy and geology do well on the overall investment attractiveness index. Other jurisdictions such as British Columbia and Russia are rated as having excellent geology but terrible policies, which lowers their investment attractiveness score," said Laura Jones, survey coordinator and director of The Fraser Institute's Centre for Studies in Risk and Regulation.
查看更多>>摘要：Ivanhoe Mines Ltd reported (Dec 3) that underground exploration at its Modi Taung gold project in Myanmar from July to the end of November demonstrated "persistence in grade and continuity along the northwesterly strike and the down-dip extension of this bonanza-grade gold discovery".Numerous intercepts from development crosscuts through the quartz vein system display visible gold and almost 80 percent of the channel samples taken to date have uncut gold grades between 20 g/t and 50 g/t. One surface trench sample graded 3,475 g/t across 1.3 m. The extremely high gold grade in this trench may have resulted from surface enrichment caused by natural weathering processes.
查看更多>>摘要：During October Oxiana Resource completed the Bankable Feasibility Study for its Sepon Gold Project in Laos. Base case highlights include Measured, Indicated & Inferred Resources of 3.5 Moz of gold and 7 Moz of silver and Proven & probable reserves of 9.1 Mt @ 3.2 g/t gold and 5.4g/t silver. In addition to the base case, an extended life case has been evaluated. Subject to financing, construction of the gold mine, plant and infrastructure is expected to be completed in 2002.At the same time, the copper BFS will be completed and the copper project commenced. This strategy minimizes front-end technical and financial risk, provides strong early cash flows and maximizes Oxiana's leverage into the valuable copper development.
查看更多>>摘要：Tiberon Minerals Ltd (CDNX:TBR) reported assay results (Dec 18) from an additional 11 drill holes from its drilling program at Nui Phao polymetallic deposit in Vietnam. The majority of these drill holes were stepouts on the periphery of the area of known mineralization. These results continue to expand the deposit to the east, west and south. To date Tiberon has drilled 103 holes on the Nui Phao deposit, plus an additional eight large diameter metallurgical drill holes. Assays are pending on the remaining eleven drill holes and are expected early in the new year.Bench scale metallurgical testing currently underway is expected to be completed in January. Upon completion of the metallurgical work, a revised resource estimate will be issued.
查看更多>>摘要：Ivanhoe Mines Ltd commenced pre-production mining operations at its small, high-grade open pit at the Eunsan deposit in South Korea (Nov 28) and million of the gold and silver ores is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2002. Approximately 650 t of ore grading 2.48 ounces per tonne gold and 36.0 opt silver have been mined and stockpiled to date. Ivanhoe expects to mine and stockpile approximately 10,000 of ore prior to mill startup.The Eunsan deposit is the most advanced of several high-grade epithermal gold-silver prospects identified by Ivanhoe within the Seongsan Gold/Silver Project in Chollanam-Do Province, in southwestern South Korea.
查看更多>>摘要：Thailand's Chatree Gold Mine (100 percent Kingsgate Consolidated NL through Akara Mining Ltd) is now in commercial production ahead of schedule and under budget. The first commercial gold pour took place on November 24, and the total weight of dore produced since the first commissioning pour on November 15, was 160 kg containing about 48 kg of gold and 100 kg of silver.The project's Total Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources are 14.5 Mt at 2.6 g/t Au and 12 g/t Ag. (0.8 g/t Au cutoff) for 1.Moz of Au and 5.4 Moz of Ag. Open cut Proven and Probable Reserves are 8.2 Mt at 3.1 g/t Au and 14 g/t Ag (0.8 g/t Au cutoff at 260 dollars/oz) for 807,000 oz Au and 3.8 Moz Ag.
查看更多>>摘要：The Indian Government rejected the sole bid by Bombay-listed copper producer Sterlite Industries for the 26 percent stake in Hindustan Zinc up for privatization. The offer was below the reserve price for the integrated lead and zinc producer that remains 75.9 percent-owned by the government. Disinvestment Minister, Mr Arun Shourie, will submit a new proposal to the privatization committee in February. HZL owns six lead zinc mines, with a combined capacity of 3.5 Mt/y of ore, and four lead-zinc smelters with a combined capacity of 169,000 t/y of zinc and 43,000 t/y of lead.The HAL privitisation set-back follows the Indian Governments decision to suspend its privitisation of the majority stake in Hindustan Copper Ltd. "We have decided to give up our earlier plan of inducting a strategic partner by hiving off two units of HCL on the advice given by the bidders and are in the process of formulating a new proposal for sale of majority stake in the copper major," official sources were quoted by Business Line (Oct 16).
查看更多>>摘要：Ivanhoe Mines Ltd released new drilling results (Nov 26) from three contiguous, mineralized zones at the its Turquoise Hill (Oyu Tolgoi) discovery in southern Mongolia. The results include additional high-grade gold and copper intersections in two holes drilled into the Discovery Zone at the northeastern end of Southwest Oyu, three step-out holes on the southwesterly extension of the Southwest Zone and two reconnaissance holes from the adjacent South Zone.In the Discovery Zone, Hole 169 intersected 507 m grading 0.80 g/t gold and 0.48 percent copper, including 134 m of 1.36 g/t gold and 0.62 percent copper; Hole 171 intersected 290 m of 0.73 g/t gold and 0.43 percent copper, including 100 m of 1.29 g/t gold and 0.67 percent copper.
NSTL