Kincora Copper is still confident it will have its revoked Golden Grouse licences in Mongolia returned or some form of monetary compensation received. Mongolia’s government has started the process of re-tendering for some of the 106 licences revoked, but Kincora has yet to have any indication of its threshold price or be given a timeline for the re-tender of its Golden Grouse licence.

Turquoise Hill Resources reports that on December 3 there was a fire in one of the ball mill cyclone packs at the Oyu Tolgoi concentrator. There were no injuries but the concentrator was shutdown to ensure the safety of employees and to allow appropriate inspections by relevant authorities.

Modun Resources has signed a conditional agreement to sell the Nuurst Coal Project for a total potential consideration of US$8 million. A second unsigned conditional offer from a competing party is also being considered.

Viking Mines has commenced its planned drilling program at the Berkh Uul Coal Project in northeast Mongolia. The program is designed to infill and extend existing drill coverage, commencing in the northeast of the licence area where there is pre-existing drilling within the confines of the 38 million tonne resource.

Turquoise Hill Resources, Rio Tinto and the Government of Mongolia continue to work together with the aim of resolving remaining shareholder matters and finalizing project finance to develop the underground mine at the Oyu Tolgoi Copper-Gold Project. Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto have made an offer to the Government of Mongolia to resolve shareholder matters in a manner the company believes is beneficial to all stakeholders.

SouthGobi Resources has delayed payment of the November 2014 instalment of cash interest due on the secured convertible debenture it entered into with a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Investment Corporation (CIC) and continues to seek additional funds.

DRILLING by Xanadu Mines has demonstrated the economic potential and exploration upside of the Kharmagtai Copper-Gold Project in the South Gobi region. The drilling has intersected further high-grade tourmaline breccia hosted copper-gold mineralization.

THE Ekhgoviin Chuluu Joint Venture (ECJV) between Aspire Mining and the Noble Group has intersected coal in all six exploration holes drilled at the Nuurstei Coking Coal Project in northern Mongolia. Exploration drilling began in September and was expected to be completed by the middle of October.

THE international mining and multi-sector trade fair Expo Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar next March will provide a platform for all industry players who want to expand their market in North Asia. The event is a follow-up to Future Mongolia and will be held at the Buyant Ukhaa Sport Palace from March 23 to 25.

HARANGA Resources is continuing its transition from explorer to developer with its Selenge Iron Ore Project in northern Mongolia. As part of this process metallurgical test work is under way, the pre-mining agreement with the Mineral Resource Authority of Mongolia (MRAM) is signed, and a study for a start-up operation to achieve early production and cash flow is in progress.

A resource definition drilling program is under way on Erdene Resource Development Corp’s wholly-owned Altan Nar gold-polymetallic project in the Tien Shan Gold Belt in southwest Mongolia. The drilling will seek to establish a near-surface, NI 43-101 compliant resource estimate at the two most advanced target areas within the 5.6km Altan Nar trend, now host to 18 target areas. RungePincockMinarco LLC has been selected to complete the mineral resource estimate.

Mongolia’s parliament has voted to remove Prime Minister Norov Altankhuyag. The decision was made amid concerns about a serious economic downturn as metal prices and foreign direct investment slump.

Aspire Mining’s Mongolian rail infrastructure subsidiary Northern Railways LLC has signed an EPC Framework Agreement with China Railway 20 Bureau Group Corporation (CR20G), a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Railways Construction Corporation (CRCC).

Following the success of its first 2014 campaign Xanadu Mines has launched a supplementary exploration program at its Kharmagtai Copper-Gold Project in the South Gobi region.

Aspire Mining is pleased to announce that a new National Rail Policy has been approved by a strong majority at a recent sitting of the Mongolian Parliament. The new policy includes the extension of rail from Erdenet to Ovoot and on to the Russian border at Arts Suuri.

Centerra Gold has increased its 2014 production guidance for the Boroo Gold Project from 45,000 to 50,000 ounces. The new guidance reflects increased production due to higher than expected recoveries in the first nine months of the current year from both the mill and heap leach operations. The forecasted annual production includes about 25,000 ounces from heap leaching and 25,000 ounces from the mill. The Boroo mill is expected to process ore stockpiles during the last quarter of the year with an average grade of 0.66 grams/tonne.

Techenomics Mongolia has completed filtering transformer oil for Thermal Power Plant 4, the leading energy supplier in Mongolia, financially saving the company thousands of litres of transformer and turbine oil, enabling positive environmental outcomes.

SUPREME Group, a leader in the provision of end-to-end supply chain solutions in challenging environments, has been awarded a contract to provide catering, cleaning, laundry and security services for Mongolia's first wind farm project. The contract was awarded by Clean Energy, a joint venture between Newcom Group, General Electric (GE), European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Netherlands Development Bank (FMO).

MODUN Resources continues to focus on sourcing a local partner to help fund development of the Nuurst Thermal Coal Project. The ASX-listed company says that discussions with a number of potential partners remain ongoing.

NEW research from The University of Queensland (UQ) has helped find practical solutions to gender-based violence issues stemming from Mongolia's mining boom. A UQ Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining research project has helped prompt a $280,000 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mongolia's National Committee on Gender Equality and the Erdenes Tavan Tolgoi mining company.