Rio opens 16th Pilbara iron ore mine

Northland Resources (TSX: NAU) sees about twice as much cash flowing into its coffers once Kaunisvaara, its flagship iron-ore project in Sweden, reaches production in 2013. The projected boost in part stems from reconsideration of the price Northland's iron-ore pellets might command. "Northland has long been convinced that the market will highly value the high Fe-content (69%) and low levels of impurities (e.g. 1.1% SiO2 and 0.2% Al2O3) in its concentrate," the iron-ore junior noted in a press release.

Preliminary metallurgical test work was conducted on a composite sample of the haematitic saprolite ore from the Nkout Centre area of the deposit. The sample consisted of drill hole intersections from the central part of the deposit and had a head grade of 43.6% Fe. The aim of the test work was to determine the potential to produce a suitable blast furnace feed. The test work was conducted at SGS Mineral Services, Truro, UK.

A Mine Concept Study conducted by Steffen Robertson Kirsten (SRK) on the Bungaroo South project has confirmed both the technical and financial viability of a mine development. The mine plan supports a 15 million tonnes per year operation with a mine life of 15 years, with production possible by 2015.

The game of corporate musical chairs has ended with more frustrations than success for the two companies concerned, after BC Iron Ltd (ASX: BCI) got annoyed about Regent Pacific withdrawing its original bid, BC Iron then successfully got the bid reinstated through Australia's Takeovers Panel, and then deciding it didn't want to proceed. The end of this chain was the expert's report to BC Iron that, in summary, said Regent Pacific's bid was neither fair nor reasonable.

West Africa focused Bellzone Mining has released an initial resource estimate for its Kalia iron ore project in Guinea. The AIM-listed iron ore and nickel company announced an initial inferred JORC oxide resource of 111 million tonnes, graded at 38% Fe, which would be beneficiated using a standard gravity process to produce 58% Fe fines.

ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA), a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steelmaker, this week announced an agreement which may see the acquisition of an iron ore "resource" in the Northern Cape. At the same time, parent company ArcelorMittal announced its first quarter earnings, where, for the first time, it reported its mining interests as a separate segment.

Following on the footsteps of an ambitious, $80 billion plan to invest in Quebec's north announced earlier this week, the provincial government is looking at changing its Mining Act, the Montreal Gazette writes: Bill 14, amending Quebec’s Mining Act “in keeping with the principles of sustainable development” was presented Thursday in the Quebec National Assembly.

The Canadian province of Quebec plans to develop its huge frozen northern reaches into a powerhouse of mining and renewable energy, targeting C$80 billion ($83 billion) of private and public investment. Quebec's 25-year "Plan Nord," launched on Monday, envisages funding for infrastructure, mines and the development of renewable energy, taking advantage of an improving investment climate as the earth warms and polar ice melts.

Advanced Explorations Inc. (TSX-V:AXI) is pleased to announce progress in the ongoing Feasibility Study work for the C-Zone of its Roche Bay Iron Project in Nunavut, northern Canada. The Company has concluded multiple advantages may be drawn from an increased production of up to 5 million tonnes per year of concentrate (65%-66% Fe grade). This represents a 66% increase in production from the previously announced base case (3 million tonnes per year).