This podcast is brought to you by Ukwazi Mining - Bringing relevant mining, engineering & strategic consultancy services to a dynamic industry.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009.

From Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I'm Shannon de Ryhove.

Making headlines today:

JSE- and TSX-listed Great Basin Gold has reported that the construction of the power infrastructure necessary to supply its Burnstone mine, in South Africa, will start in January 2010.

The design work on the first two lines between the switching station has been completed and the material has been ordered. The lines will be positioned between power utility Eskom's Grootvlei power station and the Burnstone mine.

The mine's vertical shaft and metallurgical plant is expected to be commissioned by the end of June 2010.

Teck Resources expects to restart the lead production line at its Trail, British Columbia, refinery on Wednesday. This follows repairs to a furnace that was idled three weeks ago.

Teck idled the operation and warned customers of an impact to lead shipments after some bricks in a furnace fell out of place, prompting the lead circuit to be shut down on November 10.

The company said at the time that 2009 lead production would fall by about 6 000 tons, assuming repairs went as planned.

Spokesperson Richard Greene says that this estimate will likely stand, although he says it's hard to pinpoint exactly when lead shipments will return to normal.

Also making headlines:

Extract Resources considers Rio Tinto's help to develop its Rossing South deposit, in Namibia.
First Quantum Minerals approves its Finnish project and targets 2012 commercial output.
ASX-listed emerging miner Kangaroo Resources raises 30-million-Australian-dollars to advance its Indonesian coal project.
And, the South African Reserve Bank approves First Uranim's Ezulwini gold stream deal.

That's a round up of news making headlines today. For more on these and other stories please visit miningweekly.com.