LEADING coal producer Inner Mongolia Yitai Coal Co Ltd has gained approval for a 29.1 billion yuan (US$4.2 billion) coal-to-liquids (CTL) project in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Once completed, the project is expected to produce 2.15 million tonnes of diesel, naphtha, liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas, as well as 157,700 tonnes of other chemical products.

AFTER serving the energy demands of the state of Sarawak in East Malaysia effectively and efficiently for 70 years, Sarawak Energy is looking outwards and has started powering up areas beyond the state, including Indonesia.

BESRA hopes that its long awaited refinancing and restructuring will be approved by the Ontario Securities Commission in Canada enabling it to refocus efforts on the large Bau Goldfield exploration project in East Malaysia. The company has made application to the commission to partially revoke the Cease Trade Order (CTO) of December 29, 2014 and amended on March 4, 2015.

AN independent confirmation metallurgical test work program has been recommended and designed for the Intec Sulphide Ore Treatment process at Monument Mining’s Selinsing Gold Project. The program was carried out by Orway Metallurgical Consultants after a review of results from the second Intec pilot campaign.

PENINSULAR Gold aims to resume gold production at the Raub project in July after receiving notification from authorities that the operation is in compliance with environmental conditions. Peninsular suspended operations on December 2, 2014, while it resolved the potential issue of the tailings storage facility’s location.

EXPLORATION by Monument Mining is focused on replacement of oxide ore and discovery of new gold deposits at Selinsing and Buffalo Reef areas. Further studies of regional geological structures continue in a bid to define new targets.

Monument Mining announces that a trial for the 5% joint venture claim against it which was originally scheduled on July 28 to July 31, 2015, was taken off the trial list by the Shah Alam High Court pending disposal of the application for a stay of proceeding filed by Monument, Able Return Sdn Bhd (ARSB) and Selinsing Gold Mine Manager Sdn Bhd (SGMM).

Monument Mining achieved gold production, net of gold doré in transit and refinery adjustment, of 9346 ounces at the Selinsing Gold Project during the March quarter, a 25% increase over the 7487 ounces produced in the corresponding period of 2014. The company said the increase was mainly due to higher average ore head grade.

LYNAS Corporation has improved core capabilities and grown strategic customer relationships providing a firm platform for future growth. These improvements have been recognized by the company’s two key debt providers who have agreed to make changes to their debt agreements.

MONUMENT Mining has delayed the start-up of iron and copper production at Mengapur Polymetallic Project until further notice due to depressed and volatile commodity prices. The main plant at Mengapur has been put on care and maintenance while some work continues at a reduced level.

PENINSULAR Gold’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM) has secured agreement from Alkhair International Islamic Bank Ltd to defer its quarterly capital repayments until June 2015. Alkhair had previously agreed to defer its quarterly repayments from December 2014 until March 2015.

BESRA is in the final stages of closing a long-awaited corporate financing which the company hopes will set it on a path to recovery, progress development of its world-class Central Bau project in Sarawak, East Malaysia and enable migration of Besra’s incorporation to New Zealand, as approved by shareholders.

Monument Mining will delay the start-up of producing iron and copper metal at the Mengapur Polymetallic Project in Pahang State until further notice due to depressed and volatile commodity prices. The main plant at the Mengapur site will be put on care and maintenance while some work will continue at a reduced level.

Monument Mining and Able Return Sdn Bhd have filed a writ at the Kuantan High Court against Summer Empire Sdn Bhd and Kesit Pty Ltd claiming 100% of the issued shares of Selinsing Mine Sdn Bhd (SMSB).

Monument Mining has been granted an interim licence from Intec International Projects to exploit and test Intec’s technology for copper and gold recovery. The licence also enables Monument to use its Selinsing Gold Process Plant as an alpha site.

Owing to the sharp decline of the iron ore market and predictions that low iron is here for some years to come due to oversupply, Monument Mining has re-thought its focus on production of iron from its Mengapur project as a main marketable product. While not abandoning iron, will concentrate and refocus on high grade magnetite and copper.

Peninsular Gold’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd (RAGM), which operates the company’s Raub gold mine, has been in discussions with Malaysian environmental authorities regarding additional operational requirements which the authorities have sought to attach to the current environmental consent which governs operations at Raub.

Monument Mining has obtained a stay from the Federal Court against the Court of Appeal’s decision to deposit a US$9.4 million by the company into a joint account maintained by legal counsels of the respective parties to the lawsuit.

MONUMENT Mining continues to consider various options to treat transitional and sulphide material at the Selinsing Gold Project as part of the proposed phase IV development. In the meantime, the Selinsing plant is being fed with low grade oxide ore and stockpiled materials discharged from the mill in the early stage of production.

Monument Mining announces that its appeal filed at Court of Appeal in Putrajaya on July 23 2014 against the interim injunctive relief was heard on September 30, 2014 and was dismissed.