Aquarius Platinum began shipping concentrate from its Everest mine on the eastern limb of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa following restart of operations in mid-May 2010. Everest was shut down in December 2008 after a subsidence incidence blocked decline access to underground mining operations.

Vale announced on April 30, 2010, it will pay $2.5 billion for a 51% interest in BSG Resources (Guinea) Ltd. (BSGR), which holds iron ore concessions in southeast Guinea. The concessions include properties that at one time formed part of Rio Tinto’s Simandou concessions but that were repossessed by the government in 2008 and sold to BSGR, a company controlled by Israeli diamond trader Beny Steinmetz. Rio Tinto has signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinalco to form a joint venture to develop the Simandou properties it still holds (E&MJ, April 2010, p. 16).

Iamgold reported on May 3, 2010, it expects to begin processing ore through the mill at its new Essakane gold mine in northeast Burkina Faso in June, four to six weeks ahead of the previously announced production schedule and five to six months earlier than the originally projected start-up date of year-end 2010.The operation is expected to produce more than 500,000 oz of gold from start-up through to the end of 2011. Life-of-mine production estimates remain at 315,000 oz/y through to 2018. Life-of-mine average cash costs are projected at $400 to $410/oz. The project is coming in on budget at a capital cost of about $443 million.

ASX-listed Gold One International said it expects to double production rates this year at its flagship Modder East gold mine in South Africa.

The government of Botswana and De Beers, equal joint owners of Debswana Diamond Co., announced in late 2009 plans for major investments to extend the life of the Jwaneng open-pit diamond mine in Botswana, the world’s largest diamond mine by production value.