The Alyansa Tigil Mina Blog

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=50200

An international mining conference in the Philippines next month has been postponed, the local industry association said Tuesday, amid reported concerns over government policies on exploiting the country’s vast mineral resources.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines announced on its website that the October 3 to 5 meeting had been postponed until next year, with the date “to be announced later.”
The statement gave no reason for the postponement.

Mining executives here had planned to use the Manila meeting to make foreign investors more aware of the country’s untapped resources sector, said to be worth in excess of one trillion dollars. (more…)

http://mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=855&Itemid=50
Written by MindaNews
Tuesday, 12 September 2006 00 00 00

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/11 Sep) — A known player in Australia’s mining industry is likely to directly dip its finger in mining activities in South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur, reports said.

Xstrata Copper is likely acquire anytime this September 62.5 percent of the Australian firm Indophil Resources NL, which in turn holds a 40-percent stake at Sagittarius Mines, Inc., the company doing explorations in the area, said Rolando Doria, Sagittarius project coordinator.

The remaining 60 percent of Sagittarius is owned by local stakeholders, he added.

The Australian partner, however, has been providing management, technical and financial assistance to the mining venture as local stakeholders have no capability and resources yet.

The mining project straddles the towns of Tampakan in South Cotabato, Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and Kiblawan in Davao del Sur. It was resurrected in 2003 by Sagittarius from previous owner Western Mining Corp. (more…)

http://www.mb.com.ph/BSNS2006091374260.html
By MELODY M. AGUIBA

The Philippine Mineral Reporting Code (PMRC) should indicate provisions that will encourage mines to be exhausted at a breakeven cutoff grade to keep the project economically sustainable and more environmentally and socially beneficial.

The Philippines is presently drafting its own reporting code similar to the Joint Ore Reserve Committee (JORC) Code of Australia which is an internationally acceptable standard for reporting mineral reserves.

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Horacio C. Ramos said the indication of a break-even cutoff grade in the PMRC should encourage mining projects to use up all resources in a mine—not only the high-grade but also the low-grade minerals. (more…)