http://www.miningweekly.com/article/dmr-grants-ivanhoe-platreef-m...

http://www.miningweekly.com/article/dmr-grants-ivanhoe-platreef-mining-right-2014-06-02

DMR grants Ivanhoe Platreef mining right

"JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) has granted a long-term mining right to TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines for its Platreef project, in Limpopo, the company announced on Monday.

Ivanhoe now had the right to mine and process all platinum-group metals (PGMs), nickel, copper, gold and certain associated metals and minerals from the Platreef project mining area, subject to the company complying with the terms on which the mining right was granted – including the requisite environmental management programme becoming effective, which was expected in due course.

It was expected that the mining right, when executed, would be valid for an initial period of up to 30 years, after which it would be renewable for an unlimited number of consecutive periods of up to 30 years each, the company said.

“The awarding of this mining right is hugely significant not only for Ivanhoe but for South Africa’s mining industry as a whole and is a culmination of Ivanhoe’s exploration in the Bushveld for the past 16 years,” Ivanhoe executive chairperson Robert Friedland said.

He also noted that the Flatreef deposit, which was discovered during a deep-drilling programme launched in 2007, was projected to become Africa's lowest-cost producer of PGMs."continues

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The race is on.....
Juniors are getting the green light,imo.
They have to be very competitive and be better than the operators they will replace....or merge with..or?