CMKM Diamonds Inc. (fka CMKX)

[pennypauly]

OT: CANADIAN MINING JOURNAL, 6PM-EST

Daily News Sunday, August 06, 2006
OIL SANDS EXPANSION - Shell ready to proceed

CALGARY - SHELL CANADA has issued a formal proposal to its partners to proceed with Phase I expansion of the Athabasca oil sands project, that includes the Muskeg River mine. WESTERN OIL SANDS (20%) and CHEVRONTEXACO (20%) have 90 days to respond.

Only two weeks ago, Shell said the anticipated cost of expanding the project had grown 50% to $7.3 billion (see CMJ Net News, July 16, 2006).

Shell wants to boost daily production by 100,000 bbl, reaching a rate of 255,000 bbl/day by late 2009. The project will be integrated with the existing facilities. It includes developing a new mine on Lease 13 and adding capacity at the Scotford upgrader. Within the next decade, the company wants to reach daily production of 550,000 bbl.

The Athabasca oil sands project is discussed in detail at www.Shell.ca.
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Daily News Sunday, August 06, 2006
TITANIUM DEVELOPMENT - Tiomin raises funds for Kwale project

KENYA - Toronto-based TIOMIN RESOURCES has arranged project financing for the Kwale titanium mineral sands project 40 km south of Mombassa. The company has arranged both a senior and a junior loan facility of US$120 million and US$35 million, respectively, plus a cost overrun facility of US$25 million. Funds from an earlier, US$60-million equity financing have been released. Total cost of the Kwale project is estimated at US$178 million.

Tiomin is preparing for production by the end of 2008. The EPCM contract has been let to AUSENCO of Australia, with detailed design and construction to begin this month. The initial production rate will be 330,000 tonnes of ilmenite, 75,000 tonnes of rutile and 40,000 tonnes of zircon per year.

"We are also pleased to announce further sale contracts, which now account for near 100% of the planned output over life of mine," announced Tiomin president and CEO Jean-Charles Potvin. "At current prices for these products, Kwale is expected to generate approximately US$70 million in annual sales for the first five years of production. Global consumption of titanium and zircon is expected to continue growing at approximately 3% per year."

Details and photos of the Kwale project are posted at www.Tiomin.com.
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Daily News Sunday, August 06, 2006
EXCAVATOR - Hitachi EX8000 goes to work at Horizon oil sands project

ALBERTA - With fanfare befitting a dignitary, NORTH AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION GROUP commissioned Canada's (and the world's) second HITACHI EX8000 hydraulic shovel. Hitachi's newest and largest shovel has gone to work removing overburden from the Horizon oil sands mine north of Fort McMurray. The US$8.0-billion development is being readied for production in 2008 by CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES of Calgary.

The commissioning ceremony was held in April 2006 and marked the kick-off of the EX8000 as a production machine. People who attended the ceremony got to see the machine do what it does best: quickly and efficiently move mind-numbing volumes of material. Working from a below-grade location, the shovel put every bit of its 40-m³ bucket capacity to work, filling a steady stream of EH5000 haul trucks in four quick, efficient passes. A short demonstration of its impressive manoeuvrability (an ability that belies its mammoth size) wrapped up the demonstration.

The celebration at the Horizon project also marked the official opening of North American's 4,830.8-m² maintenance facility. Truly massive in scale to accommodate the huge equipment on site, the facility boasts high ceilings, a five-port, high-pressure wash area, a spacious welding area, and overhead cranes capable of 50-t lifts.

North American Construction (www.NACG.ca) has already purchased a second EX8000 to be delivered later this year.

Readers fluent in Japanese may want to peruse "Road to Canada: EX8000" at www.Hitachi-
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