ENCOURAGING results have been received from the 2016 drilling campaign at Era Resources’ Yandera Copper Project. The drilling may add extra resources with an updated estimate expected by the end of 2016.

ST Barbara Limited achieved record annual production of 110,286 ounces at Simberi Gold Project during the financial year ending June 30, 2016. This was 39% higher than the 79,568 ounces produced in FY15 and exceeded the FY16 guidance of 100,000 to 110,000 ounces.

HIGHLANDS Pacific and joint venture partner Anglo American have recommenced exploration drilling at the Star Mountains Copper-Gold Project in Papua New Guinea. The US$3 million program, which will increase the 2016 Star Mountains exploration budget to US$9 million, was due to commence in September and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2016.

NEWCREST Mining achieved record gold production of 900,034 ounces at its Lihir mine during the financial year ending June 30, 2016. The production increase was made possible by record grinding throughput of 12.1 million tonnes for the 12 months.

THE Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture has submitted an application for a Special Mining Lease (SML) for the Wafi-Golpu Copper-Gold Project with the Mineral Resources Authority of Papua New Guinea. The 50:50 JV partners are Newcrest Mining and Harmony Gold Mining Company.

HARMONY Gold has signed an agreement to purchase Newcrest PNG 1, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Newcrest Mining which holds Newcrest’s 50% interest in the Hidden Valley joint venture, for a cash consideration of US$1. This will give Harmony 100% ownership of the mine.

ENCOURAGING results have been received from drilling at Harmony Gold’s Kili Teke Copper-Gold Project in the Papua New Guinea Central Highlands, west of the operating Porgera mine. The drilling is being carried out in a bid to expand the maiden Kili Teke resource along strike and down dip.

WITH the reverse takeover between Otterburn Resources Corp and K92 Holdings International Limited complete, K92 Mining is concentrating on restarting mining and processing at the Kainantu Gold Project. A new detailed mine plan for the Irumafimpa deposit is guiding the process.

THE recently completed feasibility study for the Frieda River Copper-Gold Project outlines a much larger-than-expected development with a $US3.6 billion cost. It contemplates a large-scale, open-pit mining operation feeding ore to a conventional process plant with nominal annual throughput capacity of 40 million tonnes.

A Special Mining Lease (SML) application for PanAust Limited’s Frieda River Copper-Gold Project in Papua New Guinea has been registered with the Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) of PNG. The application follows completion of the project feasibility study.

KULA Gold and WCB Resources are considering the possibility of a joint venture which would bring together Kula’s Woodlark Island Gold Project and WCB’s nearby Misima Gold Project. Both assets are on islands in Milne Bay Province and the companies believe there is significant upside in a joint development.

STUDIES for the Golpu component of the Wafi-Golpu Joint Venture between Harmony Gold and Newcrest Mining have confirmed a robust investment case that supports proceeding with the project. Study results are supported by high grades and early cash flow while costs will be in the lowest quartile for copper.

A NEW custom-built processing plant and new underground mining equipment are expected to increase gold production at Crater Gold Mining’s High Grade Zone (HGZ) mine. The plant is being installed after arriving in Papua New Guinea from China and then being airlifted by a Mil8 heavy lift helicopter from Goroka 50km to the mine site.

Otterburn Resources Corp recently announced that K92 Holdings International Limited has entered into financing agreements with CRH Funding II Pte Ltd, an affiliate of Cartesian Royalty Holdings and Cartesian Capital Group, which are expected to assist in restarting the Kainantu Gold Project in Papua New Guinea.

The Solwara 1 Joint Venture comprising Nautilus Minerals and Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited 15% has been advised that Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) on the Subsea Slurry and Lift Pump (SSLP) has commenced at the GE Oil & Gas manufacturing facility in Houston, USA. The SSLP will be used in the seafloor mining project of the JV in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea.

The upgraded custom-built gold processing plant for Crater Gold Mining’s HGZ gold mine has arrived in Papua New Guinea from China. The plant is at the company’s premises in Goroka awaiting an air lift to the mine, which forms part of the Crater Gold Project.

Indonesia’s mining ministry has recommended that Freeport McMoRan be issued a permit to export copper from its Grasberg operations in Papua province of eastern Indonesia. The recommendation will now be sent to the trade ministry, which has the power to issue export permits.

The Solwara 1 Joint Venture comprising Nautilus Minerals and Eda Kopa (Solwara) Limited has taken delivery of the three Seafloor Production Tools (SPTs) to be used in the Solwara 1 seafloor project in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea.

A sampling program conducted by Crater Gold Mining has led to confirmation of a new mineralized zone 430 metres south of the HGZ Gold Project in Papua New Guinea. The new zone has been named the South Artisan Workings (SAW) Zone.