The Alyansa Tigil Mina Blog

http://business.inq7.net/money/topstories/view_article.php?article_id=10742
By Christine A. Gaylican
Inquirer
07/20/2006

AUSTRALASIAN Philippines Mining Inc., subsidiary of Australia’s Climax Mining Ltd., said it had raised $18.7 million for pre-development and start of construction of its mining facility in the northern province of Nueva Vizcaya in September.

It also reported to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau that it had hired ANZ Bank to lead the debt financing for the project.

The company said it needed $81 million to develop the Didipio copper-gold mine, which has an estimated ore resource of 120 million tons containing 0.61 percent copper and 1.6 grams of gold per ton, and a mine life of 15 years. (more…)

http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=10450
Xinhua Financial News Service
07/18/2006

LEPANTO Consolidated Mining Co., which will resume production of copper by September, says it expects to produce 7,000 tons of copper concentrate every year.

Its output of gold this year is expected to reach 65,000 ounces, compared to last year’s 55,749 ounces, the company said.

It envisions Chinese smelters and Philippine Associated Smelting & Refining Corp. as possible buyers of its copper. (more…)

http://business.inq7.net/money/breakingnews/view_article.php?article_id=10410
Inquirer
07/18/2006

THE Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) and mining experts said Monday they expected more investments in mining stocks with the crafting of a code that would align public reporting of exploration results, mineral resources and ore reserves with global standards.

Mining experts attending a media briefing held by the PSE said the government and the private sector hoped to complete the draft of a Philippine Mineral Reporting Code (PMRC) by yearend.
They said the code would be similar to Australia’s Joint Ore Reserve Committee code. (more…)

http://www.malaya.com.ph/jul20/envi3.htm
BY JOJO DUE

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – In a bid to promote social equity and democratize access to natural resources through people empowerment, environment officials here met for the first time with officers and members of a local people’s organization to map out a five-year plan to protect and conserve the remaining forests of Zambales.

Dr. Sofio Quintana, deputy director of the DENR Central Luzon, said the plan laid down specific strategies for the protection and conservation of forest resources using local initiatives and indigenous knowledge systems in community forestry. (more…)

http://www.mb.com.ph/OPED2006071969608.html
By Fr. Bel R. San Luis, SVD

DURING the 1980s, someone quipped that the government was engaged in mining industry — “this is mine, that’s mine, all is mine.”

Today, mining has been revived in the country, and the first mining company that was put up after over 30 years is the Lafayette Mining Limited. (more…)

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006071969590.html
By MELODY M. AGUIBA

The government is targetting investment of $ 122 million by yearend on top of a $ 500 million previously infused in its 24 priority projects signalling avid enthusiasm over improved policies that complement its rich natural resource.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (MGB-DENR) recorded a total of $ 47.91 million fresh investment that just came in from January to May this year which is close to half its target for January to June. (more…)

http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?page=politics04_july20_2006

Sorsogon Bishop emeritus Jesus Varela supports the test run of Lafayette’s Rapu-Rapu polymetallic project, saying it would show if the corrective measures put in place by the company meet the standards for safe and responsible mining operations.

Varela, who toured the project last week, said in a statement that the Church is not against mining itself but is opposed to irresponsible mining. He added he wanted to find out for himself if the objections of antimining groups to LPI’s continued operations are valid or not. (more…)

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200607200705.htm
By Rocel C. Felix
The Philippine Star 07/20/2006

Rapu-Rapu Processing Inc. (RRPI), the local subsidiary of Australian mining company Lafayette Mining Ltd., is set to ask the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to allow the resumption of normal operations of the company’s polymetallic mine and processing facility in Albay.

The company successfully completed last week the first phase of a 30-day test run for its base metals plant. The test run was allowed after RRPI satisfied all conditions set by the DENR. (more…)

Tuesday, 18 July 2006
BBC News - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5190584.stm

The Ghanaian government wants the Okyenhene (tribal king) of eastern Ghana’s Akyem Abuakwa region to grant land access to mining companies interested in exploiting huge deposits of bauxite - the raw material used to produce aluminium.

The Okyenhene told the BBC’s Claire Gilderson why he’s in no hurry to sacrifice the Atiwa rain forest and will wait for the highest bidder who can prove that profit is not their only concern.
“Formerly known as the Gold Coast, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Ghana is a prosperous country with a strong economy. (more…)

By Angus Stickler, BBC File On 4
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/file_on_4/5190588.stm

Multinational gold mining firms in Ghana are prepared to use extreme violence to protect their property, a BBC investigation has discovered. Fifteen people have been shot, two fatally, in mining-related incidents in the past 12 months in the west African country. One company, Ashanti Goldfields Company (AGC), which is part British-owned, has been accused of a cover up after a man was allegedly shot on its land. Awudu Mohammed was just finishing secondary school in the village of Sanso in Obuasi, central-eastern Ghana, when the local gold mine started open-cast operations 10 years ago. Until then, Sanso had been a typical subsistence farming community living off cocoa bean crops. But the new mining activities transformed their lives. (more…)