Volume 9 Edition 2 2012 - The ASIA Miner

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Australia Bandanna on track for 2014 production BRISBANE-based Bandanna Energy is on schedule to begin significant coal production in 2014. The company has a total JORC resource supply of 1.62 billion tonnes between its Bowen and South Galilee basin project tenements. It has also secured an annual 4 million tonne port allocation in stage one of the Wiggins Island Coal Export Terminal at Gladstone, central Queensland. This agreement is a major milestone for the Drilling at Bandanna Energy’s Springsure Creek thermal coal project in central Queensland. company in its bid to move from exploration into coal production. The company’s managing director Dr Ray Shaw says, “Bandanna is now very much on the front foot in transitioning to its next phase of corporate development.” Bandanna has one of the largest thermal coal inventories of any Australian company, holding 16 coal exploration permits in Queensland’s Bowen and Galilee basins. It is the only ASX-listed company with significant coal development plans in the Galilee basin. An increase of 31% in the company’s total resources was announced in December 2011, after drilling results were received from the Springton domain program within the Springsure Creek project. Ray Shaw says, “The indicated resource not only defines Springsure Creek as a world-class thermal coal resource project but showcases Bandanna’s resolve to consistently meet its exploration, environmental and engineering targets and timelines, and for the project to remain on course for coal production in 2014.” The company will focus its drilling efforts in 2012 at the Springsure Creek deposit within its group of Bowen Basin projects, with a total of 80 holes planned to collect geotechnical, gas and hydrological data for a definitive feasibility study. Bandanna has reached an agreement with the indigenous Kairi people for the cultural heritage management at its Springsure Creek Coal Project and Arcturus project in the Bowen Basin. A cultural heritage management plan will be developed with the Kairi as the area’s traditional owners, in conjunction with the projects’ environmental impact studies for the development of mines at the sites. Aston awaits Maules Creek decision ASTON Resources is eagerly awaiting the findings of the Planning Assessment Committee (PAC) which reviewed its application for environmental approval of its flagship Maules Creek project in northern New South Wales. The committee was given an extension by the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure to allow it time to consider the substantial amount of material provided by Aston regarding the Gunnedah basin project. Aston’s interim chief executive officer Peter Kane is hopeful of a positive outcome: “We are confident in the quality of our environmental assessment and our response to public and government submissions. We look forward to the receipt of the PAC report and we remain on track to deliver first coal in the second half of 2013.” The company recently signed a joint venture agreement with Boggabri Coal for the design, construction and operation of a shared rail spur. The companies will also incorporate a special purpose agency to operate the spur. Both Aston and Boggabri will grant and register easements over land they hold within the rail corridor to ensure that access to the main rail line is protected until the end of both mine lives. The cost of the transmission power lines, upstream communications and control equipment as well as the haul roads accessing the mines will be shared evenly. Peter Kane says the joint venture agreement provides cost effective infrastructure for the Maules Creek project. “We are excited to be working together with our near neighbours to avoid duplication, minimize construction costs and lock in a long-term access corridor.” 48 | ASIA Miner | March/April 2012
Australia Funds boost from sale of MetroCoal stake METALLICA Minerals has sold 9 million shares in its coal group MetroCoal to Hong Kong-based DADI Engineering Development Group, a subsidiary of the DADI Chinese coal engineering group. MetroCoal owns several large thermal coal projects in southeast Queensland’s Surat Basin. The sale has netted Metallica an Aus$4.5 million cash boost which will be funnelled into the company’s advanced NORNICO nickel-cobaltscandium project northwest of Townsville. It brings the company’s cash reserve to more than Aus$12 million. Metallica continues to hold around 30% in MetroCoal and intends to maintain its share for the remainder of the year. The funds will also be used in progressing Metallica’s emerging zircon-rutile mineral sand projects in Victoria’s Gippsland region, for which it hopes to announce a maiden resource estimate by April. The first drill program at the projects has been completed as part of the due diligence undertaken in Metallica’s proposed acquisition of the two tenements from Rio Tinto. There have been 43 drill holes completed for 2290 metres. The company says the program was designed to test both the data supplied by Rio Tinto and Metallica subsidiary Oresome Australia’s own exploration targets at significant areas of heavy mineral sand concentration at the Stockdale-Glenaladale and Mossiface areas. Metallica’s managing director Andrew Drilling at Metallica Minerals’ mineral sands tenements in Victoria’s Gippsland region. Gillies says given the expected large extent, size and grade of the Gippsland HMS mineralization and the current strong zircon and rutile prices along with the excellent outlook on the demand/supply fundamentals for these commodities, the company is excited about the project’s potential. March/April 2012 | ASIA Miner | 49
Page 1: March/April 2012 | Volume 9 | Issue
Page 4: From The Editor Indonesia a hotspot
Page 8: Indonesia Kopex funds to complete T
Page 12: Indonesia 1.18 million ounce maiden
Page 15 and 16: Indonesia Encouraging assays from Z
Page 18: Indonesia Waterfall drilling confir
Page 22 and 23: ’ ’ Project Survey 2012 Annual
Page 24: ’ ’ Project Survey 2012 Mine In
Page 28: Project Survey 2012 Project Name Lo
Page 31 and 32: No job too big MULTIFLO ® Dewateri
Page 34: China Production imminent from Jian
Page 38: China Sino Prosper seeks Guizhou go
Page 42 and 43: Mongolia Coking coal confirmed at N
Page 44: Philippines Study progresses for Ma
Page 48 and 49: Vietnam Feedstock negotiations for
Page 52 and 53: Australia Aquila approves Eagle Dow
Page 54 and 55: Malaysia Lynas receives temporary l
Page 56 and 57: Papau New Guinea Final green light
Page 58 and 59: Central Asia Plant commissioning un
Page 60 and 61: India India next Asian hub for mini
Page 62: 2012 Calendar PDAC 2012 March 4-7,
Page 65 and 66: Drilling & Blasting On the other ha
Page 67 and 68: Drilling & Blasting Playing it Stra
Page 69 and 70: Supplier News -35 to +35). To prote
Page 72: ADVERTISING INDEX AEL Mining Servic

Volume 9 Edition 2 2012 - The ASIA Miner

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