Canadian-based Mindoro Resources Ltd will start exploring its gold, copper and nickel mine in northern Mindanao, Philippines in the third quarter. Mindoro Resources also wants to build a plant to process nickel rather than ship ore directly. The miner will spend USD 300,000-500,000 up to next year for the exploration program, which is focused on the American Tunnels area of the Agata project in Surigao del Norte. The Agata project is also estimated to contain 22 million-25 million dry metric tons of nickel ore with 1.1% grade of nickel equivalent to 547 million pounds of contained nickel and 34 million pounds of contained cobalt. MRL Gold expects to extract 7,000-10,000 metric tons of nickel per year for at least 25 years. MRL Gold is looking for a Chinese partner to put up the nickel processing plant, which will allow the miners to extract as much as 75% of the nickel’s value, instead of getting only 10%-15% of the nickel value with direct ore shipping.