The world’s copper and nickel smelting experts meet this week in Shanghai, China at the 12th International Flash Smelting Congress organised by Outotec for the licensees of its Flash Smelting technology. The congress is a users’ meeting where the participants can learn about new smelters, capacity expansion and modernisation projects, as well as new technologies and [...]

Australian Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan today accepted a recommendation from the National Competition Council (NCC) to declare the Robe River, Hamersley and Goldsworthy rail lines open for third party access under Part IIIA of the Trade Practices Act.

Intellection was announced as the winner of the inaugural Tom Burns Award, established last year in memory of the late Honourable Tom Burns AO to recognise an emerging exporter to China or Vietnam. Intellection provides integrated solutions and services for the automated, quantitative analysis of minerals, rocks, metals and other compounds based on the company’s [...]

America’s Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) has announced the availability of the final environmental impact statement (FEIS) evaluating potential changes to the excess spoil and coal mine waste disposal rules as well as the stream buffer zone rule. The final environmental impact statement provides decision makers with information about the impacts that could [...]

As the November issue of International Mining leaves to be printed, news in too late to include in the issue’s Nordic mining special is that the Eastern Finland Environmental Permit Authority has just granted an environmental permit for mining and ore concentration at Belvedere Resource’ Luikonlahti mill complex in eastern Finland. The mill was purchased by [...]

Environmental and ground engineering consultancy Golder Associates (UK) has acquired 100% share equity of Rock Mechanics Technology (RMT). Based in Bretby, Derbyshire, UK, RMT is a highly qualified and experienced team of internationally renowned rock mechanics and geotechnical specialists providing consultancy services to the mining and civil engineering industries. The acquisition of this rock and [...]

The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) has released a research report prepared by the National Institute of Labour Studies (NILS) of Flinders University on the Labour Force Outlook for the Australian Minerals Sector to 2020. MCA Director of Education and Training, Chris Fraser, said “the ‘super cycle’ of global demand for our products is expected [...]

Potash Corp of Saskatchewan (PotashCorp) today reported record second-quarter earnings of $2.82 per share ($905.1 million), a 220% increase over the $0.88 per share ($285.7 million) earned in last year’s second quarter. This represents the highest quarterly earnings in company history - 62% above the record $1.74 per share ($566.0 million) set in first-quarter 2008 [...]

In these days when contract exploration drills are hard to get, companies are increasingly buying their own rigs, or even drilling contracting companies, as in the case of Ashburton Minerals. Ashburton has just moved to full ownership of Transdrill after its wholly owned subsidiary, Trans Pacific Gold, acquired the remaining 50% of the private drilling company. Transdrill [...]

MINExpo International 2008, the world’s largest mining equipment and technology exposition, is just two months away and international vendors are working with the US Department of Commerce’s (DOC) International Buyer Program (IBP) to facilitate a robust international component of the show. To date 15 countries are using the IBP to organise delegations to attend the [...]

Based on new information and announced project developments , the International Copper Study Group (ICSG) projects that annual mine production capacity over the 2007 to 2011 period will grow at an average rate of 5.3%/y to reach 22 Mt in 2011, an increase of about 5 Mt (30%) from that in 2006. Of the total [...]

Just ahead of the Automated Mineralogy conference in Australia and IM’s July issue special on the subject, China’s Chalco has become the world’s first alumina producer to adopt leading-edge automated mineralogy for research and development. With the installation of a QEMSCAN in the Zhengzhou Research Institute of Chalco (ZZRI), in Henan Province, Chalco is also [...]