Aluminum giants eye Guinean refinery (May 13, 2004)
The world’s two largest aluminum producers are looking at the feasibility of joining forces to build an alumina ref…
Australia, NZ & South Pacific
Weda Bay expands resource on Halmahera
Weda Bay Minerals (WDA-T) is finding the Santa Monica nickel-cobalt laterite deposit, on the island of Halmahera in…
Queensland revokes Alcan’s Aurukun rights
The government in Queensland has passed legislation revoking Alcan’s (AL-T) rights to the Aurukun bauxite reserves…
Xstrata closes mothballed Windimurra
Despite current high vanadium prices, London-listed diversified miner Xstrata has confirmed the permanent closure o…
Teck’s Pogo stuck, Lennard Shelf revival planned
Construction work at Teck Cominco’s (TEK-T) Pogo gold project in Alaska has ground to a halt after an environmental…
Alcan capitalizes on Pechiney takeover (April 27, 2004)
Alcan (AL-T) figures it can squeeze an additional US$110 million in savings out of its recent, multi-billion-dollar…
Sur American hits more high gold grades at Comval
Vancouver – Random bulk sampling of a second Tarale area vein has turned up bonanza gold grades on Sur American Gol…
Champion, Red Back shareholders approve merger
Shareholders of Australian-listed Red Back Mining and Vancouver-based Champion Resources (CHA-V) have give the go-a…
SMC Gold buys Chilean miner
Queensland, Australia-based SMC Gold will almost triple it share base by issuing up to 200 million shares in part t…
BHP Billiton boosts nickel business (March 23, 2004)
Anglo-Australian giant BHP Billiton (BHP-N) has approved a US$1.4-billion plan to develop its Ravensthorpe nickel l…
Southland evacuated again
Safety problems continue at the Southland coal mine in New South Wales, Australia, where production has been suspen…
South Africans bid for South Pacific exposure (March 15, 2004)
South African gold producers Harmony Gold (HMY-N) and Durban Roodepoort Deep (DROOY-Q) have both issued bids for Pa…