The latest issue of International Mining Project News is now available (May 23). In addition to almost 35 feasibility and prefeasibility studies, it reports on some 40 projects in development and notes a higher than normal number of new mines going into production over the past two weeks. Big news is Coeur d’Alene Mines noting that San Bartolome, “the world’s largest pure silver mine” is now in the final stages of startup. Peñasquito is another big one and Goldcorp has poured its first gold at that project in Zacatecas, Mexico. Nearly 2 Mt of ore has been stacked on the heap leach pads, “with percolation rates, heap chemistry and gold recovery rates meeting or exceeding expectations,” the company reports. Peñasquito will be an Operations Focus feature in the September issue of International Mining. Another one starting up is River Diamonds’ 100% owned Vatukoula gold mine in Fiji. At European Minerals Corp’s Varvarinskoye gold/copper project in Kazakhstan further positive progress has been made in bringing the plant to commercial production. In the same country, Hambledon Mining reports its first export of gold from Sekisovskoye and the positive results of the study into the underground resource. The commissioning program of Avoca Resources’ new 1 Mt/y CIL treatment plant at Higginsville in Western Australia has commenced. La Mancha Resources and its Australian joint venture partner Dioro Exploration, report that the first gold from ore mined underground at the Frog’s Leg project near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia has been poured. Fortescue Metals Group (see also International Mining magazine April) commenced loading its first commercial shipment of iron ore from the ‘Herb Elliott Port’ at Port Hedland for delivery to major Chinese customer Baosteel. Meanwhile Atlas Iron is planning to commence operations and export of iron ore in October this year from its Pardoo project located 75 km east of Port Hedland in the Pilbara.To receive the full 35+ page report, subscriptions to this service can be registered and paid for on-line (SUBSCRIBE TO IM PROJECT NEWS BUTTTON), or contact [email protected] for a free trial copy.