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Gold/Mining/Energy : Mining News of Note -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LoneClone who wrote (36565)	5/5/2009 1:06:28 PM
From: LoneClone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 195027

South Australia’s operating mines to grow to 11 by year-end – Premier miningweekly.com By: Esmarie Swanepoel 4th May 2009 JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Australia is likely to have 11 operating mines by the end of 2009, 16 by the end of next year, Premier Mike Rann said on Monday. In 2002, South Australia had only four operating mines. During 2008, the region recorded an average annual spending of A$317,5-million on mining and exploration, and Rann noted that more than 20 mineral projects were currently at the advanced exploration or resource assessment stage, or were progressing through to prefeasibility stage. “The latest figures show that our state’s mineral exports for the year to February 2009, were A$3,1-billion, an increase of half-a-billion dollars over a 12-month period, during a turbulent worldwide economic climate,” he stated at the opening of this year’s South Australian Resources and Energy Investment Conference. This meant that the minerals sector had now eclipsed the other export sectors, including the wine industry. It also accounted for around 30% of South Australia’s total merchandise exports. “As a result, we are now considering significantly raising our mineral production target in South Australia’s Strategic Plan, which currently aims for annual production worth A$3-billion, by 2014.” Rann stated that this would underscore the confidence that the state had in the ongoing growth and prosperity of the resources industry. “The underlying strength of many of the minerals projects currently under way in South Australia is that they feature an expected mine life well in excess of the average ten years. South Australia also benefits from the fact that we are strongly endowed with resources such as gold and uranium that have held their value amid the recent economic downturn,” he said. Meanwhile, Rann said that the Department of Primary Industries and Resources had set a target of approving new mining lease applications within six months of submission of an application. The target, which was announced earlier this year, aims to maintain and protect the state’s resources investment against increasing competing government-backed exploration incentives emerging in Western Australia and Queensland, particularly. Rann noted that the government’s commitment and support to the mining sector could also be seen through the next phase of the plan for accelerating exploration (Pace) programme, which would include round six of the collaborative drilling programme. This new programme would include diamond drilling in unexplored areas in the north of the state, along the largest continuous seismic line in South Australia. “We remain committed to providing the most efficient, transparent and timely approvals, and to providing investors with the confidence they need to make long-term commitments in the resources and energy sector.” Rann concluded that the South Australian government was taking a long-term view of the sector, and was looking beyond the current economic downturn, towards the emerging upswing. “The mining and energy industries are transforming South Australia’s economic landscape, and will continue to do so for years, for decades, and for generations to come.”