(MENAFN- ProactiveInvestors)Diving straight in with Atlantic Coal (LON:ATC) which revealed what Adam Wilson the company's chairman described as a 'remarkable' turnaround. In the six months to June 30 Atlantic Coal delivered sales of US$10.4mln up 9.7% on the corresponding period a year ago and an increase in profit from operations of just over US$4.4mln as last year's small loss turned into a profit of US$4.24mln. In other coal-related news a commercial coal mine at the Tatu project in New Zealand moved step further to fruition as Strategic Minerals (LON:SML) entered contracts to produce a bulk sample from the site at North Island. Once the sample has been delivered it will be tested by consultants and potential clients to ensure its suitability for their processes the AIM firm said. They were two of the biggest stories of the week along with African Potash (LON:AFPO) which announced its first supply deal following the landmark agreement struck earlier this month with Comesa - the free trade union of 20 African countries. The company has now entered a memorandum of understanding with a Zambian fertiliser supply group for more than 50000 tonnes of fertiliser. Staying in Africa Bushveld Minerals (LON:BMN) is making progress across its portfolio and while the focus is exploration mining is "within reach" it told investors reporting 2015 results. The vanadium project in South Africa is the flagship and in the longer term the firm sees cash flows from that helping to finance other projects. Meanwhile sales from Sierra Rutile's (LON:SRX) mine in Sierra Leone dropped significantly in the six months to June 2015 primarily due to lower rutile sales volumes as inventory and scheduling issues came to the fore. However the company said second half sales are fully contracted and that sales volumes are 'heavily weighted' to the second half of the year. Premier African Minerals (LON:PREM) revealed modifications to the processing plant at the RHA project have now been installed. The company added that the anticipated operational benefits of the plant have also now been confirmed. Away from Africa Asiamet Resources (LON:ARS) uncovered a high-grade copper zone at Beruang Kanan (BK) in Kalimantan Indonesia that has the potential to transform the economics of the project. The latest hole produced an 11 metre section containing 2.96% copper. Significantly it was intercepted from just six metres below surface. Sticking with copper recent mapping and sampling work at the Aguinaga prospect within the wider Cascabel project currently being worked up by Solgold (LON:SOLG) has given significant grounds for encouragement that the company is sitting on a cluster of copper-gold porphyrys. Elsewhere the highlight of Stratex's (LON:STI) interim results is surely the comment that construction of the mine at the Altintepe gold project in Turkey is 'on track' and that first gold is due to be poured by the end of the third quarter of this year. That will be a defining moment for Stratex in its journey from explorer and project generator to producer. Also related to the yellow metal a highlight of Galantas Gold's (LON:GAL) latest quarter was the receipt of approval for an underground mine at Omagh in Northern Ireland. After the three months to June 30 the AIM firm also completed a private placing raising C$2.4mln or around £1.189mln with entrepreneur and mining financier Ross Beaty acquiring a near 15% stake. Moving to silver mining junior Sunrise Resources (LON:SRES) confirmed on Wednesday that the drillbit started turning on schedule at its Bay State silver project Nevada USA. Moving away from the precious metals an independent study of Stellar Diamonds' (LON:STEL) Tongo kimberlite project in Sierra Leone support its potential to generate significant cash flow from a modest initial investment. The eagerly-anticipated preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of the deposit reckons there is the potential to excavate stones totalling 955930 carats generating US$387mln over 18 years. In financing news Kibo Mining (LON:KIBO) is set for a cash boost and shortly receive placing monies held in accounts of bust stockbroker Hume Capital it said. The firm will receive substantially all of the £526000 still owed to it. Finally quarrying and finishing specialist Fox Marble (LON:FOX) is looking forward to showcasing its premium material at a trade fair in Italy this autumn.
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