Chile picks six private lithium project sites

The Chilean government has selected six priority areas, Reuters reported, for new lithium extraction projects to be led by private companies. The country’s mining minister said on 26 September that, this month, it will begin talks with Indigenous communities near those areas. Those forms’ proposals will be due 31 December, according to Mining Minister Aurora Williams. The agency told the…

Read More

Hitachi excavator hits long-life milestone at Cerrejón

At Colombia’s Carbones Del Cerrejón mine, which faces periods of extreme heat and humidity, a Hitachi EX3600-6 excavator has surpassed expectations, clocking over 100,000 hours of operation — far exceeding its anticipated lifecycle. Achieving this milestone is rare, with less than 1% of machines reaching such limits, yet the Cerrejón mine accomplished it through a robust preventative maintenance strategy. Assembled…

Read More

Peruvian mine sites earn ‘Mark’

The Copper Mark announced two more Peruvian mining sites have earned the distinction as the country takes a major step toward assured responsible production. In Peru, five mine sites have achieved The Copper Mark: Mine Justa (Marcobre), Cerro Verde (Freeport-McMoRan), Condestable (Southern Peaks Mining), and ), Cuajone and Toquepala (Southern Peru Copper). In addition, the Ilo smelter unit at Southern…

Read More

Commercial production at Tocantinzinho

G Mining Ventures has declared commercial product at its Tocantinzinho gold mine in Para state, Brazil, both on time and on budget, in less than two years. During August 2024, the mill operated at 76% of nameplate throughput, processing a total of 304,312 ore tonnes (9,817 t/d) at a recovery rate of 88%. Tocantinzinho is engineered to have a 10.5-year…

Read More

G Mining obtains Tocantinzinho licenses

G Mining Ventures has received the operational licenses for its Tocantinzinho gold project in the State of Pará, Brazil – the last remaining permitting milestone for commercial operation.  The miner said the project remains on time and budget for commercial production in the second half of 2024. “This final step in the regulatory approval process for [Tocantinzinho] is a testament…

Read More

New labor agreement reached at Caserones

Lundin Mining said an agreement has been reached with the union at the Caserones mine in Chile’s Atacama Region and accepted by the majority of the union members through a vote.  On August 12, one of the three unions representing approximately 30% of Caserones employees, or 5% of the total workforce at the mine, went on strike after not reaching…

Read More

Dominican Republic to create state miner

The Dominican Republic said it will create a state mining firm –  Empresa Minera Dominicana S.A., or Emidom – to explore, exploit and run economic viability studies on the nation’s key mining resources, reported Reuters. The news agency said the miner will be able to negotiate contracts and alliances with international firms and it will have a nine-member board, led…

Read More

BHP, Escondida union reach deal

The union at Chile’s Escondida copper mine has signed a three-year deal with BHP, ending a strike that could have threatened global supplies of the metal, reported Reuters. The agreement included changes in labour conditions such as “initiatives to optimize shift changes, increase equipment utilization and compliance with the 40-hour law,” BHP said in a statement. The mine’s union had…

Read More

First gold export from Tocantinzinho

G Mining Ventures has completed its first exports of doré bars from its 100%-owned Tocantinzinho gold project Pará, Brazil, to a refinery in Switzerland. The project remains on time and budget for commercial production in the second half of 2024. “Our first shipments of gold mark another milestone for TZ, and the State of Para in particular, as this shipment…

Read More