ECR Minerals has announced further positive assay results from surface and underground channel sampling at the Itogon epithermal gold project in the Philippines. Results continue to demonstrate gold mineralization at surface outside the zones tested by previous drilling.

B2Gold expects that Masbate Mine will meet the lower end of its 2014 production guidance range of 190,000 to 200,000 ounces of gold at an operating cash cost of approximately $765 to $800 per ounce. This forecast follows a change-out of the SAG mill during June which resulted in second quarter production falling by around 4%.

Bezant Resources, the AIM-listed copper-gold exploration and development company operating in the Philippines and Argentina, says it is working with other major operators in the Philippine mining sector in a bid to ascertain more about a potential new revenue-sharing tax regime that is being proposed. It says that the proposals are already having a negative impact on its business.

Mindoro Resources has signed two option agreements to acquire an additional 25% interest in the Agata project and an option to acquire an additional 25% interest in the Tapian San Francisco project, from its Philippine partner Minimax Mineral Exploration Corp. These projects are within the Surigao mining region on the island of Mindanao.

Cadan Resources is continuing to progress an internal strategic review and has completed a number of the short term objectives. The review includes examining the commencement of exploratory work in and around the T’Boli Gold Project.

St. Augustine Gold and Copper’s private placement with strategic partner and insider Queensberry Mining and Development Corp has closed. There were 145 million shares issued at a subscription price of US$0.10 per share, for proceeds of US$14.5 million.

Red Mountain Mining has identified a new high-grade gold target at the Lobo prospect of the Batangas project in southern Luzon. Rock chip sample results of up to 32.7 grams/tonne gold have been returned from the Signal target, which is about 1.5km west of Lobo’s South West Breccia (SWB) deposit.

RTG Mining has delivered further high grade copper, gold and iron intersections in the North and South mineralized zones at the Mabilo project. The results seem to have advanced the geological understanding and highlight down dip potential and extensions to the system in these zones.

TVI Pacific has completed the final closing of various investment and financing transactions involving Prime Resource Holdings Inc (PRHI), following satisfaction of certain conditions outlined in definitive agreements executed by TVI, PRHI and others on December 11, 2013.

Recent drilling at Red Mountain Mining’s Lobo prospect in the Batangas Gold Project has increased the Lobo gold resource by 37,000 ounces, or 82%. The increased resource is expected to have a positive impact on a definitive feasibility study which is expected to be completed by December.

ECR Minerals will carry out a second phase of drilling at the Itogon Gold Project following positive results of the initial phase. Planning for the second phase of drilling is under way utilizing 3D modelling of the first phase results.

Philex Mining Corp is allocating the majority of its capital expenditure budget this year to development of the Silangan Copper-Gold Project in Surigao del Norte. The company has allocated P3.2 billion to Silangan with a further P600-800 million for the Padcal operations in Benguet and other exploration expenses.

Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corp subsidiary Carmen Copper registered total copper-in-metal concentrate production of 24.21 million pounds in the March 2014 quarter from the Toledo Copper Complex, which represented a 17% year-on-year increase. The average daily milling capacity also improved to 47,743 tonnes.

Martina Minerals Corporation is running its activities at a low ebb in difficult financial markets with management continuing to work with potential investors and joint venture partners on its TRIMA 1 and TRIMA 2 projects near Monkayo in South Eastern Mindanao. The company requires additional funds to continue its operations, fund its associate and its acquisition and exploration activities and to become profitable.

MBMI Resources has entered into an agreement with DMCI Mining Corp for the sale of its interests in three Philippines-incorporated development companies (DevCos) – Narra Nickel Mining and Development Corporation, McArthur Mining, and Tesoro Mining and Development Corporation.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has suspended the mining operations of publicly-listed Marcventures Mining & Development Corp for violations of the mining law. The MGB says the decision came after an investigation showed the company was operating outside its mining tenement which the company had earlier denied.

Semirara Mining, the Philippines largest coal producer and a member of the Consuji-owned DMCI Holdings group, expects its profits to increase substantially following the resumption of operations in Antique. Mining was temporarily halted last year owing to a landslide.

Coal Asia Holdings is awaiting issuance of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) before it can move to the next phase of its exploration and anticipated commercial development at its coal operating contract in Davao Oriental.

DEBOTTLENECKING of OceanaGold’s Didipio process plant to achieve the planned annual 3.5 million tonne throughput rate is on schedule for completion by the end of the year. This process helped the company achieve record gold production of 30,480 ounces during the March quarter with 6479 tonnes of copper also produced.

INDOPHIL Resources is continuing to implement a revised work plan for the Tampakan Copper-Gold Project and is continuing discussions on clarification of Glencore’s intent in respect of its ongoing involvement in the project’s development. For the remainder of the year Sagittarius Mines, which is owned by Glencore and Indophil, intends to focus on the Philippine Government’s approval process along with the Indophil-funded Off-Lease Infrastructure - Environmental Impact Assessment (OLIEIA).