For more than a century now, flotation has been at the heart of the mineral processing industry. In this month's SPOTLIGHT FEATURE ARTICLE, direct from the November issue of INTERNATIONAL MINING magazine, John Chadwick examines new technologies and applications from some of the key players in mineral flotation, a technique that is so important to the global industry.
The Guardian reports the approval for Britain's only commercial goldmine despite opposition from environmental groups has sparked fears for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park national park. The mine is around 1 kilometre inside the park boundary. It was the second time Sydney-listed mining company Scotgold had applied to mine gold and silver at the Cononish site, which it bought in 2007. It was turned down last year over concerns about waste – 400,000 tonnes will be produced over the mine's 10-year life – and rehabilitation. At current prices, Scotgold believes there could be around $275 million of the precious metals at the site and it could start producing ounces early in 2013.
The capacity shortfalls challenging many sectors of the mining industry may see faster relief and cleaner, more efficient operations. GE Energy (NYSE: GE) and Foster Wheeler Chile, a subsidiary of Foster Wheeler AG, a global engineering, procurement and construction company with projects throughout the world, are working together to help companies in the mining industry in South America address these challenges. The two companies today announced a portfolio of mining infrastructure solutions that can deliver energy, processing systems, water management and waste management from their combined mining expertise, technologies, engineering and onsite services.
3Q Results for the Three Months Ended September 30, 2011
Washington lawmakers yesterday approved a bill to approve a land exchange clearing the way for what would be North America’s largest copper […]
Oniqua MRO Analytics (www.oniqua.com), the leading provider of analytics-based MRO solutions for asset-intensive organizations, today announced that Xstrata Copper has chosen Oniqua Analytics Solution (OAS) to optimize its MRO equipment maintenance and inventory management activities across its Tintaya mining operations in southern Peru.
Clancy Yeates from Business Day writes that mining businesses need to take a more proactive approach, and train workers to fill their job vacancies, rather than poaching workers from other industries.
[The] rise [in] temporary migration is hardly surprising when unemployment is falling, which it did in the year to June. But it should also be kept in mind when business groups call for higher levels of migration and more public support to meet labour shortages. On top of 457 visas, miners also have access to enterprise migration agreements, a new special visa class that allows the mass importation of skilled workers for the biggest projects. So while training has gone backwards in the epicentre of the boom, miners have more and more options for using skilled workers from overseas.
Taseko Mines (TSE:TKO) estimates its proposed New Prosperity copper-gold mine would generate $9.8 billion in tax revenues for the federal and BC government over the next 20 years. The Vancouver-based company is taking another run at developing the $1.5-billion project after the federal government rejected it last fall. The gold- copper project in northern British Columbia raised the ire of environmentalists and First Nations groups for the proposed destruction of a lake to be used as a tailings impoundment. A provincial environmental assessment process had approved the project, but the federal government’s own review rejected it last November.
The National Post looks at the proposed mine at Fish Lake. Taseko Mines (TSE:TKO) is having another go at regulatory approval, but First Nation groups that oppose the mine are suggesting that if Fish Lake goes ahead, they may sour on all the province's plans for mining development across B.C.
Allana Potash Corp. (TSX:AAA)(OTCQX:ALLRF) ("Allana" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has intersected three zones of strong potash mineralization in Hole DK-11-28 ("Hole 28"). Hole 28 is located in the northwestern portion of the concession block and was targeted to test potash mineralization west of Hole 15. Hole 28 intersected a strong Sylvinite Zone at a depth of 198.8 metres which yielded 40.27% KCl over 3.56 metres. A robust Kainitite Zone was also intersected deeper in the hole at a depth of 266.43 metres and returned 21.98 % KCl over 8.39 metres.