Tin rose 4.5 per cent, or $US545, on dwindling supplies. It...

Tin rose 4.5 per cent, or $US545, on dwindling supplies. It closed at $US16,970/tonne on news that inventories at the SFE are getting low. At that price, the metal is within a thousand or two dollars of the level that would allow juniors to dust off their stalled projects.

A few weeks ago Kasbah Resources (KAS) came up with what it called a “small start” option of focusing on higher-grade ore at its Morocco project and slicing capital costs — and production ones, too, with the metal to be produced at a cost of $US12,500/tonne. Meanwhile, Thomson Resources (TMZ) has thought fit to start a new round of drilling near the historic Ardlethan mine in NSW, with grades up to 2.1 per cent, which is impressive in tin terms.