AK06 diamond project

Boteti Explora-tion, a joint venture between De Beers Pro-specting Botswana, African Diamonds and Wati Ventures, is developing the R3,6-billion AK06 diamond project located in the Orapa region of Botswana. The project is expected to produce an estimated 600 000 ct/y in the first three years of production.

Essakane gold project

Orezone Resources’ Essakane golf project is a free-milling, nonrefractory gold deposit, with mineral reserves of 58,1-mil- lion tons, grading at 1,67 g/t of gold. The intention of the $420-million project is to mine and process this deposit at a rate of 7,5-million tons a year in the initial years when mill feed is predominantly saprolite and transition ore, and 5,4-million tons a year in subsequent years when mill feed is entirely fresh rock.

Nkamouna cobalt/nickel/ manganese project

Geovic Mining Corporation’s $398-million Nkamouna cobalt/ nickel/manganese project will involve the development of an openpit mine. The project has been delayed in response to turmoil in the global commodity, capital and credit markets. Prior to the global credit crisis, the mine was expected to start production in late 2010, and to ramp up to full capacity in early 2011.

Passendro gold project

Axmin’s Passen-dro gold project is envisioned as a conventional openpit gravity carbon-in-leach operation, with a mine produc-tion rate of three-million tons a year. The capital cost of the project is estimated at $196-million, excluding both working capital of $5,5-million and sustaining capital of $18,3-million.

Tongon gold project

The Tongon gold project, being developed by Randgold Resources, New Mining CI and the government of Côte d’Ivoire, will involve the construction of a 300 000-t/m gold mine, with a life-of-mine of over ten years. The total capital value, including financing, purchase of the mining fleet and ongoing capital, amounts to $267-million.

Kamoto-Virgule Oliveira (KOV) copper/cobalt mine rehabilitation project

Katanga Mining’s large-scale Kamoto-Virgule Oliveira (KOV) copper/cobalt mine project, involves the rehabilitation of the KOV openpits, one of the largest high-grade copper deposits in the world. The entire project will cost $1,6-billion, from an initial $1,3-billion. The increase is in line with cost pressures being experienced across the mining industry and is driven primarily by significant escalation in the cost of construction materials, equipment, consultants and contractors.

Bisha gold and base metals project

Nevsun Resour-ces and the Eritrean National Mining Company are developing the $246-million Bisha gold and base metals project. The conventional openpit mine is expected to produce 1,06-million ounces of gold; 747-million pounds of copper; 1,092-million pounds of zinc; and 9,4-million ounces of silver.

Simandou iron-ore project

Simandou is a world-class iron-ore exploration and mining project from which Rio Tinto expects to extract 70-million tons each year by 2018. The project will include significant mine, rail and port infrastructure. Studies completed to date estimate that an upfront capital investment of $6-billion will be required to permit commercial levels of production to start in 2013.

Ambatovy nickel project

The Ambatovy project is a joint venture partnership between the project operator, Sherritt International Corporation, the Sumitomo Corporation, the Korea Resources Corporation and the project’s engineering contractor, SNC-Lavalin Group. It is a large-tonnage, long-life lateritic nickel project with a yearly design capacity of 60 000 t of nickel and 5 600 t of cobalt. The project will be among the largest nickel pro-jects under development in the world and will cost $3,3-billion to develop.

Yalea underground project

Randgold Re-sources’ Yalea underground project involves the development of an underground gold mine at Loulo and willinvolve the sinking of two declinesbelow the newly opened openpit and considerable mechanisation. The underground mine will extend the life-of-mine to 23 years and will cost about $100-million.

Guelb el Aouj iron-ore project

The Guelb el Aouj iron-ore project will see the construction of an openpit mine and processing plant at the Guelb el Aouj East deposit to process 17-million tons a year of magnetite-quartzite primary crusher feed to produce seven-million tons a year of direct- reduction-grade iron-ore pellets for about 30 years. The project, being developed by Sphere Investments, Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière and Qatar Steel, will cost an estimated $2,14-billion.

Magnetite pipeline project

The Palabora Mining Company is conducting a feasibility study on a proposed 300-km pipeline from its copper mine in Phalaborwa, in Limpopo province, to the Port of Maputo, in Mozambique, which will enable it to export its 240-million tons of magnetite – a by-product of its copper-mining – in greater volume. If the company goes ahead with the pipeline, it may need to raise between $500-million and $1-billion to fund the project.

Valencia uranium mine

Forsys Metals plans to construct an openpit mining opera- tion at the Valencia deposit, at a cost of $188-million. The Valencia deposit is located 35 km along strike to the producing Rössing uranium mine and 40 km north of the Langer Heinrich uranium mine.

Sabodala gold project

The development plant for the Sabodala gold project incorporates an openpit mine, a process plant and on-site and off-site infrastructure designed to accommodate a processing rate of two-million tons a year. Mineral Deposits estimates capital costs to completion at $111-million, including a $12,2-million contingency and $8,3-million for a water pipeline from the Falémé river.

Kono project

Two shafts are being developed at the Kono kimberlite project. Petra Dia-monds, which is developing the project, believes that the pro-ject has the potential to yield high grades of about 100 ct for each hundred tons.

Lumwana uranium project

Equinox Minerals has completed a uranium feasibility study, investigating the on-site treatment of the discrete high and high-grade uranium mineralisation contained within the Lumwana project copper pitshells. Should the project go ahead, it will cost an estimated $200-million in preproduction capital to build.

Unki platinum mine

Anglo Platinum is developing its first platinum mine in Zimbabwe, along the Unki deposit. The mine is expected to produce about 150 000 platinum ounces a year when fully operational. The cost has ballooned to more than $200-million after a study indicated that the mine could treat greater tonnages.