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BHP Billiton will stick to its controversial plan to send uranium-infused copper concentrate to China for processing, if it moves ahead with expanding the showpiece Olympic Dam mine. In its draft environmental impact statement for the Olympic Dam expansion, released in Adelaide yesterday, BHP outlined its most detailed plans yet for the project, which will tap into the world's largest known uranium body and fourth-largest copper deposit.

MELBOURNE -(Dow Jones)- BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP) has boosted the size of the copper and uranium resource at its giant Olympic Dam mine in South Australia state, which is slated for a multibillion dollar expansion.

MELBOURNE -(Dow Jones)- BHP Billiton Ltd. (BHP.AU) said Tuesday it has boosted the total ore reserves at its Olympic Dam copper and uranium mine in South Australia state, although ore grades have fallen slightly.

"We have to make decisions now on how we see demand 20 years out," BHP uranium unit President Graeme Hunt, who's in charge of the Australian mine, said yesterday in Adelaide. "This is not a project we can move too quickly with."The cost of Olympic Dam, the world's biggest uranium deposit and fourth-largest copper lode, may rise threefold to as much as US$15 billion,

"Contract confirmed for 11 GW hydropower in Brazil 14 February 2011 Alstom signs a €500 million contract with Norte Energia de Brazil to provide hydropower equipment for the 11,230 MW Belo Monte Dam, Brazil."

Good shortlist of mining challenges/trends: * Tailing dams: 'failing forward' * Intelligent exploration * EPCM partnership * Circularity * Automation & robotics * New resources