Robust Resources has received the best drilling results to date at its Romang Island Gold Project, including a world-class intersection of 53.5 metres @ 5.62 grams/tonne gold.
This intersection was from a depth of 1.5 metres and included 22 metres @ 9.36 grams/tonne equivalent from 3 metres.
These results are from drilling at the Batu Mas prospect within the Lakuwahi Project on Romang Island.
The gold zone revealed by the drilling correlates well with previous near-surface intersections at Batu Mas, which the company believes will be exploitable by low-cost, open cut mining with a very favourably low waste to ore ratio.
Robust’s managing director Gary Lewis says, “Results from the current drill program at Batu Mas are incredibly encouraging, further supporting and extending our previous near-surface results. The high grades identified underpin the company’s belief that Romang Island has the potential to host significant gold ore bodies.
“These results confirm the 6 x 4km Lakuwahi Caldera as a world-class mineralizing system, taking Robust’s exploration to an exciting new level, with the company now looking to ramp up the exploration program.”
Drilling continues at Lakuwahi with three owner-operated rigs having drilled a total of 4172 metres. To date drilling has tested less than 1% of the Lakuwahi caldera target zone.
www.robustresources.com.au

A new JORC compliant reserve statement for G-Resources’ Martabe Gold and Silver Project in North Sumatra has boosted reserves by 12% to 2.49 million ounces.
The 275,000 ounce upgrade is attributable to an increase in the average head grade due to the first time inclusion of some higher grade zones in Pit 1.
Silver reserves have also increased by 9% to 32.4 million ounces.
An additional year of higher grade production has been added to the development scenario for Martabe to reflect the reserve upgrade and the likely inclusion of 7.5 million tonnes of in-pit inferred resources into the mine plan.
The Martabe project is now expected to annually produce more than 250,000 ounces for at least seven years with first production expected in early 2011.
The 12% increase in the reserve reflects only Pit 1 and does not include resources that have already been defined for the Barani, Ramba Joring and Uluala Hulu deposits.
Drilling at Barani is on going and G-Resources expects to release an initial reserve for the deposit before the end of 2009. Infill drilling will then shift to Ramba Joring and Uluala Hulu, with subsequent maiden reserve statements to be released for these deposits over the course of 2010.
G-Resources indicates that the earthworks contractor is in full operating mode.
With all key long-lead time items for the processing plant already purchased completion of site earthworks is the critical item on the development path.
The company remains confident that its target dates of wet commissioning before the end of 2010 and first gold production in early 2011 can be achieved.
www.g-resources.com

Southern Arc Minerals has purchased the 2 hectare block of land on which its main Selodong base camp facility is located.
The Selodong facility is the main base camp for all of the West Lombok properties and can accommodate up to 80 personnel.
It is the location from which the company directs all exploration activities throughout the 18,650 hectare property.
The acquisition reflects the company's commitment to ensuring a smooth transition into the next stage of property development in West Lombok.
This will begin when authorities enact a new provincial land utilization regulation (the Perda), and a Mining Business Licence (IUP) is granted for the West Lombok property.
The property comprises a 13km long, north-west trending structural corridor of mineralization and alteration, along which lie the Pelangan epithermal gold, Mencanggah epithermal/porphyry district and Selodong porphyry prospects. Exploration has identified porphyry intrusions and related mineral systems including porphyry copper-gold, high sulfidation gold-copper and mesothermal to epithermal precious-base metal deposits as promising targets.
www.southernarcminerals.com

Central Asia Resources has begun acquiring equipment and employing staff in preparation for the development of its first gold mine at Dalabai in southern Kazakhstan.
The company has acquired light vehicles and a dozer for Dalabai. The dozer is preparing drill pads at the Alyntas prospect and will then begin earthworks in preparation for the Dalabai gold plant foundations.
It has engaged a very experienced Kazakh mine manager as well as a site metallurgist, chief surveyor, construction manager and procurement/logistics officer.
With the 2009 drilling program complete, the bulk of activity over the remainder of the year will be completion of design approvals, supplier discussions and preliminary earthworks in preparation for site works during the 2010 spring.
A geophysical survey at Alyntas identified 9 anomalies worthy of further investigation and there are two drilling rigs on site drilling these.
Central Asia’s managing director Jason Stirbinskis says, “We eagerly await the results of the first drill holes from the anomalies as these new sites have potential to significantly increase the size of the Alyntas resource.”
In May 2009 the company announced a resource of more than 500,000 ounces achieved from exploring just 10% of the licence area. The company has budgeted $2 million for Alyntas exploration over the next 12 months and is confident that it will continue to reveal substantial gold mineralization.
www.centralasia.com.au

Red 5 Limited will begin construction of its flagship 849,000 ounce Siana Gold Project early next year after receiving final regulatory approval from the Philippines Government for the US$73 million development.
The government has issued the Order Approving the Declaration of Mining Feasibility, also known as the Notice to Proceed, which represents the final permit requirement necessary to begin mining development.
Construction is expected to commence shortly, subject in part to completion of project financing during the next few months.
Red 5’s managing director Greg Edwards says the approval represents a major milestone following the release of the bankable feasibility study (BFS) for the Siana open pit and underground development earlier this year, confirming a long life, highly profitable mining operation.
Based on the existing total mineral resource estimated in accordance with JORC guidelines of 1.1 million ounces, production from known resources is forecast to reach 849,000 ounces over a 10 year operating mine life at an operating cash cost of US$351 per ounce.
Greg Edwards says, “With gold prices currently at record levels, Siana has the potential to deliver very attractive cash flow. We are very much looking forward to bringing the project into early production to capitalize on the projected strong margins.”
The Notice to Proceed follows the successful review and approval of the technical content of the BFS by the Filipino Mines & Geosciences Bureau, and approval of the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Program and the Final Mine Rehabilitation and Decommissioning Plan by the Contingent Liability & Rehabilitation Fund Steering Committee.
Funding required to bring the project to sustainable positive cash flow was forecast in the BFS at US$72.5 million, comprising US$63.5 million in capital development to first gold pour and working capital for the first six months of operation of US$10.0 million.  Underground development expenditure will be funded from cash flow.
Greg Edwards says indicative offer terms have been received for financing the mine development, with the company in advanced negotiations with several parties. 
www.red5limited.com

China’s third largest copper producer Zijin Mining Group is set to participate in the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project in Mindanao through a proposed takeover of Indophil Resources.
Zijin has announced its intention to make a US$545 million takeover offer for the Australian company, which holds a 34.23% interest in that US$5.2 billion project.
A controlling 62.5% interest in the Sagittarius Mines’ project in South Cotabato is held by Xstrata Copper. Indophil is the funding shareholder of Sagittarius.
The Tampakan project, which is on extended feasibility study and in the final stages of the specialist studies and stakeholder engagements as part of its environmental and social impact assessment, is due for commercial production by 2016.
Sagittarius’ president Peter Forrestal says Zijin has the capacity to support the advancement of Tampakan and their interest demonstrates the potential of the project, which is one of the largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits in South-East Asia.
A statement issued by Sagittarius says Xstrata and Zijin have forged an agreement for Zijin’s acquisition of Xstrata’s 19.9% stake in Indophil, subject to certain conditions.
If the acquisition is successful, Zijin will hold a 37.5% interest in the Tampakan project.
www.indophil.com or www.smi.com.ph

An upgraded mineral resource estimate for Mindoro Resources’ Agata North nickel-cobalt laterite deposit demonstrates a 40% increase in total tonnage.
The upgrade is relative to the December 16, 2008, estimate and sees the conversion of most of the resource to indicated and measured categories.
The indicated and measured resource is now 26.92 million dry metric tonnes at 1.11% nickel and 0.06% cobalt, containing 657 million pounds of nickel and 24 million pounds of cobalt.
There is also an additional 3.8 million dry metric tonnes in the inferred category containing 89 million pounds of nickel and 2 million pounds of cobalt.
The increase in the indicated and measured resource is mostly due to the broadening of the search parameters as a result of the detailed variographic studies and the reinterpretation of the 0.8% nickel domain lower surface. The estimate covers about 80% of Agata North.
Mindoro is carrying out reconnaissance work, including manual auger drilling on other laterite areas on its Surigao projects. An exploration target will be announced for these by the end of the year.
While considerable additional resource potential exists at Agata and other Surigao projects, an adequate resource has been established to form the basis for a detailed evaluation of potential development alternatives and studies are in progress.
All development alternatives are being considered. Emphasis will be on establishing an on-site processing plant.
However, Mindoro notes the recent increases in direct shipping ore (DSO) prices, particularly in the higher grade categories, and will also evaluate DSO as a means to achieving short-term cash flow. Mindoro is receiving increasing expressions of interest from DSO traders and developers interested in accessing Agata North for DSO operations.
Agata North has strong competitive advantages for both DSO and processing operations: excellent infrastructure, adjacent to the ocean, proximity to China and other Asian markets, considerable upside resource potential, favorable metallurgical characteristics, and extensive limestone deposits on-site.
www.mindoro.com

The new processing plant at Cadan Resources’ T’Boli Gold-Silver Project is nearing completion and a series of commissioning tests is scheduled for late December and early January.
Five of the six CIL tanks have been structurally completed with the last tank at 60%. Once this is finished supporting steel work and infrastructure will be installed.
Civil works for the ore storage have been completed. Building form work and foundations are well under way for the primary and secondary crushers, vibrating screens and the ball mill, which was purchased from Zhengzhou Zhongding Heavy Duty Machine Manufacturing Co.
In the T’Boli mine the decline has progressed 70 metres and has intersected the North Vein B and the Central Vein systems. North Vein A remains 20 metres ahead of the decline face.
Development headings will begin off the decline towards a Central Vein intercept of 24.1 grams/tonne over 1 metre and a North Vein drill intercept of 15.3 grams/tonne gold over 1 metre.
The two-storey complex being constructed to house operations and staff is in its finishing stages, with three operational rooms almost ready. These rooms will house administration, mining engineering and geology operations.
www.cadanresources.com

Drilling operations for the 2009-10 field season have started at Southern Gold’s Cambodian gold and base metals tenements.
A 2500 metre diamond core drilling program has started at the Snoul tenement. This is aimed at testing the continuity of gold mineralization intersected at the Anchor Prospect, including 8 metres @ 5.9 grams/tonne gold, and at the nearby Oh Pok prospect. It will also test several other prospects identified from soil and/or trenching results.
These operations are the first of an extensive program of diamond core and Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling, that will be completed by over the next few months.
It is planned that drilling operations will be carried out utilizing 2 or 3 man portable diamond core drill rigs and 2 RC drill rigs.
The drilling is part of an aggressive wider exploration program including 4000 geochemical samples, 8600 metres of trenching and a minimum of 8000 metres of drilling.
A soil sampling program recently completed on the Snoul tenement collected 895 samples to identify new gold and base metal anomalies which can be prioritized for trenching and/or drill testing. This program will also include infill sampling of previously identified targets within the tenement.
A soil sampling program has also started on the Kratie South Joint Venture tenements, Preak Khlong and O’Kthung, with the aim of identifying new gold and base metal anomalies for trench and/or drill testing.
Drilling will start shortly on the Kratie North and South Joint Venture tenements, which are in the same intrusive related gold district as Oz Minerals’ Cambodian gold exploration projects.
The joint venture tenements are held with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC).
www.southerngold.com.au

Sparton Resources has signed an agreement for the evaluation of a significant vanadium-uranium deposit in southern China.
The preliminary agreement has been signed by Sparton’s 70% controlled Chinese subsidiary Yunnan Sparton New Environ-Tech Co (SNET), which is 30% owned by a subsidiary of the China National Nuclear Corporation.
The agreement, made with Team 267 of the Exploration Bureau of the Jiangxi Nuclear Industry, is for the evaluation of the Guojiaping Exploration Licence in Xiushui County, Jiangxi Province.
This licence contains a large shale hosted vanadium deposit with associated uranium mineralization which has been extensively explored by Team 267 since May 2007.
The licence covers 9.02sqkm and past exploration work includes 7760 metres of core drilling in 131 holes, 3528 cubic metres of trenching, several shallow shafts, and related geological mapping, sampling, and analyses.
Based on the results of 42 drill holes covering a 5.5sqkm area within the Guojiaping Licence, the deposit is reported by Team 267 to contain about 100,000 tonnes (220 million pounds)  of vanadium pentoxide at a grade averaging 0.91%.
The mineralized horizon is 3-10 metres thick and shallow dipping. It outcrops at surface and has been explored by a combination of trenching and core drilling.
The associated uranium deposit identified in the same drilling program and analytical database is estimated to contain 1000 tonnes of uranium metal (2.2 million pounds) at a grade averaging 0.172%.
www.spartonres.ca

Peninsular Gold has received approval for applications for two new tenements along the same major gold trend as the Raub and Tersang deposits.
The applications were lodged by Peninsular’s subsidiary SEREM Malaysia.
The first is an area at Sungai Tersang, Mukim Batu Talam in the Raub District. The prospecting licence covers 342 hectares and is for two years. The Batu Talam area is about 15km north of the Raub operations and 2km south of the company's Tersang project area.
This area includes the prospective and high grade Chunchok occurrence where samples have returned values of up to 12.30 grams/tonne gold.
The second is the Bukit Kajang area in the Raub district of Pahanga. The exploration licence covers 2100 hectares and is for 3 years. This area is about 7km north of the company's operational mine at Raub. The tenement has not been explored in detail previously, but is situated along the same set of gold bearing structures.
The company believes that the grant of these licences is an important step in its ambition to discover a minimum of 5 million ounces of gold in Malaysia.
Another subsidiary, Raub Australian Gold Mining (RAGM) operates the Raub mine and plant. Production is progressing well since the Raub mine's first gold pour in February 2009.
Gold production to the end of June 2009 was 5423 ounces and from July to the end of October was 5575 ounces. Production is increasing as RAGM ramps up its throughput.
Plans to upgrade the plant’s annual capacity from 1.1 million tonnes to 2 million tonnes are proceeding. RAGM has conducted additional confirmatory test work to confirm the plant design.
Work on the upgrade is progressing well and on target to meet the scheduled completion date.
www.peninsulargold.com

An expanded induced polarization (IP) survey has significantly increased the potential for additional resources to be discovered at Ivanhoe Mines’ Oyu Tolgoi Project in southern Mongolia.
The IP survey was aimed at testing the full extent, on strike and at depth, of the 12km-long chain of copper-gold porphyry deposits that Ivanhoe has discovered at Oyu Tolgoi since 2001.
The Zeus exploration technology used in this work has succeeded in further defining the spatial extent of the known ore bodies and revealed previously undetected mineralization to depths of 3500 metres.
Ivanhoe and GoviEx Gold, which is conducting the survey work, believe that the new, large, well-mineralized body connects the Heruga Deposit to the Hugo South deposit, nearly 5.5km away.
GoviEx Gold’s chief geophysicist Grant Hendrickson says the IP and resistivity technology has shown that the main Hugo North deposit has an induced polarization depth extent that is at least 2.5 times greater than what has been defined to date by years of drilling.
“The geophysical survey data also show that the size and amplitude of the core of this immense sulphide body is increasing with depth.”
Ivanhoe has now assigned three drill rigs to the ongoing exploration work. Underground access to enable more cost-efficient drilling into the Hugo Dummett Deposit is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Grant Hendrickson says there is excellent potential to very significantly increase Oyu Tolgoi’s current mineral resources through an expanded, deep-drilling program conducted from the surface and also underground, through Shaft 1.
www.ivanhoe-mines.com

Barrick (PNG) Exploration will begin exploration on Coppermoly’s projects on the island of New Britain in early 2010.
Barrick can sole fund $20 million on exploration within the next eight years to earn 72% equity in the projects.
On the Nakru tenement Barrick will undertake further diamond drilling targeting two distinct geophysical anomalies identified by Coppermoly. The extent of near surface high grade copper mineralization will also be evaluated in detail.
Detailed mapping and sampling will be carried out on the Simuku tenement to assess the extent of mineralization prior to planning of further drilling.
Coppermoly is working with Barrick to facilitate establishment of Barrick’s base in Kimbe, the New Britain town where Coppermoly has its own exploration base. The cooperative arrangement enables the early mobilization of the 2010 exploration programs.
Coppermoly’s managing director Peter Swiridiuk says that the working relationship between Barrick and Coppermoly has proven to be very professional and that both companies are keenly anticipating the results of the 2010 exploration programs.
www.coppermoly.com.au

Intertek Robotic Laboratories (IRL) has successfully installed and commissioned an additional robotic fusion/TGA system and XRF within the Genalysis facility in Alloa Street, Perth.
This system will provide capacity for another 700 to 900 iron ore samples each day.
Installation was carried out through November and completed in time for a December start-up.
IRL’s laboratory manager David Farrar was in Perth during this time to oversee installation, commissioning and validation of the system.
Built by Herzog in Germany in collaboration with IMP and supplied by IMP in Australia, this system is the third of its type to be installed in an Intertek laboratory in Australia.
Samples are loaded into a magazine in plastic vials from where they are picked up by an ABB robot. The sample is automatically weighed into two crucibles, one of which goes to the TGA circuit for 4 point LOI and the other is dosed with flux and fused to make a glass bead which is then loaded into a Panalytical MagixFast XRF for determining major and trace elements.
The robotic system generates a very reproducible and high quality product by removing human error. As operators have no need to handle the beads, this also reduces the risk of contamination.
www.genalysis.com.au or www.intertek.com

China Yunnan Copper Australia has entered into a farm-in and joint venture agreement with ActivEX to explore the Pentland Project in north Queensland for large tonnage, intrusive-style gold mineralization.
The joint venture will lead to drilling of the Mt Remarkable and Norwood prospects at Pentland in the March quarter of 2010.
China Yunnan can earn up to a 70% interest in the project area by spending $3 million over the next 5 years in a two stage earn-in.
In the first stage, China Yunnan can earn up to 51% by spending $1.25 million within 3 years including carrying out a drilling program at Mt Remarkable and Norwood.
If China Yunnan elects to continue, it can earn an additional 19% by spending a further $1.75 million within 5 years from commencement.
ActivEX’s Pentland Project is in the highly prospective north Queensland region, well known for high tonnage gold deposits and recent discoveries.  It consists of three exploration permits covering 549sqkm, 100km west of Charters Towers.
As well as Mt Remarkable and Norwood, there are numerous prospects that have had little exploration activity in the past and these will be developed during the proposed program to establish priorities for further drilling.
At Mt Remarkable, shallow drilling by previous explorers has encountered gold–copper–molybdenum mineralization of porphyry style. At Norwood, gold workings occur at surface, which were historically worked by the Chinese. Shallow drilling by previous explorers looking for oxide gold, intersected scattered gold mineralisation.
China Yunnan’s managing director Jason Beckton says, “The Pentland JV surrounds our recent Stanley’s Hope acquisition, which is being prepared for drilling in the next few months.
“This is an important step in consolidating our gold ground position in north Queensland in a conscious strategy to focus on large tonnage style gold targets.”
www.cycal.com.au

The Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) has approved the investment by Baotou Iron & Steel (Group) Company to acquire up to 50% of the proposed iron ore joint venture with Centrex Metals on the Bungalow magnetite deposit in South Australia.
The tenement, which includes Bungalow, is 9km north of Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula.
The investment will see Baotou make staged payments to the Bungalow Joint Venture of up to Aus$40 million for a 50% interest in the iron ore rights to the tenement area which covers the Bungalow magnetite deposit.
A stage 1 payment of $8 million will be spent on exploration and studies with Baotou then assigned a 10% interest in the iron ore rights.
It will be assigned a further 10% upon stage 2 payment of $8 million for further exploration and studies.
A further $24 million will be paid at the start of Stage 3 and this will be for the completion of a bankable feasibility study (BFS). It will see Baotou assigned a further 30%.
Centrex has been appointed manager for Stage 1 and Stage 2 while a joint venture company will be established to manage the BFS and operations.
Baotou says that the National Development Reform Commission has approved the investment. The company is applying to China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange to approve the remittance of funds.
Centrex’s chairman David Lindh says the FIRB approval marks another significant milestone for Centrex. “We have been in discussions for many months and it is very pleasing that Centrex and Baotou can now accelerate exploration at Bungalow.”
Baotou is a state-owned enterprise and the 10th largest steel producer in China, producing more than 8 million tonnes of steel products each year. It is part of the Baogang Group based in Inner Mongolia.
www.centrexmetals.com.au

AUSTRALIA - Resources drive future growth

澳大利亚的矿产资源推进未来发展

 多年以来，澳大利亚一直是全球市场可靠的矿产供应商，这种状况可能会持续很多年。

在澳大利亚的资源继续推动许多国家的发展的同时，中国成为一个新的焦点。

中国矿业大会上，来自澳大利亚地球科学局在岸能源与矿产分部的矿产勘探促进小组的Lisa Worrall称，澳大利亚矿产供应的能力正在不断增加，以满足不断增长的供货需求。

她说，截至2009年4月，40个矿产项目和能源项目已经开始投入生产，67个项目处于深入开发的后期阶段。

在产量方面，铝土矿居世界第一，黑煤居第四，褐煤居第五，铜居第五，金居第四，铁矿石居第三，铅居第二，锰居第三，镍居第四，银居第四，钽居第一，铀居第二，锌居第二，钛铁矿、金红石和锆石矿物沙居世界第一。

勘探发展迅速，2008-09财政年的支出约1.85亿澳元，令人鼓舞的钻探结果、新的及更新的资源评估定期发布。

在1976年-2008年期间，总共发现了1471.44亿吨黑煤资源， 开采总量为75.12亿吨。其他资源的相应数据是：铜的发现量为1.27亿吨，开采量为1600万吨；金的发现量为18,043吨，开采量为5861吨；铁矿石发现量为245亿吨，开采量为50亿吨；镍发现量为4600万吨，开采量为370万吨；锌发现量为7200万吨，开采量为3000万吨。

Lisa Worrall称，由于澳大利亚大部分地区仍然处在勘探中，更多的资源将会被发现。煤矿项目共有58个处在草根勘查阶段，41个处在勘查阶段，98个处在深入勘查阶段，56个处在可行性研究阶段；铜矿项目共有562个处在草根勘查阶段，514个处在勘查阶段，148个处在深入勘查阶段，95个处在可行性研究阶段；铁矿石项目共有236个处在草根勘查阶段，129个处在勘查阶段，112个处在深入勘查阶段，98个处在可行性研究阶段；铅-锌矿项目共有267个处在草根勘查阶段，247个处在勘查阶段，91个处在深入勘查阶段，52个处在可行性研究阶段；锰矿项目共有29个处在草根勘查阶段，20个处在勘查阶段，7个处在可行性勘查阶段，2个处在可行性研究阶段；镍矿项目共有351个处在草根勘查阶段，255个处在勘查阶段，90个处在深入勘查阶段，60个处在可行性研究阶段；磷酸盐项目共有55个草根勘查阶段，28个处在勘查阶段，10个处在深入勘查阶段，3个处在可行性研究阶段。

她说，澳大利亚联邦、州和领地政府为矿产勘探提供地球科学方面的信息及咨询。地质和地球物理图、报告和数字数据集以及来自勘探公司许可拥有者的大量勘探结果存档，大部分这类信息都发布在互联网上，一般可以可以免费察看。

新的数字地质图、重力图、地磁图及放射性测定图可以用来协助国内勘探过程的进行。澳大利亚地球科学局的门户网站www.geoscience.gov.au中有指向所有澳州政府所拥有的地球科学及采矿地籍册信息的连接。

Lisa Worrall称，澳大利亚欢迎外商在勘探和采矿上进行投资。

“中国在澳大利亚矿产资源领域的投资正飞速增长。在澳大利亚2008-09年间批准的投资中，中国有可能成为第三大投资国，仅次于美国和英国，在过去18个月中，中国在澳大利亚获批的90个项目中共投资了340亿澳元。例如：中钢集团、五矿集团、科瑞集团、华东有色地勘局及云南锡业。” 

AUSTRALIA has been a reliable supplier of minerals to global markets for many years and this looks set to continue for many years.
While Australian resources continue to drive development in many countries it has been China that has become a new focal point.
In a presentation at China Mining, Lisa Worrall, who is working in the Mineral Exploration Promotion team in the Onshore Energy and Minerals Division of Geoscience Australia, says Australia is well placed to continue delivering resources as capacity is expanding to meet the growth in demand.
She says in the year to April 2009, 40 mineral and energy projects started production while another 67 were at an advanced stage of development.
In production terms bauxite ranks first in the world, black coal fourth, brown coal fifth, copper fifth, gold fourth, iron ore third, lead second, manganese third, nickel fourth, silver fourth, tantalum first, uranium second, zinc second and for the mineral sands of ilmenite, rutile and zircon it is first.
Exploration has grown rapidly with around Aus$185 million spent in the 2008-09 financial year, encouraging drill results, and new and updated resource estimates being presented regularly.
In the period from 1976 to 2008 a total of 7.512 billion tonnes of black coal was mined while resources discovered totalled 147.144 billion tonnes. Corresponding figures for other resources were: copper 16 million tonnes mined and 127 million discovered; gold 5861 tonnes mined and 18,043 discovered; iron ore 5 billion tonnes mined and 24.5 billion discovered; nickel 3.7 million tonnes mined and 46 million discovered; and zinc 30 million tonnes mine and 72 million discovered.
Lisa Worrall says more discoveries will be made as large parts of the country are still being explored. There are 58 coal projects at grassroots prospect stage, 41 at exploration stage, 98 at advanced stage and 56 at feasibility stage; for copper there are 562 grassroots, 514 exploration, 148 advanced and 95 feasibility; for iron ore 236 grassroots, 129 exploration, 112 advanced and 98 feasibility; lead-zinc 267 grassroots, 247 exploration, 91 advanced and 52 feasibility; manganese 29 grassroots, 20 exploration, 7 advanced and 2 feasibility; nickel 351 grassroots, 255 exploration, 90 advanced and 60 feasibility; and phosphate 55 grassroots, 28 exploration, 10 advanced and 3 feasibility.
She says governments at federal, state and territory levels support exploration by providing geoscience information and advice. There are geological and geophysical maps, reports and digital data sets as well as large archives of exploration results from exploration company licence holders, and most of this information is on the internet, usually free of charge.
To assist in the exploration process nationally, new digital geology, gravity, magnetic, radiometrics and geochemical maps are available. The Australian Geoscience Portal www.geoscience.gov.au contains links to all geoscience and mining cadastre information held by governments in Australia.
Lisa Worrall says Australia also welcomes foreign investment in exploration and mining.
“Chinese investment in Australia’s mineral resources sector is growing rapidly. It is likely to be the third largest source of approved investment in Australia in 2008-09 behind the US and UK and Chinese investment of Aus$34 billion in 90 projects has been approved in the past 18 months. Examples include Sinosteel, Minmetals, Great Group, East China Exploration and Yunnan Tin.

AUSTRALIA- Cape Alumina bauxite destined for Chinese markets

开普氧化铝公司为中国市场供应铝土矿

开普氧化铝公司将通过供应其位于远北昆士兰地区约克角半岛的铝豆山项目的铝土矿，推进中国工业化和城市化的快速发展。

开普氧化铝公司总部设在布里斯班，是一个新兴的氧化铝生产商，其重点放在位于约克角半岛的矿权地，约克角是澳大利亚首要的铝土矿产地，它位于澳大利亚的最北端，通往中国和亚洲其他国家的交通便捷。

该公司已经得到了来自中国大型氧化铝公司的支持，包括中国最大的铝和氧化铝生产商之一的信发公司，信发持有其18.6%的股份。

铝豆山项目以一片开阔的、气候干燥的铝土矿高原为中心，距离韦帕镇东北约50公里。它是澳大利亚最大的未经开发的铝土矿资源之一，并且是由非大型综合公司持有的最大的铝土矿资源。

开普氧化铝公司已经开始了对项目与可行性研究的修正工作，并且目前决定着手一个银行融资的可行性研究。

这次修正了引发了对项目布局和运作模式改进意见的提出，预计会使技术和经济效益得到显著提高。修正包括：

• 矿用传送带代替自卸汽车。
• 两个组装式、可移动的矿用洗矿设备代替一个位于中央的固定设备。
• 矿用矿粉处理设施和矿区复垦代理大型固定的矿粉处理坝。
• 通往港口的陆上传送带代替火车。
• 将矿区基础设施及住宅区由铝豆山搬迁到马斯格雷夫港口。
• 将Mapoon代替铝豆山的新飞机跑道，作为交通枢纽的机会。

开普氧化铝公司的首席执行官Paul Messenger称，“矿用和陆上传送带将减少运营成本及排放并提高安全型，同时项目的灵活性也不受到限制。”

“组装式、可移动的洗矿设备也会带来更大的灵活性，同时成本和环境影响也由于运输成本的减少和双重处理矿石的消除而减小。”　

他说，公司期望在满足可行性研究结果和成功融资的条件下，在2010年上半年完成环境影响报告，并且能够在2012年开始动工。

建设工作预计在2013年完成，铝土矿在2013/14年投产并快速达到年产700万吨的目标。

公司在附近矿权地进行的勘探作业预计将使资源基础大大增加。

在马斯格雷夫进行的空心钻探结果将决定铝土矿的程度和质量，但是它本可以额外增加100-200万吨的产量，这可能会给铝豆山项目带来早期的现金流。在约克角西部区域的矿权地，圈定的铝土矿高原区域可能拥有4000-7000万吨干铝土矿资源，在优先地区实施的钻探作业正在进行中。

CAPE Alumina is set to play a role in the rapid industrial and urban development of China through the supply of bauxite from its Pisolite Hills project on Cape York in far north Queensland.
Cape Alumina is a Brisbane-based emerging bauxite producer which is focused on its tenements in Australia’s premier bauxite region of Cape York, Australia’s northern-most point with established transport access to China and the rest of Asia.
The company has already secured international support from Chinese alumina majors, including Xinfa, one of China’s largest aluminium and alumina producers. Xinfa has an 18.6% stake in the company.
The Pisolite Hills project is centred on an elevated open, dry bauxite plateau, about 50km north-east of the town of Weipa. It is one of the largest undeveloped bauxite resources in Australia and the largest held outside the integrated majors.
Cape Alumina has recently undertaken a review of the project’s pre-feasibility study and has now decided to proceed with a bankable feasibility study.
The review resulted in proposed refinements to the project layout and mode of operation which are expected to result in significant gains in technical and economic efficiencies. They include:
• In-pit conveyors instead of dump trucks.
• Two modular, movable in-pit wash plants instead of one central fixed plant.
• In-pit fines disposal and mine rehabilitation instead of large permanent fines disposal dams.
• Overland conveyor to port instead of road trains.
• Relocation of the mine infrastructure and accommodation village to Port Musgrave instead of Pisolite Hills.
• An opportunity to use Mapoon as a transport hub instead of a new airstrip at Pisolite Hills.
Cape Alumina’s chief executive officer Paul Messenger says, “The use of in-pit and overland conveyors will reduce operating costs, reduce emissions and improve safety without limiting the project’s flexibility.
“The modular and movable wash plants will also provide greater flexibility while cutting costs and minimizing environmental impacts due to a reduction in transport and the elimination of double handling ore.”
He says the company expects to complete the Pisolite Hills’ Environmental Impact Statement in the first half of 2010 and be in a position to begin construction in 2012, subject to the outcome of the feasibility study and successful financing.
Construction is expected to be completed in 2013 with bauxite production beginning in 2013/14 and ramping up to the annual target rate of 7 million tonnes.
Continuing exploration of the company’s nearby tenements is expected to significantly increase the resource base.
At Port Musgrave aircore drilling results will determine the extent and quality of bauxite but it could yield an additional 1-2 million tonnes which may provide early cashflow for the Pisolite Hills project. In the Western Cape York regional tenement areas mapped bauxitic plateau areas have the potential to host between 40 and 70 million tonnes of dry product bauxite with drilling of priority areas under way.

A 3500 metre program of extension and infill drilliing has started at Central Asia Resources’ flagship Alyntas Gold Project.
The company has only drilled around 10% of the prospect area and has established more than 500,000 ounces of gold close to the surface.
A recently commissioned geophysics program has investigated other areas of this highly prospective ground and the bulk of the 2010 extension drilling program will be based on the results of the program.
There are 1.757 million tonnes of indicated resources @ 1.89 grams/tonne gold and 5.156 million tonnes of inferred resources @ 2.40 grams/tonne.
The bulk of the infill drilling program will focus on the current mineralized area with the intention of bringing the inferred resources to indicated status.
Central Asia holds six tenement areas in Kazakhstan. It has a 95% interest in Altyn-Tas LLP which holds the Alyntas, Kepken and Kengir licences; a 90% interest in Onzhas Ltd which indirectly holds the Dalabai licence; a 60% interest in Buguty-Palm LLP which holds the Uenke Bulak licences; and a 90% interest in Altynsai-Geo Ltd which holds the Bizhe licence.
The project area are close to Kazakhstan’s largest city Almaty and have well established road, rail and telecommunications infrastructure.
The company’s production strategy involves the development of Dalabai followed by Alyntas. Dalabai is a low risk, low capital heap leach opportunity scheduled for development in 2010. The much larger Alyntas project is scheduled for production in 2012/13.
www.centralasia.com.au

Energy Resources LLC has awarded Leighton Asia a US$338 million contract to design and construct a new freight rail line in southern Mongolia.
The main purpose of the Ukhaa Khudag to Gashuun Sukhait freight railway in the South Gobi region is to provide infrastructure to transport coal from the southern Mongolian coal fields to China.
The railway will begin at the Ukhaa Khudag (UHG) Coal Mine, where Leighton Asia has a six year coal mining contract, and travels 225km to the international border crossing between Mongolia and China at Gashuun Sukhait.
The railway will be designed for an annual capacity of 28 million tonnes of coal which will be carried in 1.8km long trains.
Leighton Asia’s scope of work under the contract includes the design and construction of earthworks, structures and the rail line associated with the permanent alignment as well as works for the depots, workshops, maintenance facilities and administration buildings. The contract also includes the maintenance of the infrastructure for a period of four years.
Construction work is expected to begin in March 2010 with completion scheduled for mid-2011.
Leighton Asia established its Mongolian office in Ulaanbataar in mid 2008 and secured its first contract for the development and mining of the UHG Coal Mine later in the same year. Coal production began at UHG in April 2009.
Leighton Asia’s managing director Hamish Tyrwhitt says, “The award of this significant infrastructure project is a result of our commitment to the Mongolian market and our ability to bring international experience and local knowledge to projects of this type which pose a range of technical, community and environmental challenges.
“We have a very strong working relationship with Energy Resources who are also our client for the UHG Coal Mine contract.
“The railway project poses unique environmental challenges exacerbated by harsh geographic and climatic conditions. Our proven comprehensive environmental and community relations management plans implemented at the UHG mine will be extended to address the environmental issues associated with the railway construction.”
www.leightonasia.com

Mongolia Energy Corporation (MEC) has selected Leighton LLC as its mining contractor for development of the Khushuut coal mine project in western Mongolia.
Leighton LLC is the leading international mining contractor for mining projects in Mongolia and is a member of the Leighton Group. Leighton Asia manages the group’s operations in Asia, including Leighton LLC.
At Khushuut MEC has 149 million tonnes of JORC coal resources, substantially coking coal, which is within 600 hectares of 330,000 hectares of MEC concession areas in western Mongolia.
MEC has built a 310km road foundation which is substantially complete and can transport coking coal from the Khushuut Mine to Xinjiang, China.
MEC’s independent technical review calls for a phased development of Khushuut. The selection of Leighton, initially for a 3 million tonne/year mining operation, and in case of expansion, for up to an 8 million tonnes operation over time provides the support for MEC’s commencement of mining operations.
Leighton Asia’s managing director Hamish Tyrwhitt says, “I am excited that Leighton Asia now has two significant mines in operation in Mongolia.
“Our partnership with MEC on the Khushuut coal mine is the second mine we have started this year and will involve a similar level of work to our existing contract at the Ukhaak Hudag coal mine in the South Gobi region.
“The extensive potential for mine expansion along with the quality of the coking coal means the mine will become a significant exporter of coal from Mongolia.
“Once we move from mine planning and pit development to full scale mining, the full potential of the Khushuut mine will be realized.”
MEC’s chief executive officer James Schaeffer Jr says, “With our 310km Khushuut Road foundation substantially completed and our prospective customer in Xinjiang having received our bulk product sample for full scale testing, MEC is well on track to commence coal production.
“Our Khushuut brand of premium coking coal will be sold to the western part of China, where coking coal of such premium quality is in great and growing demand.”
www.mongolia-energy.com

Reprocessing of the geophysical data from Kalimantan Gold’s KSK prospect has confirmed the potential for a major copper porphyry deposit below the level of drilling to date.
The data was reprocessed by experts in Australia using advanced "inversion" processing techniques and produced new insights as to the location of multiple buried IP and magnetic bodies.
The KSK Contract of Work (CoW) is in Central Kalimantan, within the Central Kalimantan magmatic arc which hosts the Kelian (5.1 million ounce) and Mt Muro (2.2 million ounce) low-sulphidation gold deposits.
Exploration to date has identified extensive copper porphyry-style alteration and mineralization across the KSK CoW.
Better drill results have included 167 metres @ 0.59% copper from 4.5 metres in porphyry-style alteration mineralization at the Beruang Kanan prospect and 83 metres @ 2.6% copper, 61 grams/tonne silver and 0.22 grams/tonne gold from 2.4 metres drilled down dip in vein material at the Baroi prospect.
One priority target identified from the new study is a deeper target at the Mansur prospect where a previous drill hole, displaying strong porphyry alteration, appears to have fallen short of intercepting the top of a large magnetic body with a diameter of around 800 metres and vertical depth of 1000 metres.
The reprocessed information provides an excellent tool for defining a program of deeper drill holes at Mansur and elsewhere on the KSK CoW.
Kalimantan Gold is actively showing the KSK CoW to a number of interested large mining companies. Testing the deeper levels of the Beruang and Mansur prospects are top priorities, while at the same time exploring the high priority porphyry target in the northern KSK CoW area.
www.kalimantan.com

Significant gold intercepts from diamond core drilling at Allied Gold’s Simberi Island prospects continue to support the Pigiput Sulphide Development Study.
Further high-grade gold assays have been received from diamond core and reverse circulation holes at the Pigiput and Pigibo gold prospects.
The results also affirm the continuity of gold grade and width of mineralization, at both prospects.
There were 14 diamond core holes drilled at Pigiput as part of an ongoing in-fill and step-out program. The program began in May 2009 and is designed to support the Aus$10 million sulphide and oxide expansion studies. These studies target increasing total annual oxide and sulphide production to in excess of 200,000 ounces by 2012.
The best down-hole intercepts were 119 metres @ 2.15 grams/tonne gold from 158 metres, 49 metres @ 2.88 grams/tonne from 129 metres, 6 metres @ 5.11 grams/tonne from 136 metres, 31 metres @ 6.03 grams/tonne from 151 metres, 16 metres @ 13.6 grams/tonne from 142 metres, 12 metres @ 6.55 grams/tonne from 168 metres and 47 metres @ 4.46 grams/tonne from 119 metres.
The drilling programs are scheduled for completion in early 2010. Since start-up in mid May a total of 8820 metres has been completed.
The company plans to undertake a re-estimation for both resources and reserves for the Pigiput prospect by the end of the first quarter in 2010.
At Pigibo gold assays received from 2 diamond core and 6 reverse circulation holes, defined the down dip extension of the deposit.
Mineralized down-hole intercepts were found in 3 holes including 28 metres @ 3.82 grams/tonne gold from 108 metres, 42 metres @ 3.64 grams/tonne from 37 metres and 42 metres @ 2.82 grams/tonne from 78 metres.
www.alliedgold.com.au

Gold Anomaly, the new entity formed by the merger of Gold Aura and Anomaly Resources, is acquiring 100% of the Fergusson Island Gold Project in Papua New Guinea.
Gold Anomaly currently owns 67% of Fergusson Island with Yamana Gold owning the remaining 33% interest. Under an agreement announced in June 2008, BacTech Mining was to acquire Yamana’s interest and under a separate agreement was to further acquire an additional 17% from Gold Aura.
These arrangements are now being revised so that Gold Anomaly will acquire 100% of the project while BacTech will provide its specialist metallurgical services to undertake the bacterial leach component of a bankable feasibility study (BFS).
Gold Anomaly will begin the BFS and undertake all other evaluations while Yamana will become a shareholder in Gold Anomaly.
Fergusson Island is made up of two gold deposits, Wapolu and Gameta, which are 30km apart on the north-west and north-east corners of the island respectively.
Since 1996, more than $15 million has been spent by Gold Aura and Yamana on the project. Both properties are accessible by low cost water access due to their close proximity to the coast.
A 2004 pre-feasibility study indicated the potential for economic gold development from annual production of 600,000 to 1 million tonnes of ore assuming the presence of sufficient mineralization at Gameta and Wapolu combined to sustain operations for at least 7 to 12 years and assuming a gold grade of 2.0 to 2.2 grams/tonne.
An infill drilling program at Gameta to provide additional data for a deposit size and grade estimate is more than 50% completed.
One of the highlights of the drilling has been the discovery of much thicker mineralization than previously encountered.
www.goldaura.com.au

Final assay results from diamond holes drilled in the 2009 program of exploration and infill drilling at Kentor Gold’s Savoyardy Gold Project have confirmed the high-grade potential of the Rudny prospect.
Preparations are now being finalized for recalculation of the resource using the full set of assay results.
A diamond drill hole on Section 1.5 returned intersections of 2.3 metres @ 5.03 grams/tonne from a depth of 43.7 metres and 0.5 metres @ 42.6 grams/tonne from 58.5 metres.
On Section 2a a diamond drill hole returned 2.3 metres @ 4.73 grams/tonne from 36.7 metres, 2.3 metres @ 22.53 grams/tonne from 50 metres, 1.3 metres @ 28.88 grams/tonne from 83.6 metres and 1 metre @ 29.5 grams/tonne from 90.5 metres.
On Section 2.5, a drill hole returned 0.7 metres @ 9.86 grams/tonne from 62 metres, another hole returned 0.8 metres @ 5.5 grams/tonne from 45.5 metres and another  returned 1 metre @ 10.9 grams/tonne from 40 metres.
On Section 3.5, a diamond drill hole returned 1 metre @ 4.54 grams/tonne from 62 metres.
The surface and underground diamond drilling began in July with the aim of extending and upgrading the existing resource. Extensive underground access is available from previous exploration work in the 1970s.
Seven holes were drilled from underground and 15 from surface for a total of 1784 metres.
Kentor’s managing director Simon Milroy says, “The 2009 drilling program at Savoyardy has increased our confidence in the existing resource, and added potential at depth and along strike with some high grade intersections.”
The Savoyardy project is about 145km south-east of the city of Osh in the Kyrgyz Republic. It is also adjacent to and along strike from the Sawayerdun Project in the Xinjiang Province of China.
www.kentorgold.com.au

Minerals and Metals Group Australia (MMG) has agreed to farm-in to Golden Cross Resources’ northern Rast properties in the Cobar Basin of New South Wales.
The properties, covering 384sqkm south-east of Cobar and south of the Nymagee and Hera deposits in central NSW, are prospective for base metals, gold and silver. The project will be known as the Gilgunnia Range Joint Venture.
MMG may earn an 80% interest by spending $1.5 million on exploration within five years. It may then elect to spend a further $3 million within five years and, if Golden Cross does not contribute pro rata, increase its interest to 90%.
MMG must spend $150,000 on exploration before it may withdraw from the joint venture.
The Gilgunnia Range tenements comprise the northern-most group of three tenements in Golden Cross’ extensive Rast Project. The Rast Trough, because of widespread cover, has been the least explored sequence within the metal-rich Cobar Basin.
The Gilgunnia Range tenements lie to the north-east of the MMG-Golden Cross Wagga Tank Joint Venture where MMG is diamond drilling, having earned a 51% interest.
Golden Cross has an air-core drill rig on-site and is currently drilling magnetic targets in the remaining (southern) Rast tenements.
MMG operates the Century, Golden Grove and Rosebery mines in Australia and the Sepon gold and copper operation in Laos. It has a large portfolio of early to advanced stage exploration projects in Australia, Asia and North America.
Golden Cross a multi-commodity global explorer, which has formed a strategic alliance with HQ Mining Resources providing access to capital and mining and processing equipment from China.
Golden Cross, backed by HQ Mining, is seeking new mineral exploration and development opportunities focusing on copper and gold in Australia, the Americas and southern Africa.
www.goldencross.com.au

Austrade has produced new mining reports that provide detailed information on key markets including current and planned mining projects.
The new reports cover the key markets of China, Mongolia and Peru.
‘Mongolia Mining Projects’ provides an outline of Mongolia's mineral resources and profiles of mining projects.
 To obtain a copy, please contact:
Jim Nylander
Senior Export Adviser
Mining & Resources
T: +61 8 9261 7930
E: [email protected]

‘China Coal Report’ is a detailed report on China's coal resources, profiles of mining projects, and equipment and service requirements.
To obtain a copy, please contact:
Isaac Court
Export Adviser
Mining & Resources
T: +61 2 4926 5907
E: [email protected]

‘Peru Mining Report’ is an overview of Peru's mining sector and includes details of planned investments in existing and new mine developments.
To obtain your copy, please contact:
Ms Ines Fernandini
Senior Business Development Manager
Austrade Lima
T: +51 (1) 222 8281 ext 227
E: [email protected]

Focus on the highest standards of engineering and manufacturing ensures Sandvik’s crusher manganese product range achieves maximum customer productivity.
With the productivity and quality also comes utmost respect for the environment, health and safety during the manufacturing and operational process.
Sandvik foundries utilize recovered manganese and, where possible, a vacuum mould process without chemical binders. In addition, the sand used in the moulding process is recycled.
Sandvik has been producing the finest and most complete range of crushing chambers for more than 100 years, with in-house foundry technology since 1916. The company adheres to a simple motto to ensure quality: The customers’ perception forms the basis for our work.
Experience has shown that wear parts of inadequate quality are often associated with such discrepancies as incorrect profile shapes, dimensions and ovality, all of which have rather expensive implications. These include diminished capacity and reduction, incorrect product graduation, increased circulating load and damage to bearings, bushings and other components.
Sandvik believes productivity is the pivotal factor in any decision regarding the purchase of a crusher. This productivity is measured in terms of tonnes of end-product material produced.
Many get sidetracked by secondary issues, such as hours worked, manganese content or tonnes through the crusher, and there is no denying that these are all important features. However, they only play a part in a bigger process, since it is the end-product produced that defines the actual return on investment for capital employed in the purchase of equipment, parts and services. Without this, no revenues can be generated.
Sandvik crusher products include cones, jaws, primary gyratories, impactors and the corresponding wear parts comprising concaves, mantles, jaw plates and impact bars, all produced to the highest standards of manufacturing. The extensive and complete range has been developed through a close working relationship with customers, established through services provided, training and continuous dialogue.
Confirmation of this process of continuous development through customer input is the recently launched Sandvik Flexifeed mantle. The new patented mantle features an extension at the intake.
This means that more crushing takes place in the upper section of the chamber, while large stones can still be crushed where there is no extension. This translates into extended liner life and a higher reduction ratio through maximal utilization of the crushing chamber.
www.sandvik.com

Australian refuelling specialist Banlaw has completed an Aus$3.3 million project to help Indonesian mining company Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) accurately record and cut its growing fuel costs.
Banlaw managing director Bill Clifton says KPC has made a wise investment and the project should pay for itself in six months.
He says the project involved installation of Banlaw’s unique FuelTrack fuel management system at Sangatta Mine, Indonesia’s largest, in East Kalimantan.
Monitoring depots have been installed at 47 refuelling points and auto identification systems installed on 2000 vehicles and auxiliary equipment.
KPC general manager Simon Scott says KPC selected Banlaw FuelTrack over 12 other systems available globally because it could not accurately measure where all its fuel went.
“We now know where 99.98% of our fuel goes, which is a great result considering that every litre we receive from the oil company is moved about five times around the mine before it is used, increasing the risk of loss or spill.
“At this rate, we’ll get a very quick payback,” he says.
Bill Clifton says improved fuel systems at the mine were essential as fuel losses were frequent and because production is set to double over the next three years.
“Over three years the mine will increase its fleet by about 500 and its annual fuel usage is expected to increase from 620 million litres to 1 billion litres.”
He says there are a number of reasons why the project went smoothly. He particularly praised the work done by its Indonesian project partner and long-standing distributor PT Fluidcon.
“We had our highly skilled team working with PT Fluidcon and an expert team at KPC that included an on-site fuel champion.
“The other key to success is that we focused on establishing better fuel management systems not just automating existing ones.
“A new point of custody transfer has been agreed with the fuel supplier, flow rates have been increased and less refuelling staff are now required.”
Reports are now automatically generated highlighting issues and performance in a timely manner. Site wide reconciliation means individual business units are now accountable for managing fuel usage and fuel costs.
Work started on the project in November 2008. Banlaw is continuing to provide 24 hour maintenance services and its Australian help desk is monitoring the system, reporting issues before they are identified on-site.
www.banlaw.com