Volume 9 Edition 2 2012 - The ASIA Miner

Project Survey 2012
One of the political goals set for the Chinese mining industry in
2011 is to strengthen control over its mines in foreign countries,
but it has proven difficult to meet the very ambitious targets set by
central authorities.
Magnus Ericsson is CEO and a director of Raw Materials Group (P.O.
Box 3127, SE-169 03 Solna, Sweden, +46-8-7440065) and a profesor
at Luleå University of Technology. Viktoriya Larsson is a research
analyst at RMG.
About This Survey
This annual review of metal mining projects is compiled from Raw Materials
Group’s Raw Materials Projects database (see demo at www.rmg.se).
The full database is available from RMG on an annual subscription basis
and includes more than 3,150 projects as of January 2012, ranging from
those in the prefeasibility stage to those currently under construction. Of
the total number of projects listed in the database, more than 1,300 include
detailed descriptions of resources/reserves, grades, planned investment
cost, and completion date.
This survey includes all countries with known projects. In the process
chain from ore to metal, its main focus is on the mining stage. Pure smelter
projects are not listed. In some cases, however, where the process is fully
integrated from mining to refining, such as acid pressure leach hydrometallurgical
nickel projects, all stages are included.
Eligibility for a full listing requires each project to have an announced investment
cost estimate, reserve/resource data and an estimated annual production
figure. Comparability of information from different companies, countries
and regions varies, as specific project information or definition may be unclear
for various reasons, or the project may also involve large unreported infrastructure
costs. Raw Materials Group attempts to resolve these factors, but
cannot rectify all discrepancies arising from definitions and comparability.
Information contained in the survey is global in scope. However, it
should be noted that completely accurate coverage of some regions is difficult
to attain due to lack of information or corporate reporting standards
and requirements. In total, mine projects are included from more than 70
countries and the survey’s aggregate figures are considered to reflect overall
investment trends in the mining industry reasonably accurately. For more
information, visit www.rmg.se or call +46-8-7440065.
Major Mining Investment Projects Worldwide, Year End 2011
Project Name Location Status Type Products Controlled by Project Cost (US$ M)
Gold
Cerro Casale Chile Prefeasibility OP Au, Cu Barrick, Kinross Gold 6,000
Galore Creek Canada Prefeasibility OP Au, Ag NovaGold Res, Teck 5,187
Donlin Creek USA Feasibility OP Au, Cu Barrick, NovaGold 5,187
Pascua-Lama Chile Construction OP Au, Ag Barrick 4,700
KSM Au/Cu Canada Prefeasibility OP Au, Cu Seabridge 4,685
Dome Mountain Canada (Susp.), restart/feasib UG Au Metal Mountain 4,187
Pueblo Viejo Dominican Republic (Susp.), restart/constr OP Au, Ag Barrick, Goldcorp 3,800
Wafi Papua New Guinea Feasibility OP Au Harmony, Newcrest 3,000
Metates Mexico Prefeasibility UG Au, Ag Chesapeake 2,701
Tasiast Mauritania Operating, exp/constr OP Au Kinross Gold 2,700
Minas Conga Peru Feasibility OP Au Newmont Mining, Buenaventura 2,500
Cadia East Australia Feasibility UG Au, Cu Newcrest 1,752
Livengood Au/Ag USA Conceptual OP Au, Ag Intl Tower Hill 1,614
Eleonore Canada Construction UG Au Goldcorp 1,409
Courageous Lake Canada Prefeasibility OP Au Seabridge 1,263
Sukhoy Log Russia Feasibility OP Au, Pt Gov’t of Russia 1,240
Detour Lake Canada Closed, reopen/plans OP Au Detour Gold 1,208
South Deep South Africa Operating, exp/plans OP, UG Au Gold Fields 1,148
Natalka Russia (Susp.), restart/constr OP Au PolyusGold Inter 1,037
Bystrinskoye Russia Feasibility OP Au, Cu Norilsk Nickel 1,021
Bloemhoek South Africa Conceptual UG Au Wits Gold 1,000
Hycroft USA Operating, exp/feasib OP Au, Ag Allied Nevada 0,985
Rosia Montana Romania Feasibility OP Au, Ag Gabriel Res 0,876
Prosperity Canada Feasibility OP Au, Cu Taseko 0,807
Target North South Africa Prefeasibility UG Au Harmony 0,785
Meliadine Canada Prefeasibility OP, UG Au Agnico-Eagle 0,762
Cerro Negro Argentina Feasibility UG Au Goldcorp 0,750
Brisas Venezuela Feasibility OP Au, Cu Gold Reserve 0,731
Panimba Russia Conceptual OP Au PolyusGold Inter 0,715
Tropicana Gold Australia Feasibility OP Au Anglogold, Independence 0,707
Akyem Ghana Feasibility OP Au Newmont Mining 0,700
Fruta del Norte Ecuador Prefeasibility OP Au, Ag Kinross Gold 0,700
Lobo/Marte Chile Prefeasibility OP Au Kinross Gold 0,700
Lihir Mine Papua New Guinea Operating, exp/plans OP Au Newcrest 0,696
Rainy River Canada Conceptual OP, UG Ay, Ag Rainy River Res 0,684
Bakyrchik Au Kazakhstan (Susp.), restart/feasib OP, UG Au Rio Tinto 0,682
Angostura Colombia Feasibility OP, UG Au, Ag Greystar 0,638
Toroparu Guyana Prefeasibility OP Au, Cu Sandspring 0,617
Martabe Indonesia Construction OP Au, Ag G-Resources 0,576
Sosa Meddez Venezuela (Susp.), restart/constr UG Au Gov’t of Venezuela 0,550
Copper
Olympic Dam Australia Operating, exp/feasib UG Cu, U BHP Billiton 8,200
Tampakan Philippines Feasibility OP Cu, Au Xstrata, Indophil Res 05,200
Udokan Cu Russia Prefeasibility OP Cu, Ag Metalloinvest 05,000
Oyu Tolgoi Mongolia Construction OP Cu, Au Rio Tinto, Gov’t of Mongolia 04,600
Pebble East USA Feasibility OP, UG Cu, Au Anglo American, Northern Dynasty 04,500
Andina Chile Operating, exp/constr OP, UG Cu, Mo Coldelco 04,390
24 | ASIA Miner | March/April 2012