Mining Mirror February 2018 | Page 13

Global projects and exploration corridor. The corridor is interpreted to be an extension of the structure that controls gold mineralisation in the Taunus pit. “The ability to process the near surface material intersected in hole 17COLDDH04 through the existing heap leach pad and the absorption, desorption, and refining (ADR) plant at La Trinidad bodes well for the potential extension of mine life. Additionally, areas of altered gold- bearing zones deeper at Colinas continue to indicate the presence of a larger hydrothermal auriferous system that is only beginning to be tested,” says Leisman. Australia Mapping doubles spodumene Liontown Resources recently completed geological mapping over its Buldania Lithium Project, about 600km east of Perth in Western Australia. According to the company, the mapping has defined pegmatites over a much larger area than previously indicated by historical exploration. A maiden 35-40-hole and a reverse circulation (RC) drilling programme totaling 3 000–3 300m has been designed to test the main targets. The drilling programme is scheduled to commence in early 2018, subject to the receipt of statutory clearances. Spain Proyecto Riotinto ups the ante Atalaya Mining and its subsidiaries announced that it will proceed with the 15 million tonnes per annum (Mtpa) expansion plan at its Proyecto Riotinto Copper Project in south-western Spain. The plan is designed to upgrade processing facilities, with the ultimate goal of increasing copper production to about 50 000–55 000 tonnes per year. According to Alberto Lavandeira, CEO of Atalaya, the plant expansion includes the installation of a new primary crushing system, a new semi-autonomous grinding (SAG) mill, additional flotation cells, concentrate handling installations, as well as other site infrastructure. Sweden Beowulf keeps pushing for licence Beowulf Mining continues pushing the case for the granting of an exploitation licence at its Kallak North Iron Ore Project in Sweden. Recent activities include the publishing of a study by Copenhagen Economics titled Kallak – A Real Asset, and a Real Opportunity to Transform Jokkmok, which highlighted the job creation and the tax revenues that could be associated with the mine, and the commissioning of SRK to complete a scoping study on the project. This study is well underway and scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018. Meanwhile, Beowulf reported encouraging metallurgical results from its Aitolampi Graphite Project in Finland. Superior metallurgical responses were recorded from all three samples, compared with grab samples from outcrops analysed earlier last year. The process flowsheet used was simple, yet proved to be very efficient, with combined concentrate grades ranging from 96.8% to 97.5% total carbon across the three samples. All three samples responded similarly in terms of concentrate grades of the various size fractions. The company’s exploration team gathered in Stockholm on 27 November 2017, to review the work on the Åtvidaberg Polymetallic Project this year and to make plans and budgets for 2018. FEBRUARY 2018 MINING MIRROR [11]