Agata Mining Ventures Inc (AMVI), a joint venture company involving TVI Pacific (60%) and Mindoro Resources (40%), completed three shipments of high-iron/low nickel direct shipping ore (DSO) during March 2015, for expected gross proceeds of US$1.93 million, from the Agata nickel laterite project in northern Mindanao.

Agata Mining Ventures Inc (AMVI), a joint venture company in which TVI Resources Development holds 60% and Mindoro Resources holds a 40% interest, has completed its sixth and seventh shipments of high-iron/low nickel direct shipping ore (DSO) from its Agata DSO operations in northern Mindanao.

Higher nickel prices and increased demand due to a ban on shipments of ore from Indonesia are expected to lead to a number of IPOs on the Philippines Stock Exchange this year by nickel producers aiming to take advantage of the favourable conditions by expanding existing operations and possibly starting new ones.

B2Gold Corp last week announced the shooting death of two security guards at the company’s Masbate Gold Project (MGP) operation on Masbate Island in the Philippines. The incident occurred in the early hours of February 11, 2015.

Medusa Mining’s Philippines operating company, Philsaga Mining Corporation (PMC), has completed an upgrade to the L8 Shaft at the Co-O Gold Project in northeast Mindanao. The upgrade has been completed and commissioned on schedule and the Level 8 underground operations resumed on afternoon shift on January 13.

ECR Minerals has increased its exposure to the Itogon Gold Project in Benguet Province through the purchase of 358,000 common shares of Tiger International Resources. Tiger is the parent company of Cordillera Tiger Gold Resources, a Philippine corporation which holds the exploration permit comprising the Itogon epithermal project.

AGATA Processing Inc (API), expected to complete a definitive feasibility study (DFS) by the end of 2014 for a nickel processing plant at the Agata project in northern Mindanao. The proposed nickel processing plant will use a proprietary and innovative combination of two proven technologies that aim to achieve maximum nickel recovery at low operating and initial capital cost.

B2Gold Corp achieved record quarterly gold production of 62,972 ounces at the Masbate mine. This was approximately 34%, or almost 16,000 ounces, higher than both budget and production in the fourth quarter of 2013.

A combination of the increased Australian dollar gold price and substantially reduced diesel fuels costs in the Philippines has resulted in an increase in projected free cash flow, from Aus$30 million to Aus$45 million, for Red Mountain Mining’s Batangas Gold Project.

ECR Minerals plc announces that the second phase of drilling at the Itogon Gold Project has commenced. ECR is the operator of the project and has the right to earn a 50% interest therein.

OceanaGold Corporation expects production at its Didipio operation to increase during 2015 and has set a production range of 100,000 to 120,000 ounces of gold and 21,000 to 23,000 tonnes of copper. The company also expects slightly higher production from its New Zealand gold operations and has set a production range of 195,000 to 215,000 ounces.

TVI Pacific and its Philippine affiliate TVI Resource Development (Phils) (TVIRD), announce that Agata Mining Ventures Inc (AMVI) completed two shipments of high-iron/low-nickel direct shipping ore (DSO) for gross proceeds of US$1.34 million during December from the Agata project in northern Mindanao.

Red 5 Limited advises that a cease and desist order has been lifted from Siana Gold Project's processing operations by the Philippine’s Mines and Geoscience Bureau. The mine has been on care and maintenance since April 2013, when the external wall of the tailings dam was compromised by subsidence.

ECR Minerals will begin a program of diamond drilling on or about January 15 at the Itogon Gold Project in Benguet Province, northern Philippines. ECR is the operator of Itogon and has the right to earn a 50% interest in the project.

St Augustine Gold and Copper Ltd, a development-stage company advancing the King-king Copper-Gold Project in Mindanao, has announced that its private placement has closed over-subscribed for total gross proceeds of US$7.5 million.

Red Mountain Mining has signed a binding Strategic Financing Partnership Agreement with London-backed private company Bluebird Merchant Ventures. The financing of US5.5 million (Aus$6.7 million) will be allocated to the Batangas Gold Project 120km south of Manila, with the project now funded until initial development.

Medusa Mining, through Philippine operating company, Philsaga Mining Corporation (PMC), has signed contracts with the Department of Energy for 9000 hectares of Coal Operating Contracts (COCs) containing well-defined coal measures immediately to the east of the company’s Co-O gold mining and milling operations.

TVI Pacific and its Philippine affiliate, TVI Resource Development (Phils) (TVIRD), have entered the final phase of permitting at the Balabag Gold-Silver Project in Zamboanga del Sur province. TVIRD is fulfilling the final requirements necessary for approval of its Declaration of Mining Project Feasibility (DMPF) from the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In an interim update issued on December 23 B2Gold stated that its Masbate Gold Project operations remained on track to deliver to the updated guidance for 2014 of approximately 180,000 ounces of gold. The company also said that the SAG mill was continuing to perform well.

Mindoro Resources has arranged for a Can$500,000 bridge loan from TVI Resource Development (Phils) with the proceeds primarily used to fund outstanding obligations to Minimax Mineral Exploration Corporation for the acquisition of Minimax’s 25% interest in the Agata project. Other proceeds will be used for outstanding obligations to Mindoro’s former CEO Tony Climie as well as for general working capital.