Hindustan Zinc Ltd has awarded Bateman Engineering its first major project in India to a value of approximately $35 million.

The lump sum turnkey contract covers the 1 million tonnes/year zinc concentrator expansion at Rampur Agucha Mines Bilwara, 225km north of Udaipur in Rajasthan State.

In June 2006, Bateman Engineering opened an operational office in India to serve the minerals and metals sectors in that region.

Emerging Australian nickel miner, Allegiance Mining has estimated resources for a portion of the East Avebury and Saxon deposits which were recently discovered 1km east of the Avebury Nickel Mine located near Zeehan, on the west coast of Tasmania.

The deposit styles are the same as the main Avebury deposit and are open to the east, west and down-dip.

Arrow Energy international arm Arrow Global CBM Pty Ltd (Arrow 50%) has signed a Letter of Understanding with leading Indonesian energy company PT Medco E&P Indonesia for broad-ranging cooperation in coal bed methane in South Sumatra, Indonesia.

Avalon Minerals listing on the Australian Stock Exchange has attracted a cornerstone investment from Hong Kong-based metals trader Sinom.

Avalon Minerals debuted on the Australian Stock Exchange on March 22 following a successful $3.5 million Initial Public Offering (IPO) underpinning a major new exploration program in one of Western Australia "s most productive zinc provinces. Avalon is headed up by well-known Australian mining executive, David McSweeney

Outokumpu Technology has agreed with Engineering Dobersek for the delivery of converter and gas handling technology for Kazzinc"s new copper smelter in UstKamenogorsk, Kazakhstan.

Mundoro Mining is making progress on the ongoing work to renew licences for the Maoling gold project in Liaoning Province, China, and is advancing the project towards development and production.

Australia has slipped from second to third place in the world ranking of gold producing countries, as Australia"s gold output continues to decline, Melbourne-based mining consultants, Surbiton Associates Pty Ltd said following the release of its latest Australian Gold Quarterly Review.

Thor Mining has completed a Memorandum of Understanding with China"s Hunan Nonferrous Metals Holdings Group in regards to its flagship Molyhil project.

Work has started on a prefeasibility study for a potential open pit and heap leach mining operation at Tianshan Goldfields" Gold Mountain project in China.

Following the success of the 2006 drilling program, the study is based on a resource of 95 million tonnes at 0.9 grams/tonne gold.

Universal Resources continues to build on its exploration success within the company"s major 3,600sqkm tenement holding in the Mount Isa Inlier region of North West Queensland, with the discovery of a high-grade uranium and rare earth mineralisation from surface sampling of three prospects.

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Australia "s Rusina Mining is set to become a nickel producer within months under a financing and mining contract set earlier this month for part of its lucrative Acoje project in the Philippines .

Under the deal, 5 million tonnes of Acoje"s surface nickel laterites will be mined over the next five years under a profit sharing, partnering contract signed with one of Manila "s most prominent and growth oriented contractors and developers, the listed DMCI Holdings group.

China Mining Resources Group has acquired a 75% interest in Harbin Songjiang Copper, aspiring to become a leading player inAsia"s mining sector.

China Mining Resources has gained expertise in high quality mining extraction with the acquisition of Harbin Songjiang Copper, a China-based company which specializes in mining and processing of molybdenum, copper and zinc.

Elkedra Diamonds will spin-off its uranium and base metal prospects in the Georgina Basin in Australia into a new company. The new company will complete an initial public offering and apply for listing on the Australian Stock Exchange.

Indo Mines will raise Aus $4.8 million through a placement of 10 million ordinary shares to continue development of its Yogyakarta iron sands project in Indonesia and to provide working capital.

Grange Resources has started mining at the Bukit Ibam Iron Ore Mine, which is located in Pahang State, Malaysia.

Grange Minerals Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned Malaysian subsidiary of Grange Resources, is earning 51% equity in the Bukit Ibam iron ore project, by funding mine development with Esperance Mining Sdn Bhd.

Arrow Energy NL plans to establish a coal seam gas base in the energy-hungry Chinese market, to capitalise on China "s higher gas sales margins and the country"s ambitious targets to develop its huge coal bed methane (CBM) resource.

QGX has received a positive NI 43-101 compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment regarding the development of the company"s 80%-owned copper-gold-silver resource at the Central Valley Zone (CVZ) at Golden Hills , Mongolia .

New Guinea Gold (NGG) is continuing to progress towards processing and gold extraction on its Sinivit project 50 km south-south-west Rabaul in East New Britain Province , Papua New Guinea .

The initial vats will be filled in mid March with commissioning of the production circuit and gold production will start in early April.

Mindoro Resources has bought its joint venture partner Panoro Minerals 40% interest in the package of properties in the Surigao Gold District in Northern Mindanao in the Philippines .

Mission Biofuels has appointed Julie Zhu as its chief operating officer forChina.

Julie will be based inBeijing, and is responsible for the successful implementation of Mission Biofuels" initiatives inChina. Julie was previously chief operating officer of Spanish biodiesel producer, Becco Biofuels" Chinese operations.

Asia Now Resources has signed a Heads of Agreement with Zinifex Australia Limited to form a joint venture to explore inChina.

The HOA calls for the two companies to jointly fund exploration for zinc-silver-lead base metal deposits throughoutChina with an initial budget of combined cash and in-kind contribution of US$1.5 million. Zinifex will contribute cash and Asia Now, which will manage the alliance, will make contributions in kind including the services of its exploration team.

Asia Now president Kaihau Yang says: "I am very pleased that we will be working with one of the world"s premier mining companies to explore for a commodity that is in extremely high demand inChina and elsewhere.

Austock Corporate Finance Limited has paid Aus$5.16 million for 344 million shares in Austindo Resources Corporation.

Austindo will used the money for working capital and costs, including holding costs,associated with the development of the Cibaliung Gold Project inIndonesia, in which Austindo has a 89.75% interest.

TVI Pacific has expanded its 2007Philippines exploration program.
The Philippine exploration work program will be carried out by TVI"s affiliate, TVI Resource Development (Phils), Inc and funded by internally-generated cash flow, targeting the company"s main strategic exploration objectives within its current exploration areas of Canatuan, Balabag, North Zamboanga and in the greater Philippines.

Diversified minerals group Northern Star Resources has added a further significant dimension to itsEast Kimberley exploration portfolio inWestern Australia after reaching agreement with ASX-listed uranium explorer, U3O8 Ltd, on the uranium rights within its portfolio. The agreement will provide a platform to significantly accelerate uranium exploration on the highly prospective tenements.

Australian-based oil and gas producer Cooper Energy Limited has secured a strategic interest in a high-value offshore block in North Sumatra, Indonesia including a number of discovered gas fields after acquiring unlisted Australian public company, Rion Energy, for 13 million Cooper Energy shares, escrowed for 12 months.

AngloGoldAshanti will continue to fund exploration Dynasty Gold"sRed Valley and Wild Horse gold projects this year.

Following the success of the 2006 exploration season at theRed Valley gold project inQinghai Province, AngloGoldAshanti, through its subsidiary AngloGold China Holdings Limited has confirmed its interest in continuing to explore at the project this year.

Fox Resources restarted nickel production at its Radio Hill Operations in the Pilbara region ofWestern Australia.

While Fox was generating a cash flow from its West Whundo copper-zinc mine, the 2 ½ year nickel mining reserve announced in January this year, at Radio Hill, has enabled the company to switch back to nickel production.

Mission Biofuels plans to enter the Chinese biodiesel market through landmark production and off-take agreements.

The company expects the China operations to generate immediate revenue and profits through a variety of means including revenues are predicted in July, three months ahead of schedule due to the China production agreementwith East River Energy Resources and Science Technology (Zhejiang) Ltd (ER) , a new biodiesel producer in China; significant off-take agreements have been proposed withWuhan PetroChina Lubricant Co Ltd (Wuhan PetroChina), part of the PetroChina Group of companies,China"s largest producer and importer of oil; global feedstock and biodiesel ‘soil-to-oil" production strategy is on track

Nautilus Minerals has lodged 18 prospecting licence applications within the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Kingdom of Tonga, and a further two Special Prospecting Licences within the Exclusive Economic Zone of Fiji.

The applications cover a combined area of approximately 90,000sqkm

Golden China Resources Corporation has made some strategic changes to its executive management team and board of directors subsequent to the company"s recent amalgamation with Michelago Limited.

The adjustments — which support best practices in corporate governance by creating a board that is highly independent, consisting entirely of non-executive directors — follow the company"s recent migration from the Toronto Venture Exchange to the main board of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the Australian Securities Commission. The changes are also designed to guide the company through its next phase of growth.

QGX has received a positive screening study regarding the potential development of a Coal-To-Liquids (CTL) methanol plant associated with its Baruun Naran coal resource in southern Mongolia.

Western Australian uranium focussed explorer, Pegasus Metals Limited, is set to make its debut on the ASX this month under the Code: PUN after closing its IPO early and substantially oversubscribed.

TVI Pacific drilling segment has recorded a 204% increase in production from 2005 to 2006 from its Philippines and China operations.

Last year, the company drilled 58,946 metres for exploration contractors in the Philippines and China, representing a 204% increase in production compared with 19,370 metres drilled in 2005.

While Pan Australian Resources full year report shows a net loss of US$4.6 million for the full year to 31 December which includes depreciation and amortisation charges of US$4.5 million and a write-off of uneconomically recoverable gold in circuit of US$5.2 million, good news continues to greet the company"s construction of its Phu Kham copper-gold project.

Nautilus Minerals has contracted Canyon OffShore a member of the Helix Group to provide the vessel, remote operated vehicle (ROV) and drilling equipment for a major exploration, evaluation drilling and environmental base line study program, which begins this month, at Nautilus"s Solwara project inPapua New Guinea.

The program, which will involve between 160 and 210 days on the water, will start with environmental baseline studies at the Nautilus"s Solwara 1 Prospect then move to geophysical target generation throughout the Bismarck and Solomon where the company will target further mineralised systems.

Following this work, drilling is planned to start on the Solwara 1 prospect in early June 2007 to generate information for mine planning purposes. This drilling will utilise two ROV drill units currently being built by Perry Slingsby Systems Inc under contract to Canyon Offshore.

Fox Resources has signed a new off-take agreement with China"s Jinchuan Group Limited that allows Fox to sell a bulk concentrate of both nickel and copper to Jinchuan.

This is an important milestone for Fox as it provides further support for the quality of the Radio Hill underground operation in advance of the restart of its underground nickel mine in the second quarter of this year.

SOUTH Pacific-focused resource group Golden Rim Resources has appointed Craig Mackay as managing director to lead the company"s assessment of further growth opportunities in Fiji while simultaneously advancing a major drilling program at its Sabeto Gold Project, near Fiji"s capital Nadi.

The public environment review period has started for Grange Resources Limited proposed development plans for its 100%-owned Southdown Magnetite Project near Albany, Western Australia.

The Environmental Protection Authority released Grange"s Public Environmental Review (PER) for Southdown for public comment last month. The public comment phase will run for a fixed eight-week period with members of the community invited to make submissions by 16 April 2007.

Kentor Gold Ltd (ASX Code: KGL) is pleased to announce that the large An RD1500 drill rig has started drilling ahead on hole AKB-DD10 at Kentor Gold"s Akbel site.

A Longyear 38 drill rig is also on site and has started drilling in the Ishak Kechuu Prospect area.

Western Areas and Reed Resources have joined to explore three target areas at Mt Finnerty, 150km north-east of Forrestania in Western Australia.

Under the terms of the agreement, Western Areas can earn up to 65% interest in the nickel rights by funding two stages of exploration on the Mt Finnerty tenements which are granted and available for immediate work.