MSHA impact inspections in June target 15 mines

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) completed impact inspections at 15 mines in 12 states in June 2024 and cited mine operators for 195 violations. The agency conducts impact inspections at mines that merit increased agency attention and enforcement due to poor compliance history; previous accidents, injuries, and illnesses; and other compliance…

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First silver-gold shipments leave Guitarra mine

Operator Sierra Madre Gold and Silver said its first shipments of silver and gold concentrates have left the property of its Guitarra operations complex in Estado de Mexico in Mexico. The shipment, which departed July 25, contained 90.68 dry metric tonnes (DMT) made up of approximately 3,000 grams of silver and 30 grams gold. The company has approximately 90 more…

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Luca Mining completes Tahuehueto mine

Luca Mining Corp. has completed construction of its Tahuehueto underground operation in Durango State, Mexico. The gold mine has a 1,000-tonne-per-day nameplate processing capacity. “We are extremely pleased with our progress at the Tahuehueto gold mine. Processing rates are currently averaging 450 [t/d] and we expect to steadily increase over the coming weeks to reach commercial production in September 2024,”…

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Idaho Copper to update project PEA

Idaho Copper has recently hired three mining consulting and engineering firms to commence comprehensive core scanning and ore sorting programs designed to result in an updated preliminary economic assessment (PEA) for its copper-molybdenum-silver deposit in Idaho. “We are pleased to continue technical work for the CuMo project, and our goal is to have updated results to share with the public…

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MSHA safety alerts: Electric arc flashes, customer truck drivers

MSHA has reported that in the last six months, 11 miners received injuries due to electric arc flashes. In one instance, two miners were injured by an arc flash while performing maintenance on a breaker box; another, two contract miners received burns while checking the rotation on a transformer. The agency recommends the following best practices to avoid this type…

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Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 Introduced

U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen American energy security by accelerating the permitting process for critical energy and mineral projects of all types in the United States. “The United States of America…

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Black Butte Coal allegedly initiates more layoffs

After laying off 19 employees in November, Black Butte Coal Co. has allegedly started a second round of layoffs at its surface mine in Sweetwater County, Wyo., reported Wyoming Public Radio citing a SweetwaterNOW article. In this latest round, 30 employees are likely to be laid off – about a third of the company’s current payroll.  “Some of these people…

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Wildfire causes Artemis to evacuate Blackwater mine

Artemis Gold has responded to a wildfire evacuation order issued across a region that includes its Blackwater mine in British Columbia. The company has proactively removed all non-essential staff and contractors from the mine site as of July 21.  “The safety and wellbeing of our employees and contractors is always our top priority,” said CEO Steven Dean. “Meanwhile, we are…

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Thiess selected as partner for Stobie project

Vale Base Metals has signed an agreement with Thiess, where the mining services company will work closely with the United Steelworkers and local Indigenous businesses to extract critical minerals from Vale’s Stobie open-pit mining project in Ontario, Canada. “This is a first-of-its-kind contract for Vale,” said Gord Gilpin, director of Ontario Operations for Vale Base Metals. “It delivers on our…

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