BHP Billiton prospecting licence extended

Maputo, Mozambique — MININGREVIEW.COM — 07 April 2009 – The government of Mozambique has decided to extend BHP Billiton Limited’s prospecting licence for the US$800 million (R7.7 billion) Chibuto Sands project in the southern Gaza province by another two years.

Revealing this development, the Maputo-based newspaper Noticias cited mines minister Esperanca Bias as saying that studies carried out at the concession showed the mineral sands to be “of excellent quantity.”

BHP is reported to envisage what is described as “a world-scale, integrated, open-cut mining concentration and smelting operation at Chibuto to produce titania slag and iron, as well as the minerals rutile and zircon,” according to the company Web site.